The demand for cold storage installation is increasing in the food industry and medical equipment manufacturing. Cold storage plays an important role in preserving products, helping them to be stored for several months or more compared to storage in a normal warehouse environment. So what is the need for cold storage? What is cold storage?What is the application of cold storage in preserving goods? Let's find out together Tan Long Learn more about cold storage in the article below!
What is cold storage?
What is cold storage? Cold storage Cold storage plays an important role in the supply chain of goods and food. It is a system or space specially designed to maintain a temperature lower than the outside environment, thereby preserving goods at the right temperature and ensuring their quality. Not only for food, cold storage also plays an important role in the storage of pharmaceuticals, medical and agricultural products.
Cold storage can be designed as a room or on a larger scale as a warehouse. Through this environment, the import and export of goods becomes easier and more popular, meeting the standards and conditions for product preservation.
Structure of cold storage
After knowing “What is cold storage? Let's learn about the structure of this system with Tan Long. The main structure of cold storage usually includes two parts: insulation and refrigeration.
Insulation
Warehouse shell structure
Cold storage shells are usually made from insulated panels, creating a barrier between the inside and outside space. These panels have a smooth surface, the two outer sides are stainless steel or electrostatic painted steel. The core of the panel is made from hard, light foam, has good insulation and high durability.
The two main types of panels used in cold storage are EPS Panel and PU Panel. The size of the insulation panels is chosen to suit the warehouse design while still ensuring quality and insulation efficiency.
Cold storage door
What is a cold storage door? Cold storage doors come in many different types and sizes such as hinged doors and sliding doors, but all must ensure tightness when used. The doors are usually made of stainless steel 304, with an insulation layer inside. The hinges and locks are made of antimony or stainless steel, ensuring strength and shine. The surrounding gasket structure helps prevent cold air loss. The door frame is designed with many layers, is very sturdy and has a heating resistor, helping the door to always be dry, clean and easy to replace.
Cooling system
Compressor unit
Compressor is an important part of the refrigeration system of a cold storage, with the function of compressing the refrigerant to high pressure to create a condensable refrigerant. There are many different types of compressors such as piston, scroll, screw compressors, etc. Some cold storages may use a compressor cluster. condenser instead of individual devices to optimize operating performance.
Condenser, evaporator
Like the compressor, condenser are also often imported and there are many brands to choose from. The units are often divided into models suitable for the warehouse's operating temperature. Important components inside the cooling unit include the radiator, centrifugal fan and defrost resistor.
Control cabinet
The control cabinet plays a role in controlling and regulating the operations of the cold storage, with preset parameters to maintain a stable temperature as required. The control cabinet also needs to have a malfunction alarm and the ability to store parameters so that the user can evaluate the operation and plan maintenance.
Other cold storage equipment and supplies
Some other equipment and supplies in cold storage include cold storage lights, electrical cabinets and cold storage curtains.
Cold storage classification
Cold storage has diverse applications so they are classified into the following basic types:
Classification of cold storage according to purpose of use
- Preliminary cold storage: Used for temporary storage or preliminary cooling of foods at processing plants before transferring them to the next processing stage.
- Processing warehouse: Used in food processing and preservation factories (canning factories, dairy factories, seafood processing factories, meat export factories, etc.). These warehouses often have large capacity and high cooling capacity, with variable loads due to frequent import and export of goods.
- Distribution and transit warehouse: Used to regulate food supply for residential areas, cities and long-term storage.
- Commercial warehouse: Preserve food of the commercial system, temporarily hold items being sold by the business on the market.
- Transport warehouse: Used on ships, trains, cars, with large capacity to temporarily preserve goods during transportation.
- Living warehouse: Small warehouse used in households, hotels, restaurants to store small quantities of goods.
Classification of cold storage according to preserved products
- Vegetables and fruits: Store at positive temperatures, with a temperature range for green vegetables from 12 degrees C to 15 degrees C. For tubers, fruits or vegetables from 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C.
- Agricultural products: Store at positive temperatures between 2°C and 10°C. Some products require temperatures above 10°C and a humidification or dehumidification system.
- Fresh flowers: Store at temperatures from 1 degree C to 10 degree C depending on the type of flower, with a warehouse humidity of 90-95%.
- Milk and dairy products: Store at 2°C to 8°C.
- Vaccine: Store at temperatures between 2 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, especially COVID-19 vaccines require temperatures of -80 degrees Celsius.
- Aquatic and seafood: Store frozen at temperatures from -40 degrees C to -45 degrees C and frozen at -18 degrees C to -22 degrees C.
- Meat: Store meat and meat products at temperatures between -16 degrees C and -20 degrees C.
- Cream: Store ice cream at temperatures from -18 degrees C to -22 degrees C, requiring strict temperature and requiring a backup system.
