Comprehensive Guide to Temperature-Controlled Warehouses and Cold Storage Facilities

Introduction

Cold Storage is basically a term used for the storage of perishable commodities (e.g. food, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials) in a refrigerated or frozen environment. Cold Storage is critical to preserve the natural quality and safety from the point of slaughter or harvest through the distribution chain to the end-user.
Albeit, choosing the ideal cold storage facility necessitates careful considerations. In this blog, we will share with you a comprehensive guide to temperature-controlled warehouses and cold storage facilities.

Cold Storage Facilities Can be Used For a Range of Products.

Foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, processed foods, frozen foods, meat and seafood
Nutritional supplements like perishable nutrient products
Flowers and plants
Biopharmaceuticals like medicines, vaccines, blood samples
Books and artwork like historical documents, paintings, and film canisters
Cosmetics & Perfumes
Chemicals like reagents and disinfectants
Specialized products like machinery & certain electronic components

Various Industries Rely on Cold Storage Facilities to Maintain The Quality and Safety of Their Products

Food and Beverage manufactures
Restaurants and food outlets
Supermarkets and food service
Importers and exporters
Frozen food producers
Agricultural producers
Pharmaceuticals and healthcare institutions
FMCG and Cosmetic companies

Cold storage facilities are designed to meet specific requirements for temperature regulation and storage capacity. Examples of temperature-controlled storage include

Cold Storage Warehouses
Blast freezers
Refrigerated containers
Walk-in Cold Stores / Cold Rooms
Bulk cold stores
Ultra-Low Temperature Cold Storage
Dedicated custom storage
Climate controlled storage
Food industries

Understanding the Distinct Types of Cold Storage FacilitiesIs Crucial for Making Informed Decisions About Storing Perishable Goods.

Cold Storage Warehouse

A cold storage warehouse is a large-scale temperature-controlled warehouse designed and engineered to store goods that require controlled temperatures. These warehouses typically maintain specific temperature ranges through a combination of tightly sealed insulated panels and HVAC cooling systems. They are equipped with temperature and relative humidity controllers, refrigeration control systems as well as ventilation systems to provide adequate storage conditions and maintain specific temperature ranges that help to increase the life of perishable items. Cold storage warehouses are essential for wholesale distributors and large manufacturers.

Cold Storage Warehouses can be classified as:

Refrigerated Warehouses / Chilled cold storage Warehouses
Frozen cold storage
Ultra-low Temperature cold storage

Refrigerated Warehouses:

Refrigerated cold storage facilities also referred to as refrigerated warehouses or chill stores are designed to conserve the integrity and shelf life of products that don’t need to be frozen. These temperature-controlled warehouses are designed to store fresh produce, dairy products, and chilled meat and typically maintain temperatures between +2 to +8 degrees Celsius.

Frozen Cold Storage Warehouses:

Operate in sub-zero temperatures, commonly between -18 to -25 degrees Celsius. These facilities are designed to store frozen foods, such as meats, seafood, and frozen desserts that must be kept at low temperatures to prevent bacterial growth and maintain product integrity.

Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) Cold Storage:

These warehouses maintain extremely low temperatures, with a temperature range of -40 degrees to as low as -80 degrees Celsius. They are purpose-built for storing certain pharmaceuticals and to preserve biological samples.

Cold Storage Warehouse Options

Private Cold Warehouses: These temperature-controlled warehouses are owned and operated by large food producers or retailers that use or produce the goods stored in the facility. These are often connected to the main manufacturing facility or located near the company’s manufacturing facility for convenience and efficiency.

Public or Shared Cold Warehouses: These cold storage facilities are usually owned and managed by Third-party (3PL) logistics companies that provide cold storage services to multiple clients. Public cold storage warehouses receive, store, and ship the items on behalf of various companies.

Refrigerated Containers

Refrigerated containers offer a flexible and mobile solution to carry frozen types of commodities. These portable units can be attached to standard shipping containers, converting them into temperature-controlled storage units, and can be shipped globally. Their versatility makes them an asset in the cold supply chain.

Reefer Containers

These specialized temperature-controlled shipping containers are ideal for the transportation of temperature sensitive and perishable cargo. These containers are well-insulated to prevent heat transfer from the outside environment and are equipped with built-in refrigeration machinery that allows for precise temperature control.

