Star’s enhanced SDS, smart solution for industrial cooling plant maintenance

Star Refrigeration has enhanced its Star Diagnostic Solutions (SDS) off-site service, designed for all operators of refrigeration plants. The new features of the service include improved data collection with the production of performance graphs and analytical data and on-going plant performance reporting focussing on cooling temperatures and power consumption to boost plant efficiency.

The system provides a live 24/7 emergency call out service linking the facility to Star’s nationwide network of nine branch offices, enabling the company engineering team to oversee all aspects of refrigeration plant operation around the clock and to be alerted of any developing maintenance problems to prevent plant failures outside normal working hours.

SDS also monitors critical oil/refrigerant levels and equipment operation (e.g. compressors and pumps) within the refrigeration plant. The service works via a broadband connection, sending data from the cooling plant’s computerised control system to Star’s data collection centre.

StarCare, Star’s energy saving approach

The new SDS is part of StarCare, a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programme designed by Star Refrigeration for cold storage and distribution, process cooling and food plant. This proactive PPM programme for cooling equipment ensures optimum long-term performance and reliability. StarCare is proven to increase energy efficiency and significantly reduce lifecycle costs.

Star Refrigeration Operations Director John Fraser explains: Equipment operation and maintenance typically accounts for over 80% of a refrigeration plant’s lifecycle cost. Investing in proactive maintenance is absolutely vital in order to ensure optimum long-term performance and lower running costs. In our experience, the cost of plant inefficiency and unreliability far outweighs the investment required in an effective PPM regime.”

Star strengthens its position across UK

Star has always been at the forefront, developing site based industrial refrigeration plant monitoring and reporting tools. With the StarCare PPM, offering a smart remote monitoring solution, Star is strengthening its position as a leader in cooling and heating system innovation across the UK.

The SDS’s most recent success story involved Yearsley Logistics. By investing in StarCare, the UK’s largest cold storage and distribution company has cut over £50K from its annual energy bill at Coleshill distribution centre near Birmingham.

After a general plant audit, Yearsley’s StarCare PPM programme included on-going customer feedback, prioritised action plans and regular meetings between Star engineers and the Coleshill site management team to review and update the StarCare schedule.

Kevin Chrystal, Group Maintenance Manager for Yearsley Logistics says: Having previously worked in partnership with Star, we were keen to seek the firm’s advice on reducing our electrical usage. The Starcare team completed an analysis of energy usage at our Coleshill depot and drew up a proposal to take the project forward.” He adds: “After just one month of implementing Star’s suggestions, we achieved our lowest electrical usage since 2003.”

Yearsley Logistics has now instructed Star to undertake further plant audits at the company’s other UK sites.

About Star Refrigeration

Founded in 1970 by two mechanical engineers in Glasgow, Star Refrigeration has expanded from an industrial refrigeration company to a multi-faceted engineering group through the acquisition and development of a range of businesses that span consultancy, education and design through to commissioning and maintenance of HVACR & M&E solutions. Star works with strategic partners across the globe to deliver low carbon, cost saving solutions.