7 Tips for Cold Storage Racking

Cold storage racking is essential for storing food in warm climates such as Brisbane, Australia. The city has been striving to promote the country through its sumptuous local cuisines. And to maintain the freshness of the food, restaurant and food chain owners follow strict cold storage measures.

The palatable food offered by a restaurant can make or break someone’s trip. Thus, it is extremely important to cold storage warehouses owners to be cautious and careful in managing it. If you are one those who owns a cold room storage, worry not for here are the best ways you have to practice so cold may never bother you anyway.

  1. Ace Your Space

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Space always plays a vital role in warehousing particularly in cold storage.  Improper space assignments can greatly impact stored food items as well as the energy cost from workplace electricity and equipment as your refrigerators work more to keep up with the needed temperature.  With that, be wise with the layout design and area assignments. Moreover, determine areas that needed special equipment like industrial freezers so distribution of the temperature inside the storage space is precise and constant. And since refrigerated air is costly, try to incorporate modular curtain wall system because it is flexible to any sudden changes you might encounter in the future.

  1. Choose Dense Storage

Technology has been contributing to the improvements in warehousing. Nowadays, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are testaments to the progress of racking . AS/RS provide a high density rack supported storage. This racking solution is ideal because of its deep and tall designs, thus, maximizing the cube of a facility through minimizing the footprint. Moreover, a well-organised AS/RS can provide the needs of your cold storage racking for a long time without having additional expenses. So as an owner of a cold storage facility consider the benefits of density and achieving this through automation.

  1. Automation!

virtual reality simulation

Photo Courtesy of harrivicknarajah0 via Pixabay

The rising cost of land, energy and labor is a challenge to warehouse owners. Fortunately, various options for warehouse management are available now. As a cold storage racking owner, the benefits of automation to your ongoing cost structure quickly outweigh the upfront installation price. Many business owners benefit from automation through reducing operational expenses; space (50%), energy (80%) and labor (70%). Always weigh up the numerous options available in the market until you find one which suits your business.

  1. Prioritise, Palletise!

Advancement in robotics have resulted in the automated palletising system when it comes to operations in cold storage. Over the years, frozen product manufacturers have faced the challenge of palletising products cost-effectively and efficiently. Gone are the days of going back and forth into a freezer room and introducing warm ambient air that then needs to be cooled.

The automation systems employ robots, energy supplies, lubricants, seals, and cables all designed for a harsh freezer environment. These can handle palletised product inside freezers without having protective heating coverings. Such a  system helps owners to prevent build-up of ice on products as well as minimising the handling of frozen items by employees in sub-zero environments.

  1. Never forget FIFO

First in, first out (FIFO) is crucial in ensuring correct product rotation in cold storage. Remember, most products stored in cold room storage are foodstuffs, thus, it is important to ship products closer to expiry first and keep close track that remain unsold and likely to spoil. This eliminates the possibility of selling expired unsafe products. FIFO can also help you track the expiration dates of product and assign which products will come out first for selling.

  1. Handle Everything with Care

Handle with care package

 It is better to be safe than sorry that’s why it advisable to strictly implement product proper handling. Ensure that all shipped products you received are free from tears or damage. Moreover, it is important to check the temperature during the entire shipping process because slight changes in temperature can contribute to products’ spoilage. You never want to  waste money  just because you were careless during the shiping process.

  1. Consistency is the Key

key going into keyhole

 Photo Courtesy of qimono via Pixabay

Temperature is either your friend or your enemy in cold storage system. Always stay aware of the required freezer temperature to keep your products free from spoilage. Assign a worker to be responsible for monitoring temperature regularly. Alternatively, install alarms to warn of temperature fluctuations.

Aside from the temperature, be consistent with all the best operating procedures. Consistency is a key to many doors of success for you and your business. It may seem difficult at first but you’ll get the hang of it in the future.

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