Blast Freezers

Also known as “blast chillers,” “shock freezers,” or “flash freezers,” these blast freezers are very cold freezers where the core temperature of products is rapidly lowered before placing them in longer-term storage. Rapid freezing causes the formation of tiny crystals, which do minor damage and preserve food at a higher quality. This fast-freezing process is essential for preserving the quality of temperature-controlled products like seafood and prepared foods.

Walk-in Cold Stores

Cold rooms and walk-in cold stores are modular cold storages that can be customized and are commonly utilised for multiple applications in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and beverages, dairy, and other industries for storage of products at low temperatures. In addition, Walk-in freezers are temperature-controlled rooms or chambers used for the storage of products at the far lower temperature range of -18C to -22 degrees Celsius.
Cold storage warehouses can be diversified with temperature-controlled cold room units to cater to a wide variety of temperature requests for perishable, adhesive, and consumables.

Controlled Atmosphere (CA) Cold Stores

These cold stores are designed for temperature specific storage of food, seasonal fruits, and vegetables. It is a system in which fresh, perishable products are stored under environmental conditions that add to their shelf life after the produce is harvested. This storage process is a non-chemical technology that uses low oxygen levels and high carbon dioxide levels in the storage atmosphere and refrigeration. Sometimes it also involves the removal of ethylene and the addition of carbon monoxide. Since this type of cold storage is capital intensive and expensive to operate and maintain, it is more appropriate for those foods befitting long-term storage, such as kiwis, apples, and pears.

Cold Storage Considerations

Essential Equipment
A well-designed and efficiently operated cold storage warehouse has several key features that make it a critical component of the supply chain for temperature-sensitive products.

Essential equipment for cold storage warehouse installation includes high-quality refrigeration systems, insulated panels, temperature monitoring controls, and material handling equipment designed for low-temperature environments.

Efficient Supply Chain
You need a cold storage facility designed for easy connection with transportation and order fulfilment processes—from the producer to the end consumer. For example:

Transportation: Proximity to major roads, ports and airports
Inventory Management: Real-time tracking and automated restocking system
Reliable & Energy-Saving Systems: Sustainable design elements of the temperature-controlled warehouse to reduce energy consumption.
Technology and Innovation: Continuous temperature and humidity monitoring systems.
Regulatory Compliance: Cold storage facilities reputation and credentials —food safety certifications, compliance with industry standards and government regulations.
Value-added services: Palletizing, Labeling, Shrinking, Wrapping, Packaging, Etc.
Storage capacity of the cold storage facility.

Tips for Working Safely in Cold Storage Facilities

Train workers to recognize the signs of cold stress and provide first aid
Provide engineering controls such as heaters that workers can use to warm up
Provide breaks and refreshments like warm beverages
Wear proper clothing, such as gloves, insulated and waterproof boots, a hat and hood, and knit masks to cover the face and mouth.
Wear boots that are designed for cold weather and allow the feet to breathe. The boots should be waterproof or resistant and have an anti-slip sole.
Implement Automated Solutions in Cold Storages – automated technology solutions, such as RFID scanners, voice picking, and AS/RS systems, can also help reduce employee exposure while improving productivity.
Take Frequent Breaks – A 10-minute break every hour is one rule of thumb to give the body resting time. Drinking warm, sweetened fluids can help employees cope with the cold.
Use Cold Storage-Rated Equipment – Cold storage-rated equipment has specially-guarded components that protect the electrical system from damage due to condensation. For instance, cold storage forklifts have features such as stainless steel, fully-sealed components, cold weather oil, anti-slip platforms, and heated batteries.
Use cold storage equipment with oversized buttons that allow manipulation by gloved hands

Cold storage facilities are vital in the supply chain, preserving the integrity of temperature-sensitive products and facilitating global commerce. Cold storage warehouses can be a good investment, particularly with the increasing demand for temperature-controlled logistics solutions across various industries. However, it’s crucial to consider factors like location, operational costs, and market growth. If you want to partner with a cold storage warehouse manufacturer and supplier or to learn more about cold storage facilities, send us an email to sales@tsscgroup.com. We look forward to assisting you with all your cold storage needs.

