What to do before breaking ground Plant based Process Systems
                     What to do before breaking 
ground on a plant-based 
foods processing plant
Barnum Mechanical Inc
 There are different design considerations 
for building a plant-based processing plant. 

Most processors restrict their product catego -
ries (beverages, sauces, yogurts) within a given 
plant. 
 This practice limits the number of bulk 
ingredients, the potential allergens, and the 
type of equipment necessary to process the 
product(s). 
 Many plant-based foods— especially 
plant-based proteins— have substantially more 
ingredients than other foods. 
Build your team. Cement your 
plans
 To do the best job pos -
sible, everyone involved must work to 
create the most efficient and reliable 
system while working within the constraints 
of budgets 
and timelines. 
View your plant and process as a cohesive 
unit, and design them as:
 It is vital to let the process design drive the 
building design, otherwise the process will 
be inefficient or there will be costly change 
orders. 
Reduce costs by solving 
problems upfront
 The further you get into the construction 
process, the more expensive it is to make a 
change. Construction experts estimate that 
change order cost increases can average 
8 – 14 percent of the original contract price. 
Experience counts
 Your initial team should consist of:
• Owner
• Process Designer
• Architect
• General Contractor
 This early involvement ensures a deeper 
understanding of the owner’s goals, 
budget, time frames and constraints, 
speeds up decision-making and reduces 
implementation time. 
Your architect and general 
contractor need 
to know early
 The process design impacts the equipment 
and utilities selection. The process, 
equipment, and utilities all impact the 
building design. Each process is unique, and 
each element of the process has a direct 
impact on the building design 
specifications.
Equipment selection impacts both 
the utility support systems and the 
building design
 The overall function(s) of the equipment 
should 
be versatile, easy to clean, and facilitate the 
ability to perform quick product 
changeovers. 
The process design will specify the 
equipment 
required to support the process. 
Get Process System 
Services
 Contact Barnum Mechanical Inc for 
professional Services
3260 Penryn Road  
Loomis, CA 95650
(800) 922-7686
barnummech.com 
[email protected]