It has been a busy 12 months in the cold storage industry. When the Journal last reported, concerns for energy efficiency and the rising cost of insurance were at the forefront of discussion and these issues have not entirely disappeared.
Although 2004 looks certain to be a productive year for ICA, designer and builder of cold stores, CA stores, packhouses and distribution centres, sales director Andrew Wills is quick to point out that the industry continues to be hit by large insurance premiums when it comes to insuring cold stores and packhouses. “Many of the traditional insulated panels used to construct such facilities are now not acceptable with the insurers,” Wills explains. “Traditional insulation cores such as polystyrene and polyurethane have now been replaced by PIR (polyisocyanurate) and rock wool insulation.
PIR panels now give a 30-minute fire rating with rock wool panels a one-hour fire rating. ICA is offering a free advice service to all cold store operators with regard to surveying existing insulated panels on site and negotiating with insurers to ensure premiums are realistic as well as advising which type of insulated panels to use on future projects.
“More care has to be taken by the cold store operator choosing which company should construct any new facilities. The advent of strict guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ensures that only competent contractors should be used. The HSE should now be advised of any new project being started and a full health and safety plan should be followed.”
Insurance concerns aside, the focus is now firmly fixed on new products as technology reaches new levels of sophistication.
Norman Pendred, for example, has been working on an international basis with salad growers, packers, processors and shippers to develop a unique process enabling the pick weight, quality and shelf life of produce to reach maximum potential. Its high humidity fogging system, TruFog goes beyond the normal humidification processes and when used in support of existing high humidity cooling systems or agricultural humidification systems is already making traditional DX refrigeration more efficient and less costly to run. “There is a lot of misunderstanding in the industry about fogging systems,” says managing director Christopher Pendred. “Many fogging systems momentarily produce a type of fog but the fog in our systems is a true fog ñ 100 per cent of our droplets are less than five microns.”
Effectively the system turns cold stores into conditioning rooms by filling the atmosphere with light but visible fog made up of minute droplets of purified water suspended in the atmosphere which enables living produce, deprived of its root system, to hydrate. The droplets are small enough to be absorbed naturally into the leaves and bodies of salad and vegetable products.
TruFog's crucial aspect, Pendred continues, is the fact that it fills the air with a visible fog that actually stays in the air as opposed to dropping to the floor. Also, the fog is continually replaced. “Filling the whole cold store with a fog that floats around and can be seen is a huge advantage,” he says. “If it is not there then it is not working. The fog follows the air in the cold store and is absorbed into living produce. The droplets are made up of de-mineralised water that is soft, pure and doesn't clog or scale on the minute arteries on the leaves.”
Plants with their roots cut off are potentially stressed, Pendred explains, and with this system water can be absorbed naturally with very little effort on the part of the plant. The advantage to this is that shelf-life increases as the plant is able to sustain itself with much less effort than it would normally take.
“When produce is harvested in dry weather like it was last summer, or in hot countries such as Spain or Portugal the product, which is then transported by road, can lose up to eight per cent of its water content,” he says. “With TruFog, products can rehydrate to their picking weight within a maximum of 48 hours, although some take less time than this. With this system we enable cold stores to become like a reconditioning room ñ it is like first aid for plants. As long as the product is fresh then it can be re-hydrated and that is what makes the system unique.”
Trufog has already made a positive impact on the produce industry and the company has doubled its installations every year since the first system was installed at Vitacress four years ago. “The demand has come from the users,” says Pendred, “and success has come through client recommendation, and has largely been self-generating. The benefits are repeated year after year, especially in the hot weather, and the results are absolutely staggering.”
Hubbard Transport Refrigeration Solutions (HTRS) has launched a new generation of cooling systems to deliver greater efficiency, better reliability and cost effectiveness. The company, a division of the HTG Trading group, offers a wide range of controlled-temperature transport solutions, from small vans to semi-trailers and was one of the first to champion the move towards low carbon options for temperature controlled logistics operators.
The 360 Alpha is the company's latest replacement for the long-running 360 series. Designed for micro vans, panel vans and compartmented bodies, the 360 Alpha is available in frozen (360 Alpha L) and chilled (360 Alpha M) versions.