September 20, 2023

How to Select the Right Cold Storage Warehouse for Your Business?

The keys to success in today’s highly competitive corporate environment are dependability and efficiency. Having access to suitable cold storage warehouse facilities is crucial for sectors that deal with perishable commodities or temperature-sensitive items, such as food, medicines, and some chemicals. Throughout their route from maker to customer, these items’ quality and safety are crucially preserved by a cold storage facility. However, choosing the ideal cold storage facility for your company necessitates careful consideration of several things. We will walk you through the process of selecting the best cold storage facility to suit your needs in this blog.

Understanding Your Cold Storage Warehouse Needs

It’s crucial to get a firm grasp on your unique cold storage needs before starting the selection process. Think about the following inquiries:

Types of Product: What kind of things do you need to keep, exactly? The ideal temperature for storage depends on the product. Knowing the requirements of your product is the first stage, whether it be medications, chilled products, or frozen goods.

Storage Capacity: How much room do you need for storage? Take into account both your existing demands and any anticipated future expansion.

Location: Does your supply chain have easy access to the warehouse? Delivery times and transportation costs may be influenced by a location’s proximity to suppliers, distribution hubs, and final customers.

Temperature Range: What temperature range are your items needed to operate in? To suit various product kinds, some cold storage facilities offer numerous temperature zones.

Regulatory Compliance: Does the warehouse adhere to applicable industry norms and regulations? This is essential, especially in sectors like food and medicines where non-compliance can have detrimental effects on both the law and public health.

Important Things to Consider When Choosing a Cold Storage Warehouse

Temperature Control and Monitoring: The main purpose of a temperature controlled warehouse is to keep your items at a constant temperature. To prevent any temperature variations, make sure the facility has dependable temperature control systems and 24/7 monitoring.

Facility Cleanliness and Hygiene: To prevent product contamination, your facility must be clean and hygienic. Check the building for cleanliness and compliance with sanitary rules.

Automation and technology: For effective operations, modern cold storage facilities frequently use cutting-edge technology. Look for features like real-time tracking, automatic inventory management, and data analytics.

Security Measures: Security measures are essential to safeguarding your priceless possessions. Look for security measures including fire suppression systems, access restrictions, and surveillance cameras.

Backup power: Power interruptions might cause the facility’s climate control to malfunction. Maintaining the integrity of your products requires a dependable backup power solution.

Scalability: Your storage requirements may alter as your organization expands. Select a facility that has the scalability to meet your changing needs.

Conclusion

Nowadays, cold storage warehouse is very important for companies’ operation and to protect anything from damage. You can make an informed decision that protects the safety and quality of your items by carefully analyzing your cold storage requirements and taking into account aspects like temperature control, cleanliness, security, and scalability. Always keep in mind that a carefully designed cold storage facility is an investment in the long-term prosperity of your company, ensuring that your products reach customers in the best possible shape.

Contact TSSC for your cold storage needs. We are indeed one of the most credible and reputable cold storage warehouse manufacturers out there.

June 28, 2023

Importance of Temperature Control in Warehouse

Temperature control plays a significant role when it comes to storing different temperature sensitive and perishable products for businesses related to food pharmaceutical, chemical, and cosmetic industries.

So, a temperature controlled warehouse, whether freezer or cooler, is crucial if you or your customers trade products that are sensitive to temperature. No doubt, shipping goods from one location to another becomes exceedingly challenging without the assistance of such facilities. Most temperature-sensitive goods are perishable and need a good atmosphere. It can entail making a long-term and short-term investment in temperature-controlled warehouse storage, which can help to safeguard some products. In short, running a warehouse requires a lot of thought since items must be stored correctly each and every time. So, nowadays, the majority of warehouses have evolved into hi-tech buildings that rely on a variety of systems to ensure the warehouse runs smoothly. And as manufacturers and distributors of different products, it becomes important for you to maintain a desired temperature in your warehouses. Because when managed improperly, this whole system can have terrible effects. But, you do not need to sweat about it. Technical Supplies & Services Co. is here to help you with the best temperature-controlling services for your warehousing activities. Well, now, let’s talk about the top advantages of temperature-controlled warehouses below!