Classification of cold storage according to temperature in cold storage
- Ultra cold storage: Temperatures range from -40 degrees Celsius to -86 degrees Celsius, so they are mainly used to preserve vaccines. Each ultra-cold warehouse comes with a defrosting room at a temperature below 8 degrees Celsius to ensure that vaccines are safely defrosted before use.
- Freezer: -50 degrees Celsius is used to preserve frozen products of animal origin. The minimum temperature must be -18 degrees Celsius to prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms.
- Ice storage: Minimum temperature from -40 degrees C.
- Multi-purpose warehouse: Storage temperature -12 degrees Celsius and can be adjusted as needed.
- Cold storage: Temperatures from -2 degrees C to 5 degrees C are mainly used to preserve vegetables and agricultural products. Some tropical vegetables and fruits require higher storage temperatures (bananas > 10 degrees C and lemons > 4 degrees C).
- Cold storage: 0 degrees Celsius temperature is used to cool products before sending them to other processing stages.
Classification of cold storage by volume
- Mini cold storage: Designed to hold goods with small capacity from 1 ton to 20 tons. Suitable for restaurants, eateries, F&B chains, resorts, seafood, fruit, frozen food businesses or for use in private homes.
- Commercial cold storage: With large capacity from 5 tons to hundreds of tons, serving the storage of goods of domestic and foreign commercial enterprises.
- Industrial cold storage: Has a very large capacity from 20 tons to hundreds of thousands of tons. Often installed for large projects in processing plants, manufacturing plants, import-export companies, ports, airports and other industrial locations.
Classification of cold storage by weight of goods
The size of a cold storage facility usually depends on its storage capacity, which is usually measured in tons of meat (MT). For example: 50MT, 200MT, 500MT,… warehouses indicate a capacity of 50 to 500 tons of meat.
What types of goods are cold storage suitable for?
Cold storage is an ideal solution for storing a variety of goods, especially those with a short shelf life or requiring special temperature conditions to maintain quality. So what are the common applications of cold storage? Below are some areas of goods that require cold storage to extend their shelf life and preserve them effectively.
Food industry
Cold storage plays an important role in food preservation, helping to prevent the growth of bacteria and prolong the shelf life of products. Items such as seafood, vegetables, agricultural products, etc. are often easily damaged if not stored at low temperatures. Using cold storage in the food industry is a particularly effective preservation method, keeping food fresh and safe.
Pharmaceutical industry (medicine)
Pharmaceuticals are important commodities for human and animal health. To extend the shelf life and ensure the effectiveness of drugs, we need to store them in a cold environment. Each type of drug has different temperature storage requirements, so the use of cold storage is a mandatory condition for hospitals and drug stores.
Medical industry (vaccines)
Vaccines play an important role in preventing human diseases, but they also require strict storage conditions to ensure effectiveness. Storing vaccines in standard cold storage is one of the necessary measures to avoid risks and protect public health. Cold storage for vaccines often comply with the standards of the Ministry of Health to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Agricultural industry
Cold storage is also a great solution for preserving agricultural products, helping vegetables and fruits stay fresh longer and minimizing damage caused by bacteria, radiation and other environmental factors. During harvest seasons, agricultural products are often collected and stored to reach a certain quantity before exporting. Cold storage helps buyers preserve agricultural products effectively, ensuring quality when they reach consumers.
What is the difference between regular storage and cold storage?
Although both cold storage and regular storage serve the purpose of storing goods, they have many important differences in terms of temperature, role, and equipment. If you do not know the difference between cold storage and regular storage, please evaluate them according to the following 3 factors:
Temperature
The most obvious difference between cold storage and regular storage is the temperature factor. Cold storage maintains low or extremely low temperatures to preserve goods optimally, usually ranging from -40 degrees to 5 degrees Celsius. In contrast, regular storage depends on the ambient temperature and weather, with temperatures ranging from 24-34 degrees Celsius depending on geographical location.
Role
Cold storage not only helps to prolong the shelf life and maintain product quality but is also an optimal solution for managing large quantities of goods that have not yet been consumed. Meanwhile, warehouses usually only perform the function of storing goods stably, and do not have the ability to preserve goods for a long time like cold storage.
Equipment
Cold storage equipment is complex and requires much higher investment costs than regular storage. Cold storage needs cooling system, insulation, and advanced temperature control to ensure the ideal storage environment. These devices will be discussed in more detail in the next section.
Through the above 3 factors, you already know the difference between regular warehouse and cold storage!
What is the solution for cold storage design and installation?
Cold storage is like a giant refrigerator because of its large area and powerful capacity. When designing and building cold storage, businesses need to pay attention to the following points:
- Choose the right location: Consideration should be given to terrain, geographical parameters and weather. Also consider the surrounding environment such as residential areas, as these factors affect the structure and durability of the warehouse.
- Cold storage structure design: If not carefully designed, it can cause uneven heat and moisture leakage, leading to temperature fluctuations in the warehouse and damage to goods.
