• Pizza Process & Packaging
• Fast-track Schedule
• Process Design
• Process Support / Utilities Design
• Process Mass Balance Model
• Plumbing & Natural Gas
• Budget: $11M
• Size: 6,900 SF
• Sanitary Design Standards
• Project Management
• Scope Development Support
• Construction Drawings

In late 2022, IFE was asked by a large nationwide engineering consulting company to subcontract under their engineering team for fast-tracking a pizza line project in the Midwest. The processor needed to convert their existing retail pizza line from a large multi-serve portion to a smaller single-serve portion, within the existing 6,900 square-foot processing room, and the project had to be completed in 8 months from start of design to first product.

The project was a success with the final cost within budget and startup of the line within the expedited schedule. This was only possible because long-lead equipment had already been purchased and the owner had spare equipment from other plants to fill in where special equipment was needed.

IFE’s role in this project was to complete the process and mechanical design to a level of detail that would allow contractors to execute the work needed. One challenging area of this project was designing utility support systems for the Melter – IFE designed the extension of the natural gas supply system and new underground plumbing for washdown as well as supporting the team in the design of new combustion air supply and process exhaust systems.

As a first step, block flow diagrams with a process mass balance were developed for the existing process and the upgrades required to convert the line. Once these were approved as the project scope, P&IDs were developed to define the details of the process line (from the bakery discharge through sauce, vegetable, and cheese depositors, spiral freezer, metal detector, dual wrappers, cartoner, case packing, check weighing, and palletizing) and the required utility connections and line sizes. IFE then completed a fully integrated set of IFC (issued for construction) drawings including:

• Cover Sheet – with drawing list
• Site and Facility Plan View – with identification of the project area
• Site Administration Drawing – with contractor site access points, trailer locations, bathrooms, etc.
• Equipment Rigging Drawing – showing the pathway for large equipment movement
• P&IDs– with notes and scope delineation for mechanical, electrical, and controls installation
• Plan View Existing – with demolition requirements defined
• Phased Plan View Drawings – with dimensions, notes, and color coding for phased installation
• Elevation Views – dimensions, notes, and 3D detail of process supply and exhaust ducting
• Plumbing – with concrete demolition / excavation scope and new plumbing design with invert elevations
• Natural Gas – with existing system, improvements, gas load calculations, and isometric view
• Mechanical Piping – with compressed air and water pipe routing and connection points