WARE and Dawn Foods: Powering Through the Christmas Rush

THE SUBJECT:  

Dawn Foods, America’s first industrial bakery mix company, is a wholesale manufacturer and distributor of bread, baked goods, and baking ingredients that has been in operation since 1920. They currently have 57 production facilities located all over the world and generate over a billion dollars in revenue every year. One of their key facilities is located in Louisville, Kentucky on Eiler Avenue. 

THE ASK:  

Dawn Foods came to WARE with a challenge: They needed more efficient steam production, and they needed it on a very tight timeline.  

THE SOLUTION:

One of the most effective – and cost-effective – ways to increase the efficiency and output of a boiler is to swap out the old burners for a newer, more efficient combustion system. This involves replacing the gas train, removing and replacing the current burners, constructing the proper burner ring, wiring in a new control system, and replacing the refractory, along with all the associated tasks involved. It’s a job that normally takes between 7 and 10 days, and that’s with three technicians, each working full 8-hour shifts every day.

THE CHALLENGE:

To avoid costly downtime, WARE had to complete the project in just four days, the narrow window between Christmas and New Year’s Day. 

HOW WARE SOLVED IT:

While everyone else was enjoying a holiday break, WARE was hard at work. After evaluating Dawn Foods’ needs, WARE recommended replacing their old gas train and burners with a new Limpsfield burner system. A team of five highly trained WARE technicians worked 16-hour days to remove the entire gas train, remove the old burners, break up and replace the refractory, build a custom burner ring for the boiler, install the new burners, replumb the gas train, rewire the entire control system, cure the refractory, and test-fire and commission the boiler. All in four days. 

Dawn Foods was pleased with the results, and their operation was back up and running when they needed it. Now, they’re saving money on energy and enjoying better steam production every day.