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Packaged DX (Direct Expansion) AHUs, what are they and their advantages? A packaged DX AHU is an all-in-one air handing unit (AHU) also known as a plug and play unit that controls and circulates the air within a building. They are designed and manufactured as a self-contained unit that includes heating and cooling modules, fans, filters and a control system to provide managed ventilation, heating, and temperature-controlled air flow. The Advantages Aircraft Air Handling’s packaged DX AHUs are all individually specified, designed and manufactured to each customer’s own site-specific requirements. Supplied as an all-in-one unit, our packaged DX AHUs only require minimal on-site assembly and connection to the building’s electrical supply and air ducting system. This significantly reduces installation time, potentially removing the need to have two different trades on-site to install and commission the AHU. An additional feature is that our DX packaged systems do not require a water supply, they use the refrigerant in the DX coil that absorbs heat from the air being cooled - this avoids the need for the AHU to be connected to a water supply. Smaller all-in-one DX packaged systems are ideal for smaller buildings or individual room applications like classrooms and offices, whilst larger, weatherproof units are ideal for rooftop installation which cuts noise and saves plant room space.

Have you a problem with an aging air handling unit (AHU), or just want to keep your end-of-life AHU running for a few more years? AirCraft Air Handling might just be able to help. An old, even plus 35-years-old, AHU may still work, but it is more likely to breakdown and require new parts. These parts might not be available from the original manufacturer, either because they no longer produce parts for that AHU, or the manufacturer themselves are no longer in business. It is possible that you may also not be able to see the manufacturer’s markings anymore. So, an easy way to establish if we can help is to use your phone to photograph the failing part. Simply send the image to us by email to info@aircraftairhandling.com. Don’t forget to tell us a little about your AHU problem and also of course your name and contact details. With this information we will quickly get back to you and confirm what options or replacement parts we can help with. Click through to see a list of manufacturers we can source parts for: https://www.aircraftairhandling.com/services/defunct-ahu-manufacturers/ Or, contact us to see if we can help: https://www.aircraftairhandling.com/contact/

Air Handling Units (AHUs) tend to have their airflow configuration in a horizontal direction, but there are some instances where a vertical AHU is needed instead, depending on the area it will be installed in. This was the case for a medical technology company, located in western UK, who were planning on upgrading their cleanroom ventilation system. AirCraft Air Handling got to work with assisting in the design of a bespoke arrangement for this specific vertical AHU. It needed to function in an unclassified cleanroom, filtering dust and external pollutants out whilst controlling the humidity and temperature of the supply air. The clean room in question also required regulated air pressure for optimum performance. Our design team worked closely with the cleanroom contractor to finalise the specifications for an up-flow air AHU, which was delivered to the site in a modular format. Click through for more information about his project: https://bit.ly/3Q8aA83

Refurbishment Well-designed and manufactured Air Handling Units (AHUs) can have a potential life expectancy of around twenty years when correctly maintained. However, along the way, there are some items that may need replacement due to their usage, typically these could be coils, fans, gas heaters, thermal wheels, and recuperators. In some cases, an AHU will need a supply of hot or chilled water for thermal transfer with the incoming air. In areas of hard water, pipework and coils within the AHU are likely to experience limescale build-up, causing problems, potential damage and reducing their effectiveness. In most cases, all of the above can be dealt with under a refurbishment plan, AirCraft Air Handling have experience in working with our own legacy AHUs and units from other manufacturers. We can refurbish the worn or damaged component parts or supply any replacement items needed. In some cases, we can also help with AHU’s manufactured by defunct manufacturers. Replacement When an aging AHU becomes non-economical to repair or refurbish, now could be the time to plan a replacement. Apart from the life cycle benefits associated with new equipment, there can be tangible gains from lower energy consumption, lower noise levels improved output performance and in some cases compliance to changing legislative requirements. There is also an option to specify a system that fully integrates with a building management system (BMS). In either a refurbishment or replacement AHU project, [...]

Summer is coming, so now could be the time to think of fresh air in your building. With summer fast approaching, now maybe the time to consider the effectiveness of the ventilation in your building. A well-designed and manufactured Fresh Air, Air Handling Unit (AHU), is one of the most cost-effective ways to bring clean, fresh air into a building. There are many environments where fresh air circulation through open windows is just not an option such as kitchens, restaurants, catering facilities, classrooms, and laboratories to name just a few. In these instances, the ideal solution is to install a Fresh Air AHU, which draws air from outside, filters it to remove dust and contaminates, and heats or cools the supply air. The filtered and conditioned air supplied by the AHU is then channelled into the enclosed area via either existing or new ducting. During the summer, a Fresh Air AHU manufactured to include chilled water-cooling coils or a direct expansion cooling source, allows the AHU to supply chilled air when it is most needed. The AirCraft Air Handling team will happily assist with advice and specifications for entirely new installations, replacements and refurbishments if needed.