- Set up storage mode inside the warehouse: Storage conditions include humidity, temperature and air velocity, which directly affect the quality of goods. Therefore, it is necessary to calculate and determine these parameters to ensure the best preservation of goods.
- Choose construction type: Traditional or modern methods can be used. Modern methods often apply new technology and use insulated panels to save costs and create quality cold storage.
- Determine the appropriate power source: Installing a suitable power source is important for stable operation of cold storage. It is recommended to use a single-phase grid for cold storage with a capacity of less than 5KW and a three-phase grid for large capacity warehouses. A separate power source is required to avoid incidents such as fire and explosion due to phase deviation.
What are the important notes when installing cold storage?
To ensure efficient operation, cost savings as well as worker safety, businesses need to pay attention to some important factors when installing cold storage as follows:
Avoid loss of cold air
Cold storage design must ensure there are no gaps or leaks to prevent cold air loss and unnecessary energy consumption.
Protective gear for workers
The harsh cold storage environment can affect the health of workers. Businesses need to provide protective gear such as thermal jackets, gloves and hard hats to protect employees.
Ensure safety of goods
Using cold storage shelves increases stability, separates goods from the floor and eliminates potential factors such as humidity. Shelves also help save space and establish a scientific warehouse management system.
Control the right temperature for the product
For commodities such as food, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, temperature control is an important factor to avoid spoilage. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a standard control table for each item to ensure product safety and quality.
Inhibits bacterial growth
Cold, moist air can be an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. Cold storage needs to be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Businesses can also install air purifiers to eliminate odors caused by goods in the warehouse.
Instructions on how to use cold storage properly
Cold storage disinfection
The goods in industrial cold storage require high quality, so regular cleaning and sterilization are extremely important. After each release, the cold storage needs to be cleaned and sterilized to remove bacteria. Using chemicals such as chlorine can help kill bacteria, then rinse with water and wait a period of time before loading new goods.
Maintain a stable temperature
It is important to ensure that the temperature in your warehouse remains stable. Sudden changes in temperature can affect not only the performance of your refrigeration system but also the quality of your goods. Keeping your warehouse doors closed and limiting exposure to outside air can help prevent sudden temperature changes.
Arrange goods properly in the warehouse
Arranging goods properly not only helps to manage easily but also helps to save electricity and increase the life of the cold storage. Goods that need less cold air should be arranged in the corner of the warehouse, while goods that need more cold air should be placed near the area where the wind blows out.
Avoid stacking items that obstruct the flow of cold air to other products, which can increase system operating capacity and increase power consumption.
Do not put hot goods into cold storage.
Do not put hot goods into cold storage, as this can increase the temperature in the warehouse and waste energy for refrigeration. Make sure the goods are cool before putting them in cold storage to avoid wasting energy.
Priority for bulk imports
Optimize your inventory by consolidating your inventory to minimize the number of times it is loaded and unloaded. This reduces cold air loss and saves energy, while keeping the warehouse temperature stable.
Prevent moisture from entering the cold storage
Moisture from the outside environment can affect the quality of goods in cold storage. Make sure to check and maintain the warehouse properly and limit opening the warehouse door frequently to prevent moisture from entering.
Adjust cold storage temperature according to each type of goods
Each type of goods requires a specific temperature level for long-term preservation and quality assurance. So cold storage temperature How to properly preserve each type of goods in industrial cold storage?
- Pharmaceuticals and vaccines: Temperature from 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C.
- Fresh and frozen food: Temperature from -22 degrees C to -18 degrees C.
- Canned and cold foods: Temperature from -5 degrees C to 5 degrees C.
- Ice cream: Temperature from -25 degrees C to -22 degrees C.
- Cake: Temperature from -5 degrees C to 5 degrees C.
- Agricultural seeds: Temperature from 2 degrees C to 8 degrees C.
- Fruits and vegetables: Temperature from -2 degrees C to 12 degrees C.
- Seafood: Temperature from -22 degrees C to -20 degrees C.
- 2-level freezing: Temperature from -40 degrees Celsius.
Should we build a cold storage or rent an outside cold storage?
When deciding to store goods in cold storage, businesses must consider between building a new cold storage and renting cold storage from outside. For each business, the choice between renting and building a new cold storage depends on the quantity of goods, frequency of use and their specific purpose of use.
- If the volume of goods is not too large, renting a warehouse is a more suitable choice. This is especially true when the rented warehouse is close to distribution points, helping to save transportation time, especially for goods such as food.
- If your business has a large amount of goods and needs to import and export goods frequently, then building a new cold storage facility is necessary. This is especially important for items such as pharmaceuticals that require strict temperature control to minimize damage.
Hope the content in the above article has helped you understand What is cold storage? as well as its applications. Currently, Tan Long is not only a reputable design and installation unit in the market, but we also provide quality cold storage rental solutions at good prices for businesses in Ho Chi Minh City. Contact Tan Long via Hotline: 0933.357.058 for detailed advice and support!
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