Refrigeration for cold storage logistics: how to ensure a seamless cold chain
The cold chain is a continuous process that has one essential objective: to keep products at a constant and controlled temperature, from the point of origin to the final consumer.
In the food and pharmaceutical sectors this means more than just following a technical specification: it means protecting consumers safety, preserving quality and the organoleptic properties of food and ensure the effectiveness of medicines.
Any interruption can result in significant economic losses, reputational damages and, in the worst cases, public health risks.
Critical points: where the chain risks breaking
Despite technological advances, the cold chain remains vulnerable at three points:
- Loading and unloading of products in the warehouse: every opening of a cold room or a refrigerated truck exposes the products to possible thermal shock, reducing their shelf life and overall quality.
- Storage and processing: managing large volumes and long shelf lives requires uniform temperature distribution. Even minimal differences can compromise the integrity of the products.
- Transport: mobile systems must also ensure continuous reliability. Even a temporary failure can compromise high-value loads.
Refteco solutions: technology and reliability at every stage (plus one)
Link 1: Rapid blast chilling and securing of goods
The first critical step is to rapidly cool the products entering the cold room. Air coolers and air evaporators Blast Freezer RGBF, REBF, RBBF e RABF are designed specifically to rapidly reduce the temperature, significantly reducing the time spent in the so-called “microbiological risk zone” and preserving the organoleptic characteristics of foods.
Specific variants are available for high density applications, such as rapid cooling and freezing of meat, fish, ice cream and pre-cooked dishes in tunnel, where high cooling power in small spaces are required.
Link 2: Storage in temperature-controlled warehouses
Inside refrigerated warehouses, the priority is not only to maintain the temperature, but to ensure its uniformity throughout the cold room volume. This helps to avoid thermal stratification and ensures constant conditions even during longer storage periods.
For these needs, Refteco offers various lines of industrial air evaporators:
- The RN cubic industrial air coolers are ideal for medium and large sized cold rooms (from 200 to 3100 m3) with a wide temperature range (from -40° to +25°) which lends itself to multiple applications, from Food & Beverage to pharmaceutical logistics.The choice of construction materials – pipes in copper or stainless steel, fins in aluminum, painted galvanized or stainless steel casing and screws in AISI 304– guarantees resistance in harsh environments and ease of maintenance.
- The dual flow versions REDI / RBDI / RADI/ RGDI are primarily intended for picking cold rooms or processing rooms, environments where people work for extended periods of time and there is a need for the ventilation and the noise do not cause inconvenience to operators.They offer efficiency in heat exchange, silence and low consumption in compact size: ideal features for logistics platforms and food plants.
Link 3: Energy efficiency and reliability as the driving force of the refrigeration system
The robustness of a refrigeration system depends on its key components. Condensers and Liquid Coolers (Dry Coolers) must guarantee stable and long-lasting performance also under continuous and demanding working conditions.
An example is the range of RCVD condensers, which with V configuration allow you to reach high performance with compact footprint and electricity consumption. They are compatible with various refrigerants (HFC, HFO, R290 e NH₃), and designed to ensure reliability, energy efficiency and low noise levels also at low fan rotation speeds.
On the liquid cooler front, the Dry Coolers RDVD V shape represent a solution modular and compact for high-power industrial systems. Their robust construction and wide range of configurations allow them to adapt to specific design needs, ensuring durability and ease of maintenance.
Link 4: A look into the future of sustainable refrigeration.
The transition to natural refrigerants is now a necessary step to combine competitiveness and regulatory compliance. Refteco Gas Cooler for CO2 Systems respond to this need: they guarantee a high energy efficiency and adherence to environmental standards, reducing climate impact without sacrificing performance.
Adopting solutions of this type means preparing today for a future in which regulations will be increasingly stringent, while at the same time protecting the continuity of the supply chain.
Refteco, therefore, is not just a supplier of components, but a technical partner with a complete range of solutions – Blast Freezer, Air coolers, Condensers, Dry Cooler and Gas Cooler – designed to ensure continuity, efficiency and reliability, with the possibility of customized configurations.
Does your cold chain need a reliable partner?
Contact our experts for personalized consultancy and discover Refteco’s solutions for safe, sustainable, and seamless logistics.
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