All about Cold Rooms and Logistics

May 29, 2018

A cold room is a business operation with its own supply and logistics built in. The logistics relate to the physics and practical needs of cold storage, and it’s an interesting collaboration of science and business at work. In this article, we’re exploring the logistics of running cold rooms.

A cold room may store materials in a wide range of temperatures, from frozen goods to delicate chemicals that must be stored at a particular temperature. In fact, some cold storage facilities may require a range of temperatures.

If you’re getting the impression that cold room design and construction can be quite demanding, you’re totally right. The basic design principles are simple enough at first glance, but take a look at this video (embed video in article) to see how modern cold rooms are built.

You’ll notice:

• Interlocking freezer walls: These thermal panel walls are designed to ensure that there are no gaps in the structure. The thermal panel walls slot together to deliver added structural support and integrity, as well as insulation.

• Flooring: Flooring must also be insulated to prevent heat transfer from the floor surface. In the video, the flooring is double-insulated and sealed.

• Roofing: The roof is another area which must be well protected against heat transfer. Like the floor, the roof is double insulated to ensure good protection from external heat.

In practice, this is all-round insulation. The thermal panels, flooring and walls act to maintain a constant temperature environment. That’s no coincidence. Different types of materials transfer heat to each other. Steel, for example, can get very cold or very hot, and it will instantly transfer heat to any surface around it. Thermal insulation prevents this heat transfer making the steel transfer heat away from the insulated area instead.

Commercial cold rooms are used for a truly vast range of different types of products. They’re used in agriculture, food retail, pharmaceuticals and industry. They’re used to maintain temperatures in research work, chemical storage, and all types of distribution and warehousing operations.

There’s a major bottom line factor in these logistics. Cold stores are used to provide cold goods to the public while protecting them from spoilage and heat damage. These are expensive commercial operations and that’s where the real operational logistics come in.

Best practice for cold storage is to use modern cold room panels for better quality insulation. That includes insulated doors, thermal panels and construction methods like those shown in the video.

Cold storage is, in effect, a type of risk management. For example, spoiled food can cost huge amounts of money across the entire supply chain. Just about every stage of food supply uses cold rooms, freezers, and other types of temperature controlled environments. From the moment vegetables are harvested, they’re kept in controlled environments to keep spoilage to an absolute minimum.

At the consumer end, cold storage also ensures high-quality goods for consumers. Cold storage prevents decay and rotting. It also helps to keep foods hygienic and free from contamination. In the past, fresh food was a major achievement. Thanks to cold storage, it’s a normal expectation.

Thermal Panels Solutions is your full-service solution for cold room design in Sydney. We offer a full range of design, installation, and thermal panel solutions for all types of industries. Call (02) 9132 4211 or contact us online to discuss your needs with our team.