Cold storage facilities have to meet strict temperature guidelines. When designed correctly, they function better and can reduce costs for maintenance. Learn three design concepts from Ware Malcomb principal Cameron Trefry to maximize value in these exclusive properties.
Warehouse owners of cold storage are placing a higher emphasis on the comfort of their employees to draw many more employees. This is vitally important given that a labor shortage persists.
Maximizing Efficiency
Cold storage facilities must be placed in locations that have easy access to the transportation network that will connect to a huge number of customers. Additionally, they must be located near raw materials, packaging, and labour.
In designing your space, consider the type of goods you’ll need to store and the amount you’ll be storing in each room. Different types of perishables produce the heat in the form of latent heat, which needs to be cooled and dispersed through ventilation or cooling systems.
In addition, the introduction of automation features such as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) in your warehouse will improve efficiency and reduce handling errors at your workplace. Making sure you plan for these capabilities when designing your warehouse can ensure you’re ready to utilize this technological advantage in the beginning. This could save time as well as money in the long run, while ensuring your cold storage warehouse is able to offer excellent customer service.
Product Safety
Cold storage facilities are typically utilized to store and transport things that can be perishable and need an extremely high level of treatment. Working in such a facility is a risk that needs to be considered for the safety of workers as well as product integrity and the efficiency of the warehouse.
Workers must be wearing appropriate safety equipment, such as warm gloves, coats and insulated pants when operating in cold storage areas. In addition, any business with refrigeration systems based on ammonia must implement proper fire prevention measures.
Installing sprinkler systems regularly and testing them is one way to mitigate fire risks. Furthermore, incorporating heated spaces in existing or construction-new natural warehouses (a box-in-box strategy) is another effective way to limit fire risks and shield stored goods from damage. Additionally, a well-designed warehouse layout can significantly reduce the frequency of journeys for workers to move from one functional zone to another.
Key Considerations
Cold storage buildings use two major kinds of refrigeration: vapor absorption and compression. It is important for the design team to be aware of the needs of these systems and their capability to work within a particular building.
An essential consideration for owners is the need for a refrigeration system that can operate continuously with minimal energy consumption and an extremely small footprint. It is achieved by integrating this system into the architecture, and can cut down on floor and roof square space without affecting storage capacity.
A further important consideration is that the storage space for cold-storage is best designed to be an enclosure which blocks out the air. This is essential for separated facilities and cold-storage areas in larger structures. These attached structures, large anterooms maintained in a temperature that is regulated between storage and outdoor spaces can help prevent condensation within wall and roof assembly.
Best Practices
Having clear communication between all third parties involved in the cold storage supply chain is crucial to optimizing logistics. This helps to prevent product difficulties that may cause costly delays.
Utilizing equipment built for cold weather is essential. For example, touchscreens on machines should be designed to work with gloves fingers. Additionally, buttons must be large enough that they can feel even with the thickest gloves. It’s also essential to replace batteries regularly, since they are more susceptible to degradation when in cold temperatures.
Finally, it is crucial to seal and insulate the structure properly in order to ensure an ongoing vapor barrier. It can help save lots of energy over time. In addition, having efficient lighting is vital in order to make sure that employees can perform their work and to ensure visibility of safety signs for workers who work in cold.
Cold Storage Sustainability and Technology
Cold storage warehouses need much attention when it comes to maintaining proper temperature. This is particularly true of veggies and fruits that require specific temperature conditions to preserve their quality.
A lot of kho thuc pham dong lanh businesses today are embracing environmentally friendly design and construction methods and are often unaware of they are doing it. Utilizing recycled insulation as well as environmentally friendly building materials reduces the emissions of carbon dioxide during manufacturing, while providing long-term cost savings by utilizing energy efficiently.
In addition to the refrigeration load that is imposed by illumination, ventilation and occupant traffic cold storage facilities need to release heat generated by the ripening process of fruits as well as other processes. Energy-efficient concrete slab installations and a building envelope that has a high R value can help reduce the heat load, further reducing energy costs.
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