Top Advantages Of Temperature Controlled Warehouses

There are a lot of advantages of temperature controlled warehouses for businesses. So, understanding the advantages of a controlled environment, such as temperature-controlled warehouses, is essential given the increasing annual growth rate of warehousing businesses. For a variety of reasons, warehouse companies frequently find themselves in need of temperature control in their facilities. Let’s explore the top of them right here!

Seasoned Experts and Security

These temperature-controlled warehouses are run by experts with years of industry experience. Due to the temperature, the climate within these warehouses is considerably different, making it occasionally unsafe or uncomfortable to operate in. However, extra precautions are taken to guarantee the greatest level of safety for both the workers and the products being stored.

Enhances Air Quality

The entire quality of the finished product that the buyer receives is greatly influenced by the air quality. Additionally, the temperature inside the temperature-controlled warehouse is adjusted to prevent the entry of outside dust, vermin, and pollutants.

Safety to Different Products-

When it comes to warehousing, different kinds of products require different temperatures to be stored safely and effectively. Usually, a temperature-controlled warehouse can operate at four different temperature ranges:

Ambient: +15 °C to +30 °C

Cool: +5 °C to +10 °C

Refrigerated: 0 °C to +10 °F

Frozen: -30 °C to 0 °C

Since the detrimental effects of high humidity and temperature variations can modify the constitution of many components used in the production of pharmaceuticals, continual cooling is necessary to preserve their effective characteristics. Besides, facilities for chemical warehousing are quite stringent about temperature control and product management in general for safety concerns.

Protection For Workers-

Factory workers are usually at constant risk against risky environments under the radar of harmful chemicals and gases. So, temperature controlled warehouses don’t need employees present in potentially harmful surroundings. And labour productivity increases as a result of the harsh freezer environment being eliminated, and concerns with employee recruitment and retention are significantly decreased.

Mindfulness and Client Satisfaction-

Another big advantage of temperature control in the warehouse is immense peace of mind and customer satisfaction and happiness. So, shippers can now relax knowing that the quality of the products is always maintained. And on the other side, the delivery of high-quality goods results in the complete satisfaction of the ultimate consumers as well. Thus, when there is not enough time to meet consumer demand and your supply chain includes temperature-sensitive products, it must be operational. In short, shippers can relax knowing that they are protected by temperature-controlled facilities from spoilage and damage. The possibility of suffering losses is greatly reduced in this method, in totality.

Wrapping This Here:

Above are some of the top ways that temperature-controlled warehousing is beneficial for your business. It protects your products, customers, workers, and much more against a lot of possible mishaps that could happen if temperature control is not taken care of properly and effectively. But, you do not need to worry at all. So, if you want to acquire the most optimal temperature-controlled facets for your warehousing business or store your products in the best way possible, Technical Supplies & Services Co. is here for you. They have some of the most optimally designed products and services for controlling temperature in warehouses.

May 29, 2023

Why Are Insulated Panels Installed in Cold Rooms?

There are different types of cold rooms depending on the required storage. When it comes to building a cold room or temperature-controlled room one of the key elements are insulated cold room panels. Cold room insulated form the structure of your walk-in chiller, freezer cold room. Without an effective cold room panel solution, your space will be poorly insulated and inefficient.

What is an Insulated Cold Room Panel?

Addition to choosing the right refrigeration door, the use of an insulating panel includes a rigid core protective layer between two layers of structural board. The body can be made up of XPS or EPS and, the structural board can be plywood or cement. Various building material elements are combined with SIP. These boards are also used on floors, exterior walls, and roofs. We can utilize these panels to crack many different problems. Insulated cold storage panels are normally operated in cold rooms and refrigerated vehicles like refrigerated truck bodies.

Basically, insulated Cold Store Panels are composite factory manufactured panels, consisting of two layers of metal facers in different finishes with high-quality fire rating PUR/PIR insulation core between the metal. These insulated panels are used in cold storage walls, ceilings, cold store partitions. Insulated cold storage panels are engineered for superior thermal performance for use in a wide range of cold storage applications, temperature-controlled environments, and refrigerated vehicles.

