How to Optimize Cold Storage for Food Retail and Industrial Applications
Through the years, cold storage has been a vital component in food retail and industrial operations. Commonly used by grocers to preserve food products and prolong the shelf life of perishable items, cold storage is employed as well by pharmaceutical industries to store temperature-sensitive products. Cold storage has been key to helping companies around the world achieve their business objectives.
However, at a time when efficiency, convenience, and reliability are of paramount importance, ensuring cold storage facilities are running efficiently can make or break an operation’s success.
Here are some ways how to optimize cold storage for food retail and industrial applications:
Maintain the Right Temperature
When it comes to managing cold storage, maintaining the right temperature is critical. This is especially true for food processing, storage, and biopharmaceutical applications, where it is important to maintain the correct temperature to keep the quality of products intact and hold energy costs at a minimum. Maintaining the right temperature in cold storage can be done by ensuring that condenser units are in tip-top shape for smooth and consistent airflow. Efficiency is also maximized by keeping the doors to refrigerated units closed and assuring that seals are working properly. Any issues on the doors and seals should be remedied immediately to avoid the strain on cooling systems because they have to work harder to supply more cold air. Likewise, evaporator coils and lighting affect cold storage performance. That is why it is best to use energy-efficient LED lights in cold storage and keep coils in good condition to efficiently maintain the temperature inside the system.
Cold Storage Automation
With the advancement of technology now at the doorstep of our industry, automation in temperature-controlled facilities is a viable and efficient way for companies to streamline processes, save on energy and labor costs and minimize equipment footprint. This is particularly front and center for cold chain management, where proper coordination and integration of processes are needed. Investing in automated cold storage facilities can help alleviate operational challenges and deliver results.
Partner with Cold Storage Experts
Partnering with cold storage experts is another effective way to optimize cold storage facilities. Tapping on the expertise provided by refrigeration solutions providers helps in planning, designing, and correct placement of cold storage systems to enable them to effectively function for the long term. And with the complexities of running and managing a cold storage operation, having a collaborative partnership with experienced refrigeration experts guides companies through the correct implementation and configuration and provides training for technical and maintenance team personnel.
No matter the application, cold storage facilities, and freezing systems have undeniably changed how we do things for the better. It is expected that as the world continues to innovate and the demand for cooling systems for perishable items grows, both consumers and industry players will reap the resulting rewards.