Follow These Steps For A More Energy-Efficient Cold Chain Facility (Part Two Of Two)
By Sam Lewis
Did you miss Part One? Check it out here.
An uninterrupted, temperature-controlled supply chain is the key to keeping fresh foods from spoiling. However, this practice often comes with a hefty initial investment and increased energy costs. Here are seven points to help your company’s cold chain reduce its footprint and help the bottom line.
In the first portion of Follow These Steps For A More Energy-Efficient Cold Chain Facility, four important measures for creating a cold chain facility that is sustainable and profitable were discussed. Here, in the second portion of the article, securing trailers, enforcing safety, air circulation, and procedures to tie all the steps together will be discussed.
Fastening Trailers & Enforcing Safety
Proper restraints are essential for securing semi-trailers. Trailer creep and early departure are big safety concerns at the loading dock, reinforcing the need for sufficient trailer security. Vehicle restraints are effective at holding trucks tightly in place because of engagement with trailer’s rear bumper. Tightly securing the rear prevents the trailer from both creeping and leaving early, boosting safety at the cold-storage dock.
Surface mounted-restraints are another option for securing trailers. These restraints are versatile, don’t impede lift gates, landing gear, or pup trailers. Because of this, these restraints work in almost any condition. Surface-mounted restraints are also automatic, improving ease-of-use during high-traffic times.
In-ground mounts offer a more permanent solution for securing trailers. These are flush to the ground and don’t interfere with vehicles that may need to pass. These mounts give continuous pressure and automatically steady the trailer’s wheels. In-ground mounts are also flexible, allowing work to be done on them with lift gates lowered to the dock’s gate level.
Regardless of which restraint is used, each one is effective at keeping the trailer flush against a dock seal or dock shelter. This prevents the trailer from moving, creating gaps that endanger the integrity of the seal of shelter.
More Airflow Means More Efficiency
Air circulation is a major component of any temperature-controlled facility. High-Volume Low-Speed (HVLS) fans offer create a giant, cylinder of air that flows down toward the facility floor and out in every direction. This creates horizontal air flow, circulating consistently in large areas.
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An HVLS fan with a five-blade profile creates optimized airflow while conserving energy. The most energy-efficient fans are designed with refined airfoil shape. This creates less drag, more circulation, and more-comfortable employees. The fans are energy smart, move air evenly throughout a cold-storage facility, and enhance product integrity by reducing spoilage opportunities. Better airflow also lowers condensation levels, which means floors will be dry, and consequently safe, for employees.
Creating Master Controls And Tying It All Together
Safety and productivity are joint ventures. A master control panel ensures dock equipment is operating in a pre-determined order. In some instances, these sequences help automate the entire dock’s operation. For instance if dock doors are opened, this means loading/unloading is taking place. When this procedure is complete, the dock doors will automatically shut as part of the operating sequence, preventing unnecessary energy loss.
The same theory will apply to almost all other aspects of the cold-storage facility’s operations — lights, levelers, seals, etc… — integrated into the master control panel. Should any operation or procedure be determined to stop at a given point, it will do so in programmed sequence by a push of a button on the master panel.
Industrial Controls And Automation Packages
Safety is improved by sequencing automated operation. For instance, it can be programed that a trailer must be locked securely in place with vehicle restraints before any other equipment can operate. Dock levelers can be linked with other equipment on the dock, ultimately thwarting any operations until safety systems are up and running and the dock doors opened.
In order for a cold chain to be profitable and functional, the temperature-controlled loading dock is paramount. The dock’s equipment must be able to handle the high demands, and sometimes highly-sensitive operations, of the supply chain process. From the dock leveler to the opening of the dock, the equipment must provide adequate sealing and shelters should close off energy-draining gaps.
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Every part of the cold chain should be supported with safety measures. Vehicle restraint systems are a key part of this, along with condensation reducing HVLS fans. Finally, a master control panel will ultimately provide the final word in reducing waste and maximizing energy efficiency.
Cold storage can be an expensive investment. However, investing in the proper equipment and being smart with automation, processes, and procedures will noticeably reduce energy costs through the creation of an energy-efficient, temperature-controlled environment for perishable food products.