Transporting properly perishable goods

  1. Perishable goods are characterized those that remain intact when maintained at a certain range of temperatures. (εικόνα Cooltemp)
  2. The thickness of the insulation of the cooling chamber depends on the desired temperature, the lower the desired temperature the better the quality of the insulation must be.
  3. Depending on the products that are being transported the chambers need to have specific features. E.g. for the transportation of fresh fish the chamber must be in a form of a basin to hold the water, for the transporation of meat it must have hooks to hang the carcasses etc.
  4. The chamber must be watertight, so that it can be cleaned with water and to not have pores.

 

Using properly a refrigeration unit.

The refrigeration unit must be activated before loading in order to lower the temperature in the chamber. The chamber has a high heat capacity, so if it is hot during loading, then our products will heat up by absorbing the chamber's heat. The refrigeration unit remains on throughout the delivery time. We do not wait until the chamber's temperature rises in order to activate the refrigeration unit. With this practice our product has already heated up and the refrigeration unit cannot lower its temperature. The refrigeration units are designed to maintain the products' cold temperature and not to cool down the products.

During loading and unloading the refrigeration unit switches off in order to prevent the cool air in the chamber to be carried away by the accelerated air circulation.

We set the desired temperature and the refrigeration unit maintains it automatically. If we set a lower temperature than the desired one, we will not reach the desired one faster. What will happen is that when the desired temperature is reached the refrigeration unit will not stop automatically, and as a result the chamber will have a lower temperature thus inceasing the losses, which in turn will affect the negatively product (freezing it) and simultaneously it will increase the fuel consumption.

 

Maintenance of the chamber/ refrigeration unit.

Good maintenance of the chamber is vital for your vehicle and products.

  • If there losses from the chamber, then on a daily basis more fuel is consumed. The condition of the rubbers on the door should be checked regularly. Worn out rubbers means increased losses.
  • If the chamber has holes or breaks, then moisture enters the insulating material increasing the heat transfer coefficient and therefore degrading the insulation. Trapped moisture can rust the vehicle's body.

 

The preventative maintenance of the refrigeration unit can save us from unnecessary expenses.

  • If the refrigeration unit operates with a clogged filter then the compressor is forced and becomes heavily worn out.
  • If the refrigeration unit operates with a reduced amount of refrigerant then the compressor is not lubricated thoroughly and becomes increasingly worn out.
  • If the condenser is clogged then the compressor is forced and its temperature rises resulting in increased wear.
  • When the refrigeration unit is not operating properly, then one of the above is the issue, thus it is advisable to be checked immediately.
  • During the preventative maintenance the position and condition of the hoses is checked, as they might have come out of position and in case they come into contact with the vehicle's moving parts they will most likely burst, and as a result they will need replacement and the unit will need to be recharged with refrigerant.
  • The refrigerant oil degrades with use and needs replenishment.
  • The expansion pin stagnates and as result the circulation of lubricant and refrigerant is not the proper.
  • The proper planning of the preventative maintenance to curry out their work with care and diligence and to minimize the vehicle's time of stay in the workshop.