Cold Room Basics

A cold room can keep a variety of goods like frozen goods, good chemicals, and so on. The design and undertaking of cold storage depend on the working conditions required for each case, as well as the internal and external temperature differences. Based on this info, it is necessary to calculate the insulation of walls, ceilings, and in some cases even the floor of the cold room. The following components make up a modern cold room:

Access doors:

Often in the design of these spaces, people forget the importance of this element. The characteristics of this element are key to the performance not only of the refrigeration equipment but also to avoid temperature losses due to constant handling. An access door that keeps the chamber at the required temperature should not be an element to think about the most economical.

Climate control equipment:

It is the machinery that will allow us to maintain the constant temperature we need inside the refrigeration chamber.

Interconnected Cold Room Insulated Wall Panels

These insulated panels are thermal panels for cold storage walls. The tongue and groove jointing system is designed to eliminate any possible gaps. It offers an effective condensation barrier within your cold room.The ranging thicknesses and insulation levels for the cold room panels will be dependent upon the required temperature of your cold room. Chiller cold rooms maintain positive temperatures of between +1 and +8 degrees, whilst freezer cold rooms maintain negative temperatures of between -5 and -45 degrees. Ambient temperature-controlled rooms maintain positive temperatures of between +10 to +35 degrees.

Flooring

The idea of flooring is to prevent heat transfer from the floor surface. Many cold store floors today are insulated with Insulated panel boards and filled with concrete surface.

Cold Store Roof

Insulated Cold Room panels are not only designed for your walls but we also offer cold room insulated panels for ceilings in various sizes. These Cold Storage Insulated Roof Panels are optimized for refrigeration and freezing chambers and are designed well to counteract the environment. Materials have effects for transferring heat from each other.

A thermal insulation design is created that can stop this heat transfer by maintaining heat away from the insulation.

Dimensions and Features of Insulated Panels

TSSC Cold Room Panels are available in different sizes, thicknesses as a suitable option for cold rooms which require positive temperatures (chillers) and negative temperatures (freezers). These panels are available in little pieces because they will be comfortable to move. The best way to utilize insulated cold storage panels in a cold room is when creating. This route you can keep extra money.

Insulated cold storage panels can also be used as independent temperature controlled warehouse or cold store structures. This is a structure with eradicates several building materials and saves on cost. Insulated panels can also be used as external cladding, as far as strength is involved, it delivers the force and stability of good structures, so that it also covers the building during natural damage.

Cold Storage Insulated panels are available with different finishes to cater to food, pharmaceutical industries such as stainless steel finish or food safe coating.

Insulation Materials Used in Cold Storage

The cold supply, whether located in retail stores or a test chamber for scientific applications, needs to keep the correct condition, beginning with the insulation materials utilized to build the unit. Several brands use it in freezer coolers as well as in science spaces due to its strong thermal performance of polyurethane foam.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is a sealed cellular insulating material that has lower thermal conductivity. This material grows and solidifies upon cooling, and is usually employed on-site. This bubble needs specialized equipment and proper technical exercise to confirm that it is sprayed properly. This material is commonly used in walk-in cold storage and walk-in refrigerators or specialized applications.

Polyisocyanurate also referred to as PIR

Polyisocyanurate also referred to as PIR is a popular material for cold room and upgrade product for cold store insulated panels. Compare to PU sandwich panel, PIR panel has significant advantage due to higher fire rating and excellent fire resistant performance. TSSC cold room insulated panels with PIR foam are strong due to its higher density and ribbed steel surface.

Installation of Insulated Panels in Cold Rooms

The cold storage panel installation relies more on the size and style of storage. Cold room panels are more required in cold rooms with large dimensions. Cold room kits are known that deliver a whole definition of the installation of insulated cold storage panels.

Also read: How to choose the right cold storage warehouse

Conclusion

In the end, insulated panels deliver the strength and stability of your cold spaces. It is technology uses about 60% less wood than traditional construction. It is suggested to utilize insulated cold storage panels in cold spaces as much as possible to complete balance in the interior and product grade.

As we all know, cold rooms, isolated from thermal insulation, must also be capable to prevent bacteria, grease, and dust. Therefore, they must be chosen wisely to create a structure immune to pests and dust. Insulated cold storage panels offered by Technical Supplies & Services Co. have high thermal efficiency. TSSC group is among the leading companies that offer the best and high-quality insulated cold storage panels.