Pirie Systems has made great progress in cooling systems with the launch of its rapid cooling system. Initially the system was designed for use with strawberries but has exceeded expectations and has now successfully been used on lettuces and other salad crops. Development Options is based in Egypt and has been working with Pirie systems since June last year to market and develop the project. Director Paul Mansley explains that the idea for the system originally came from Frank Pirie's visit to Egypt two years ago. “When Frank first came out to Egypt he identified a need for a rapid chilling unit and then developed a prototype last summer. Although the system was designed for strawberries (to take three tonnes from between 35-37°C and chill them down to just above zero in two hours), it was successfully used on salad crops in Lincolnshire last summer.”
The original prototype has now changed from a complete unit to a chilling unit that can be separated from its box and attached to either a static or mobile unit. Mansley explains: “This means that in summer it can be attached to a mobile unit and used in the field. In Egypt this is a great advantage. There are many corporate farms that can afford big, static units, but a lot of agriculture is carried out by small farmers who cannot afford large units. This system has the advantage of being both accessible and mobile.
“There has been a high level of interest in the unit in Egypt, Jordan and Turkey,” says Mansley, “and the system also has advantages for European production. It is important to get across that this is a sophisticated rapid chilling unit that also maintains humidity, therefore avoiding potential damage to the crop.”
Hubbard Transport has also launched the groundbreaking 385 Alpha M that utilises the same housing as the 360 Alpha M but delivers more power.
“The 360 Alpha models are great products in terms of looks, performance and pricing,” says the company's Roland Gibson. “We are very excited about the opportunity they give us. However, the 385 Alpha M is also an exceptional development. Its applications are fewer, so the sales opportunity is probably less, but it really does set new standards in power, compact design and price.”
Despite excellent standards of performance, aesthetics are the most obvious development for the new Alpha models, says Gibson. An aerodynamic outing is in keeping with the latest van designs, and a low profile ensures minimum drag ñ all a far cry from traditional box-shaped condensers.
To keep purchase and running costs to a minimum, the new Alpha models are non-standby. Hubbard's tried and tested belt-driven technology provides dependable cooling and in the cab, a programmable digital controller with constant temperature readout ensures that drivers always know the state of the cargo. The 360 Alpha L offers automatic defrost with a manual override.
The 360 Alpha models also have the capability to quickly chill down to the set temperatures. At ambient, the chilled 360 Alpha L delivers 2,300 watts, the frozen 1,400 watts and both use environment-friendly R134a refrigerant. In addition, they can be supplied with Hubbard's Clean Air bacterial control system, which kills bacteria and purifies the cabin's air, especially suitable with mixed loads or when there is regular change of use.
Cold storage specialist Paneltex has recently collaborated with Hubbard Transport on an online grocery project. Paneltex required a refrigerated container pod that could be demountable from the delivery truck.
Hubbard's Fraser Hale explains: “This was an exciting opportunity. In effect we had carte blanche to create an entirely new system. The success of the project shows how companies with a variety of specialised skills can work together to achieve imaginative and effective new solutions for challenging applications.”
The Paneltex pod had to be capable of carrying a mixed load of ambient, chilled and frozen product and also needed to be a fully self-contained insulated body, including integrated mechanics and electrics capable of delivering a pod temperature of 4°C.
The result, officially named the 200 Alpha, is electrically driven, either direct from the mains or from an alternator on the vehicle engine, with output through a Siemens 240volt inverter.
To accommodate the customer's requirements the pod's eventual dimensions had to be relatively tall, Hale explains, which, in turn, meant that the cooling system had to be as low profile as possible. In the event, the Hubbard Alpha 200 was restricted to just under 230mm (9 inches).
While the pod is being loaded in a distribution centre, its refrigeration system is plugged into the mains. When its is ready to be transported to the customers, the pod is disconnected from the mains, slid into rails in the delivery van's chassis and plugged in to the vehicle.
In terms of food quality and the cold chain, the result of this collaboration appears to be the perfect solution.
Throughout its journey, produce never leaves its temperature-controlled environment, even if it is transferred from vehicle to warehouse and back.
Ipswich-based Seven Asset Management contract hire portable cold storage units and vehicles to private companies across the UK. The most recent innovation is the Seven Asset Internet Cargo Monitoring System (SAMS). Developed in conjunction with Zeal Radio Data Systems, SAMS is effectively a method of ensuring that cargo temperature is maintained, guaranteeing fresh stock and peace of mind. The system links via the internet to a Seven Asset central computer which monitors and records up to four temperature probes set throughout the cargo loading area. If the cargo temperature rises above that specified then an alarm system is activated. SAMS will also monitor door opening times.
