Case Study: Reliable Cooling Supports Rapid Growth at Casa Sanchez
Customer: Casa Sanchez
Industry: Food & Beverage Processing
Location: Hayward, California
The Challenge: Cooling a High-Growth HPP Process
Casa Sanchez is a family‑owned producer of authentic Mexican salsa and tortilla chips, serving customers throughout California and beyond since 1924. To preserve freshness and flavor, the company moves produce quickly from harvest to grocery shelves—often in just a few days.
To support this fast turnaround, Casa Sanchez invested in high pressure processing (HPP) technology for its salsa production line. While HPP significantly extends product shelf life, it also generates substantial heat and requires precise temperature control to operate effectively.
When Casa Sanchez upgraded to a larger, expandable HPP system, their original chiller could no longer keep up. During periods of high ambient temperature, the process experienced overheating, putting production efficiency and quality at risk—all within a facility with limited space for additional equipment.
The Solution: Scalable Chiller Capacity Designed for HPP
Working closely with Casa Sanchez, Dimplex Thermal Solutions (DTS) engineered a chiller solution tailored to the demands of the upgraded HPP system. Rather than a single oversized unit, DTS designed a dual‑chiller configuration that provided both capacity and redundancy while fitting within the available footprint.
The solution included:
- A 15‑ton chiller dedicated to cooling the HPP intensifier pump engine
- A 20‑ton chiller to control heat from the cold process fluid
Together, the chillers maintain a consistent 34°F process temperature, ensuring reliable HPP operation even during peak production and warm ambient conditions.
The Results: Improved Reliability and Extended Shelf Life
With a properly sized and engineered chiller solution in place, Casa Sanchez is now able to utilize its HPP system to its full potential. The stable, consistent cooling has helped:
- Eliminate overheating issues during high production periods
- Support increased output from the expanded HPP system
- Extend salsa shelf life by 35–55 days
- Improve confidence in meeting production schedules and customer demand
A Partnership Built on Trust
For Casa Sanchez, success is about more than equipment—it’s about partnership. DTS provided the technical expertise and ongoing support needed to match cooling performance with production growth. As a family business, Casa Sanchez values working with a partner that combines industry leadership with a relationship‑driven approach.
The result is a cooling solution that scales with the business and supports Casa Sanchez’s commitment to fresh, high‑quality products.