When throughput, safety, and shelf life are non-negotiable, you need a custom food processing refrigeration system engineered for precision and uptime. Since 1957, Kuhlman has designed, installed, and serviced industrial refrigeration Systems for dairies, bakeries, meat & poultry, produce, beverages, confections, and frozen foods, backed by registered professional engineers, certified union welders/fitters, and a 24-hour service department.

Purpose-Built Systems for Processing and Post-Processing

We design ammonia (NH₃), Freon, CO₂, and glycol secondary-loop architectures tailored to your process loads, sanitation windows, and HACCP/PSM requirements. Typical design elements include:

  • Process Cooling & Chilling: Spiral and tunnel freezers, blast cells, IQF lines, jacketed kettles and silos, heat exchangers, and glycol distribution.
  • Room Conditioning: Inside Evaporators, Rooftop Hygienic Air Handling Units, Makeup air with dehumidification, wash-down tolerant evaporators, and tight temperature and humidity control to prevent fog, frost, and microbial risk.
  • Controls & Telemetry: PLC/SCADA, VFDs, smart set-back, demand response, and trending for audit trails and continuous improvement.
  • Energy Optimization: Floating head condensing, heat reclaim for hot water, EC fans, and compressor sequencing strategies that reduce kWh per pound processing.

Breweries & Beverage: Cold Chain Without Compromise

From brewhouse to bright tank to packaging, we deliver custom brewery refrigeration installation projects that stabilize fermentation curves, tighten diacetyl rests, and accelerate crash cooling without thermal shock. We can integrate CO₂ recovery interfaces, brite tank jacket zoning, and CIP-friendly evaporator selections to maintain product integrity and throughput.

Construction, QA, and Compliance Handled End-to-End

Our in-house AutoCAD and Revit team models piping layouts, penetrations, and equipment pads and coordinates directly with your general contractor and trades. Our certified fabrication and field crews deliver code-compliant installations aligned to IIAR, RETA, OSHA, and local AHJ requirements. Quality control includes hydro/NDT on piping, valve tagout, and full PSM documentation packages where applicable.

Reliable Food Processing Refrigeration Service

Uptime is both a design philosophy and a service commitment. Kuhlman provides:

  • 24/7 Certified Service & Parts with OEM support (Vilter, Frick, GEA/FES, Evapco).
  • Predictive Maintenance: vibration analysis, oil sampling, performance baselining.
  • Compliance Support: PSM audits, MOC, operator training, and emergency response plans.
  • Retrofits & Expansions: compressor re-rates, evaporator upgrades, controls modernization, and refrigerant conversions.

Typical Food & Beverage Applications We Support

  • Meat, poultry, and seafood processing
  • Cheese and Dairy Processing
  • Cold Storage Warehousing and Food Handling
  • Breweries, distilleries, RTD beverages, and tea
  • Frozen foods, bakeries, confections, oils & fats
  • Fruits & vegetables (pre-cooling and cold rooms)
  • Juice and Soft Drinks

Why Kuhlman

  • Since 1957: Multi-state project experience with dedicated on-site project management
  • Engineering Depth: Registered PEs, compliance engineers, AutoCAD/Revit designers, and experience design engineers
  • Lifecycle Partner: Design, installations, sales, service, and parts from a single integrated team

Ready to increase capacity, reduce kWh, and tighten temperature control? Request an RFQ, and our engineers will tailor a system to your exact production needs with reliability and sustainability in mind.

Explore how these capabilities extend beyond food & beverage on our Industries Overview, including where our custom food processing refrigeration system designs and custom brewery refrigeration installation expertise can be applied across sectors with ongoing food processing refrigeration service.

Have a project in mind? Contact Us to schedule a site assessment or request an RFQ.