Logistics and Distribution Cold Storage

A logistics cold store serves distribution centres and cold chain transport operators, and is characterised by a multi-temperature model — several chambers at different temperature ranges within one building. Tan Long designs and builds distribution cold stores, with experience on projects up to 12,000 tonnes.

How a distribution store differs from a plant store

Central NH3 compressor room for AJ Total Long Hau cold storage, installed by Tan Long. — A panoramic view of the NH3 central compressor room, meeting high safety standards, at the AJ Total Long Hau cold storage facility.

A plant store serves one production line, with uniform goods moving to the rhythm of production. A distribution store is the opposite: many different product groups, many owners of the goods, and a far higher in-and-out frequency.

This changes the design problem entirely. Doors opening continuously drive the heat load up sharply, mixed products require chambers at several temperature ranges, and batch traceability becomes an operating requirement rather than an option.

The multi-temperature store model

T-Light high-quality insulated cold storage doors are manufactured by Tan Long. — T-Light cold storage sliding doors are airtight, with double rubber seals to minimize heat loss.

Instead of building several separate stores, the multi-temperature model places several chambers at different temperature ranges within one building. This lets the business optimise land area and reduce investment cost compared with separating each store.

A typical distribution store usually has: a deep freezer chamber for frozen goods, a chill chamber for vegetables and dairy, a temperature-controlled chamber for pharmaceuticals, and a transit staging area at an intermediate temperature.

Three problems specific to a distribution store

AJ Total NH3 cold storage refrigeration system condenser, manufactured and installed by Tan Long. — High-efficiency evaporative condensers for industrial cooling, manufactured by Tan Long factory.

Heat load from door openings. A high in-and-out frequency lets hot humid air in continuously. The solutions include quick open and close door, fan shield and a buffer area in front of the store door.
Batch and expiry traceability. A distribution store has to ship on FIFO or FEFO, with temperature data tied to each batch for the file given to the goods owner.
Connection to refrigerated transport. The loading and unloading area has to be designed so that refrigerated container and refrigerated trucks can dock tightly without the cold chain breaking while goods are transferred.

Temperature monitoring and the traceability file

For a distribution store, temperature data is not only for operations but is a deliverable to the goods owner. When there is a problem with a batch, the store operator has to prove the goods stayed within the temperature range for the whole storage period.

The system therefore needs sensors placed at genuinely representative points, continuous temperature recording equipment, alerts when a threshold is exceeded even outside working hours, and the ability to extract data by batch and by time period.

The delivery process at Tan Long

Survey and goods flow analysis. Product groups, throughput, in-and-out frequency, and how many temperature ranges are needed.
Multi-temperature chamber design. Arranging the chambers by temperature range and calculating the heat load for each chamber separately, including the load from door openings.
Loading and unloading area design. Arranging the doors, the buffer area and the docking point so that the cold chain stays unbroken.
Equipment manufacturing at the plant. The pressure equipment and ancillary equipment are manufactured by Tan Long.
Installation and monitoring integration. The enclosure, dedicated doors, the refrigeration system, SCADA electrical cabinet and remote monitoring.
Commissioning, acceptance and maintenance. With scheduled maintenance package for a system that runs continuously.

Reference configuration table by model

Store model	Temperature range	Design characteristics	Unit price
Transit store	1 – 2 temperature ranges	High speed doors, buffer area	Contact us for a quote.
Multi-temperature distribution centre	3 temperature ranges or more	Separate chambers, monitoring per chamber	Contact us for a quote.
Large-scale cold store	Multi-temperature	NH3 system, SCADA, standby capacity	Contact us for a quote.

The actual configuration and the quotation are settled after a site survey and an analysis of the specific goods flow.

Tan Long scope of supply

Multi-temperature cold stores, temperature range from 5°C to -40°C, capacity from 10 tonnes to 12,000 tonnes
Chamber and loading area design for high throughput
High speed doors, loading dock doors and air curtains
PLC and SCADA cabinets, with remote temperature monitoring per chamber
Pressure equipment manufacturing with inspection records
Periodic maintenance for a continuously running system

Why choose Tan Long

Experience on projects up to 12,000 tonnes, enough scale to handle a large distribution store problem.

Designed, manufactured and installed in-house, so the chamber layout is calculated from the real goods flow rather than assembled from off-the-shelf equipment.

More than 20 years in industrial refrigeration, with full command of NH3, CO2 and Freon systems.

Dairy is the classic example of the cold chain most likely to break at the transit stage — see the analysis on the dairy cold chain and where it breaks.

Frequently asked questions about logistics cold stores

How does a distribution cold store differ from a plant store?

A plant store serves one line with uniform goods. A distribution store holds many product groups belonging to many owners, with a far higher in-and-out frequency, so the heat load from door openings and the batch traceability requirement are considerably heavier.

What is the advantage of a multi-temperature store over building several separate stores?

Placing several chambers at different temperature ranges in one building optimises land area and reduces investment cost compared with separating each store, while sharing the central refrigeration system and the loading area.

How can the heat load from continuous door openings be reduced?

By combining high speed doors, air curtains and a buffer area in front of the store door. A sensible goods flow design that reduces how often and how long doors stay open matters just as much as the equipment.

What level of temperature monitoring does a distribution store need?

Continuous recording per chamber, alerts when a threshold is exceeded even outside working hours, and the ability to extract data by batch or by time period — because this is the evidence handed back to the goods owner when something goes wrong.

How should the loading and unloading area be designed?

It has to let refrigerated containers and trucks dock tightly against the store door, with an insulated buffer area, so the cold chain stays unbroken during transfer — this is the point where the cold chain most often breaks.