Deep Freeze Warehouse

Fully automated warehouse systems are ideal solution for the frozen warehouse. Energy efficiency and a high degree of automation are economical, scalable, tailor-made and precisely maintain the quality of perishable goods in temperature controlled warehouse.

Deep-Freeze warehouse challenges:

High energy consumption. The refrigeration systems and other equipment in traditional cold storages are relatively outdated, and the thermal insulation performance is poor, resulting in high power consumption during the refrigeration process.

Poor temperature control accuracy. It is difficult to precisely control the temperature inside the warehouse, which will affect the storage quality of some products with strict temperature requirements. For example, for certain high-end fruits and medical reagents, temperature fluctuations may cause them to deteriorate.

Low automation level and labour shortage. The handling of goods and the recording of storage locations mostly rely on manual work, which is not only inefficient but also prone to human errors, such as incorrect records of goods in and out of the warehouse.

Limited space utilization. The design of shelves and so on may not be reasonable enough to make full use of the three-dimensional space like modern warehouses.

High maintenance costs. Due to problems such as equipment aging, traditional cold storages have a high frequency of maintenance and repairs, and the maintenance of refrigeration equipment is relatively complicated and costly.

Solutions:

1. Rack system

• Type selection: Usually, modular racks are adopted. The structure of this kind of rack is stable and has strong load-bearing capacity. Appropriate rack types, such as pallet racks or shuttle racks, are selected according to the types and weights of the goods stored in the cold storage. If the stored goods are in and out in whole pallets, pallet racks are more suitable; if the goods are in large batches and have frequent in and out operations, shuttle racks are more efficient.

• Material: The rack materials should be able to adapt to the low-temperature environment. Generally, low-temperature-resistant steel is used, and anti-corrosion treatment should be carried out to prevent rusting in the high-humidity environment of the cold storage.

2. Stacker crane system

• Type: There are single-column stacker cranes and double-column stacker cranes. The double-column stacker crane has good stability and is suitable for higher racks and heavier goods; the single-column stacker crane has a simple structure and lower cost and is suitable for lighter goods and lower racks.

• Control technology: The stacker crane adopts advanced automatic control technology, such as PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) control. Through program control, the movements of traveling, lifting and fork extension and retraction of the stacker crane are controlled, and it is equipped with a high-precision positioning system, such as laser positioning or encoder positioning, to ensure that the stacker crane can accurately place the goods in the designated storage locations or take out the goods.

3. Conveyor system

• Type of conveyor: It includes belt conveyors, roller conveyors, chain conveyors, etc. In the cold storage, conveyors that can work normally in a low-temperature environment should be selected. The motors and transmission parts of the conveyors should have low-temperature resistance performance. For example, the belts of belt conveyors should be made of cold-resistant rubber materials to prevent them from becoming hard and brittle at low temperatures.

• Layout planning: The layout of the conveyor system should be reasonably designed according to the plane shape of the warehouse, the flow direction of the goods and the operation process. Generally, a straight-line, U-shaped or S-shaped layout is adopted to ensure that the goods can be smoothly transported from the receiving area to the storage area or from the storage area to the shipping area.

4. Warehouse Management System (WMS)

• Inventory management function: The WMS system should have a complete inventory management function, including goods inbound management, outbound management, inventory counting, inventory warning, etc. It can update inventory information in real time, automatically adjust the inventory quantity according to the goods' inbound and outbound situations, and set upper and lower limits for inventory and send alarms when the inventory exceeds or falls below the set values.

• Equipment management and scheduling: It can conduct unified management and scheduling of automated equipment such as stacker cranes and conveyors. According to the task priority and equipment status, tasks are reasonably assigned so that the equipment can work efficiently in coordination. For example, when there are multiple inbound tasks, the WMS system can arrange the most reasonable stacker crane to execute the tasks according to the current position of the stacker crane and the urgency of the tasks.

Benefits

Maximize storage in limited footprint, improve space utilization. High-bay racks are used in automated warehouses, which can make full use of the vertical space of the warehouse. Compared with traditional flat warehouses, its storage density can be greatly increased, allowing more goods to be stored on a limited land area. This is especially important in areas with high land costs.

Labour shortage and  securing the necessary working environment 

The cold storage environment is harsh, and low temperatures pose certain hazards to the health of workers. The automated frozen warehouse reduces manual operation links, reduces dependence on manpower, reduces the number of workers working in the cold storage environment, thereby reducing labor costs and also reducing the risk of safety accidents caused by the low-temperature environment.

Enhanced Efficiency: Increase throughput and accuracy with 24/7 operations, mitigating labor shortages and reducing downtime.

Automated equipment such as stacker cranes and conveyors can quickly and accurately complete the operations of storing and retrieving goods. The stacker crane can run at high speed in the rack aisles according to the system instructions and quickly store the goods in the designated positions or take out the pallets, greatly shortening the time for goods to enter and leave the warehouse and improving the logistics turnover speed.

Cost Reduction: Lower labor costs and improve inventory accuracy, reducing waste and operational expenses.

Scalability: Adapt to market changes and expand your operations with ease.

Sustainability: Optimize energy usage and reduce your environmental impact. With the rapid development of the cold chain logistics industry, consumers have higher and higher requirements for the quality and freshness of cold chain products. The deep-freeze warehouse can provide a stable low-temperature environment and efficient logistics operations to ensure the quality of cold chain products during storage and distribution.

Improved Food Safety: Maintain consistent storage conditions and traceability, keeping employees out of hazardous environments like deep freezers.

Flexible Picking Options: Combine full pallet, layer, and case picking depending on your needs, improving delivery times and operational flexibility.

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