Can you just, yes, we can! During a recent project for the manufacture of a large weatherproof bespoke AHU we were asked if we could also help with the manufacturer of an external plant room, the answer was yes. The request was for a 6-meter-long, 3.2-meter-wide and 2.6-meter-tall roof-top weatherproof plant room that would be broken down into flatpack format to enable the components to be transported to the roof via a stairwell and easily assembled on site. It needed to accommodate equipment requiring both water and power supplies. For security purposes we also fitted a heavy duty self-closing door. Although not something we generally get asked for our engineering and manufacturing team quickly started on the construction, completing it in the agreed time frames. We subsequently dismantled the plant room for flat pack delivery and transported to site along with the large weatherproof bespoke AHU that we also manufactured.

We want to thank our customers and partners for their continued interest and business over 2023, and look forward to the opportunities 2024 will bring. Please note that we will be closed for business from 5 pm on Thursday 21st December 2023 and will reopen on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.

Amongst the range of AHU products we design and manufacture, AirCraft Air Handling supply Heat Recovery AHUs to replace failing or high-energy consuming units and units for new installations. The principal benefit of a Heat Recovery AHU is its energy efficiency. The AHU transfers thermal energy from the exhaust air stream into the supply air stream via a heat recovery device. As a result, the AHU recovers cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. Correctly configured a balanced heat recovery unit will recover upwards of approximately 73% of the thermal energy from the extract air stream. The Heat Recovery AHU takes advantage of the exhaust air, which is generally warmer than the fresh incoming air used in the process of heat recovery. It can also assist in removing moisture from the building, as the extracted cooler humid air is exhausted out through the ducting and into the atmosphere. Energy savings are achieved by utilising the heat that would have been lost through the extracted air, thus contributing towards lowering the heating and cooling loads and associated running costs of a building. In today’s world of higher energy costs and a drive towards Net Zero emissions, choosing a Heat Recovery AHU may help with companies' or authorities' carbon emission objectives.

October 2023 marks the 25th year of trading as AirCraft Air Handling Ltd and we are very proud of the enviable position of being one of the UK’s specialist AHU manufacturers. AirCraft’s history of delivering excellent customer service: One of the key contributors to our ongoing success has been our problem-solving approach towards challenging projects and requests for advice with existing and sometimes obsolete AHUs. Although many of the AHUs we design, manufacture and supply are based on existing or supplied designs, we thrive on designing and helping customers with their plans for achieving the manufacture of well-specified, site-specific bespoke AHUs. Growth in an ever-competitive and crowded market: AirCraft have always enjoyed a great reputation for technical skills, manufacturing quality and competitive pricing.  Collectively, these have helped us to deliver some of our largest AHUs.  These projects include external weatherproof HTM-03.01 (2021) units to the NHS. These have service corridors for maintenance to be carried out in an enclosed environment. Our knockdown and site assembly facility has enabled us to replace many existing AHUs.  Recently, Aircraft were requested to carry out a site survey and put forward proposals to replace an end-of-life AHU serving a large VAV rating duct air condensing system.  The plant room was located on the 1st floor buried deep within the building and the only access was via the plant room door measuring just 750mm wide & 2400mm high. The new [...]

A vast number of buildings do not have the space for a plant room, access to a flat roof that would support an AHU or an attached secure yard for a ground-level installed unit. So, for those environments, a slimline and low-profile ceiling mounted AHU could be the answer for providing tempered and or fresh air. They are ideal for restaurants, civic buildings, and schools. Depending on their location, they can be unobtrusive or even used as a feature point in trendy commercial settings. They can be installed in ceiling voids or a false ceiling for a further concealed set-up, enhancing rather than detracting from the premises’ interior design. Within AirCraft Air Handling’s range of ceiling mounted AHUs, we manufacture Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery (MVHR) units with high efficiency plate recuperator and supply & extract EC plug fans. The tempered and filtered air can be discreetly supplied into an enclosed area such as a room within a school or office environment. The regulatory framework for ventilation in schools gives recommended performance levels for compliance with the UK “Breathing Buildings” BB101 standard (2018). AirCraft Air Handling’s Ceiling Mounted AHUs are designed to meet these standards along with the sound insulation in our case works which are tested to ISO 91.120.20.