Warwick Dunnett, director and general manager of Seven Asset Management, explains: “This system ensures that our units are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing efficient temperature control. We are very pleased to be able to offer the facility to our customers and the feedback we have received so far has been exceedingly positive.”
Seven Asset Management's temperature controlled storage fleet is primarily made up of a contract fleet for medium to long-term hire. However, the need to respond quickly to client's needs means they have more than 150 refurbished units available for short-term hire. The Premier Range coldstore is made up of ex- marine shipping containers and re-fit them with interior lighting, a panic alarm, aluminium flooring, ozone friendly gas and a five foot wide easy access insulated door, and with a network of own-employed refrigeration engineers and designated maintenance centres around the country, it is able to ensure that 24 hour assistance can be provided wherever the client is located.
The benefits of contract hiring through Seven Asset Management are both operational and financial. Contract hiring removes a great deal of the worry and hassle from the clients day-to-day business. With a contract hire agreement, you have a fixed monthly charge and the support of a guarantee that is all you need. It leaves the clients free to concentrate on the real job in hand. The ongoing implementation of new health and safety legislation and the complexity of hygiene regulations means that the temperature controlled storage and distribution user continually faces administrative difficulties and rising costs in the control and operation of their temperature controlled requirements; another good reason to choose contract hire.
CONSERVE YOUR ENERGY
David Harris of ACS Group Services Ltd offers some simple advice for the efficient energy management of refrigerated and air conditioned environments.
“The management of energy in the workplace is something that can contribute considerably to the welfare of the environment and also enable business to save substantial amounts of money,” says David Harris of ACS Group Services. “There are more than 3.5 million small and medium-sized companies in the UK, accounting for an estimated 40 per cent of energy use. Many have energy bills of more than £10,000 a year with some spending in excess of £1m a year on energy. Bills can be reduced by 10 to 20 per cent with very little effort, using a variety of techniques, many of which involve little or no expenditure and savings made on energy go straight to increased profit and are usually easier to achieve than increasing profit through extra sales turnover.”
Every year, says Harris, £12 billion worth of energy is wasted in the UK ñ 30 per cent of the country's energy consumption and in terms of industrial energy management there are both long and short-term savings to be made.
“Refrigeration is the main use and cost of energy in many catering outlets, supermarkets in food storage and distribution warehouses, accounting for up to 60-70 per cent of total energy consumption. Walk-in refrigeration store units, display freezers/cabinets and free standing units are expensive to run and therefore care should be taken not to exceed the legal minimum storage temperatures beyond the practical margins, as any excessive cooling will inevitably increase electricity consumption.
“Most chilled display units will have night blinds and it must be ensured that all are operational,” says Harris. “It is recommended that the necessary action is taken to ensure that these and the covers to chest freezers are shut as soon as possible after the store has closed.
“Instead of using electric defrost routines in chilled display cabinets, defrosting should be allowed to occur naturally, relying on the ambient temperature of the forced air. There is a high degree of uncertainty as to the practicality of this measure ñ clearly the condition of the produce cannot be placed at risk and so trials will be required.
“If the refrigeration plant employs conventional thermostatic expansion valves, these valves should be replaced with electronic expansion valves that give high-energy efficiency by optimising expansion of refrigerant in accordance with fluctuating evaporator and condenser temperatures. A detailed survey should be carried out to determine where they can be fitted, starting with the largest units.
“Power optimisers should be fitted to any freestanding display cabinets and refrigerators to improve the operational efficiency under low load conditions. It would also be wise to fit a seven-day time switch to stand alone chilled drinks display units so it automatically turns off when the store is closed.
In order to track and maintain energy consumption, Harris continues, it is important to target and monitor the whole process. Gas, electricity and water meter readings should be recorded monthly in order to monitor consumption more effectively and act as a cross check on invoices. In particular Harris recommends that the simple technique of ërolling trends' be adopted. This requires the average consumption for the last 12 months to be calculated for each meter point every month, i.e. it is the sum of the last 12 months consumption divided by 12.
Whether the resultant average consumption is going up or down provides a ready indication of performance that takes into account the varying demands of the year and seasons. Such practices will enable any discrepancies to be rapidly identified and the necessary action can be taken earlier rather than later.
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