Automatic cold stores are an increasingly common solution in logistics. Using the cold to store products for the long term is not a recently invented technique, as it was already practiced in the Middle Ages. Thanks to the controlled temperature, the merchandise preserves quality and properties, lengthening the life cycle of the products in the warehouse. If you are interested to start your own profitable business, cold storage business is the idea. Visit our site Natural Storage Solutions Pvt.ltd. to know about the project cost of cold storage.
The new rhythms of life have strengthened, even more, if possible, the cold logistics industry. According to a report by a well-known consulting firm, the frozen food industrial sector will grow by 5.14% annually over the next three years, reaching a global business volume of more than 283,000 million dollars in 2023.
In this article, we describe how a cold store works, what its design is, and how it has had to adapt to new logistics challenges. Not surprisingly, many companies have decided to implement automatic solutions given the difficulty of operating in environments down to -30 ºC. If you are one of them, know about the project cost of cold storage at Natural Storage Solutions Pvt.Ltd.
This blog is also worth reading for you:– COLD STORAGE PRICE IN INDIA
What is a cold store?
A cold store is a facility dedicated to the storage, supply, preparation, and dispatch of products at low temperatures. This type of installation is made up of storage systems, handling equipment, as well as other elements that are part of its operation, such as conveyors, clean rooms, SAS doors (Security Airlock System), etc.
Cold stores can be classified according to their storage systems (automatic or manual) or according to their structure (self-supporting or not). However, the most common classification depends on the existing temperature regulation in the installation, which distinguishes between:
– Refrigeration: warehouses with a controlled temperature between 0 and 10 ºC. They are used in the food sector (dairy, sausages, among others), in the pharmaceutical industry, or the clinical sector. Call us to know about Project cost of cold storage.
– Freezing: cold rooms that maintain a controlled temperature that can range from -30 ºC to 0 ºC. They are especially common in the frozen food industry.
It must be taken into account that this constant temperature control, not only during storage but also in the reception, preparation, and dispatch of orders, represents a significant increase in the energy expenditure of the installation. That makes the logistics process of each product more expensive. Long-term exposure to cold can be detrimental to the health of operators.
To this factor must be added the complexity of manual operations: at -30 ºC, operators can see their safety affected if they are exposed to cold for long periods. Call us to know about Project cost of cold storage.
In addition, when perishable, pharmaceutical, or food products are normally stored, it is very common for the facility to have a system that ensures real-time traceability of the merchandise.
How do you design a cold store?
The main peculiarity of a cold store is the use of controlled temperature to extend the useful life cycle of the merchandise. It is for this reason that the supply chain must include mechanisms to conserve cold in all operations. For example, a cold store with the latest technology is useless if the loading docks do not have guarantees of temperature conservation.
The design of a cold store should be based on the specificity of the business. Among which stand:
– Type of merchandise to store.
– Ability to receive and dispatch goods.
– Loading docks and temporary buffers
– Global layout of the warehouse.
– Number of daily orders to issue.
– Storage systems used.
– Charge unit types.
– Degree of warehouse automation.
All refrigeration installations must include – manual or automatic – storage systems that are adapted to low-temperature conditions. In addition to the shelves, the warehouse structure itself must also be prepared to preserve the cold within the chambers themselves. This is the main reason why many companies opt for clad-rack warehouses, where the racks make up the warehouse structure itself, which allows optimization of storage capacity.
These warehouses must also be equipped with refrigerated doors suitable for the working temperature of the installation. On many occasions, these doors are part of a SAS (Security Airlock System), a system that consists of a pre-chamber with two high-speed doors that are never open at the same time, which avoids sudden changes in temperature inside.
Temperature-regulated warehouses also require a plenum or chamber in the upper part of the warehouse, air circulation tubes, evaporators, and an isolated elevated aisle for the maintenance of these structures.
This blog is also worth reading for you:– COLD STORAGE BUSINESS COST IN INDIA
In the case of handling equipment, they can be manual or automatic. And if forklifts are used, they must necessarily be electric when operating in a closed facility.
