Large-scale food manufacturing facilities require more than production refrigeration. Once products have been prepared, packaged, or cooled, they often need to be stored in dedicated holding rooms before dispatch, distribution, or the next stage of the production process. These holding rooms must maintain stable temperatures throughout a large internal volume while allowing continuous movement of products, staff, and equipment.
Designing refrigeration for high-bay holding rooms presents challenges that differ significantly from standard cold rooms. Greater ceiling heights, increased air volume, and higher evaporator installation points require careful refrigeration engineering to ensure consistent cooling from floor level to the highest point of the room. Proper airflow, evaporator positioning, and refrigeration capacity are all essential to achieving uniform temperatures throughout the storage area.
This case study highlights how Glotech Group successfully installed the refrigeration systems for a high-bay holding room chiller at Food Directions in Airport Industria, Cape Town. The project formed part of the company’s ongoing expansion and refrigeration modernisation programme, supporting increased production capacity while maintaining uninterrupted manufacturing operations.
The installation demonstrates Glotech Group’s expertise in delivering specialised refrigeration solutions for large industrial food processing environments.
Food Directions has established itself as one of South Africa’s leading hospitality and airline catering companies by combining culinary innovation with efficient manufacturing systems.
As production volumes increased, additional holding capacity became essential to support daily operations.
The new holding room was designed to temporarily store large quantities of temperature-sensitive products before dispatch and further processing. To maintain product quality and operational efficiency, the facility required a refrigeration system capable of delivering consistent chilled conditions across a very large enclosed space.
Unlike conventional cold rooms with standard ceiling heights, this holding room measured 20 metres long, 30 metres wide, and 7 metres high.
The increased room volume required careful consideration of:
High-bay refrigeration systems cannot rely on equipment positioning alone. Every evaporator must be installed to distribute chilled air effectively throughout the entire room while preventing temperature variations between the upper and lower sections of the facility.
Glotech Group’s scope of work focused on the installation of the refrigeration equipment serving the holding room.
The installation included:
Every stage followed recognised commercial refrigeration engineering standards to ensure reliable long-term performance.
One of the most demanding aspects of the project was the installation of the evaporator coils within the seven-metre-high holding room.
Installing heavy commercial blower coils at this height required specialist lifting equipment, careful planning, and strict adherence to safety procedures.
Working at elevation also demanded precise alignment to ensure optimal airflow and future service accessibility.
The successful installation demonstrated the experience and technical capability of the Glotech Group installation team when working on complex industrial refrigeration projects.
To avoid disrupting the client’s manufacturing operations, all installation work was carried out during night shifts.
Working after normal production hours required detailed planning, disciplined project management, and close coordination with the client’s operational team.
By completing the work overnight, Glotech Group ensured that Food Directions could continue normal daytime production without interruption.
This approach reflects our commitment to delivering refrigeration projects that integrate seamlessly into active manufacturing environments.
Holding rooms play a critical role in food manufacturing and airline catering operations.
They provide a controlled environment where products can be temporarily stored before dispatch, distribution, or transfer to other processing areas.
A properly designed holding room helps:
Reliable refrigeration within these facilities is essential for protecting both product integrity and operational efficiency.
Despite the challenges of working at height and completing the installation during night shifts, the refrigeration equipment was successfully installed within four days.
The completed holding room now forms an important part of Food Directions’ production infrastructure, supporting high-volume food manufacturing with dependable temperature-controlled storage.
The completed project delivered:
Most importantly, the holding room now provides Food Directions with a reliable refrigeration environment that supports efficient product handling and distribution.
With more than 15 years of experience, Glotech Group designs, installs, upgrades, repairs, and maintains commercial refrigeration systems for food manufacturers, airline catering companies, restaurants, pharmaceutical businesses, seafood processors, butcheries, supermarkets, and industrial facilities throughout South Africa.
Our services include:
Every refrigeration system is designed around the client’s workflow, storage requirements, production capacity, and long-term operational goals.
The Food Directions holding room chiller project demonstrates Glotech Group’s ability to deliver specialised refrigeration installations within demanding industrial environments. From safely installing evaporator coils seven metres above floor level to working exclusively during night shifts, every aspect of the project required careful planning, technical expertise, and disciplined execution.
As one of several successful projects completed for Food Directions, this installation reflects the confidence that leading food manufacturers place in Glotech Group to deliver dependable commercial refrigeration solutions that support production growth without compromising operational continuity.
067 153 8332
info@glotechgroup.co.za
Gotech Group offers emergency repair, replacement and installation of industrial and commercial refrigeration units restoring efficient operations in Hermanus & across Western Cape.