The cold chain for food
Artificial refrigeration has brought about great improvements in the quality of human nutrition, making it possible to store extremely perishable foodstuffs like meat, fish and fruit at the right temperature.
Lowering the temperature of foodstuffs slows down biological processes and creates a barrier against external bacterial attacks, extending the quality of foodin time.
The journey of perishable goods from the place of production to the place of consumption requires appropriate hygiene and thermohygrometric conditions that need to be ensured by means of standard procedures capable of preserving the quality of the food that reaches consumers' tables.
Refrigerated transportation by road
The vehicles used to transport fresh and food foodstuffs use gas-cycle refrigeration systems that are designed and built to maintain the foodstuff's temperature at the moment of loading during the entire journey. The refrigeration systems installed on these vehicles can supply the refrigerating capacity necessary to eliminate thermal flows from the outside and any heat generated by goods especially if the goods being transported are fruit and vegetable products. The vehicle's manufacturer is responsible for the truck's proper construction and refrigeration system and it is up to the user to check that the product's temperature is correct when it is loaded and to arrange the goods correctly inside the truck in order to ensure the proper circulation of cold air and avoid that the doors are opened without reason.
The refrigeration system is located in the front part of the semitrailer, mounted on the front wall.
These vehicles are to be built in compliance with existing EU regulations and inspected to ensure conformity.
The truck's heat transfer coefficient K must be less than 0.4 W/(m² °C) for vehicles carrying frozen goods. In order to limit the energy consumed by the system, a K of 0.2 W/m² °C is applied.
X-FOAM® TRC extruded polyethylene foam boards have top thermal insulation and mechanical resistance features and almost no water absorption at all.
The rough surface with grooves ensures perfect bondage with adhesive to the various layers constituting the truck's sides and floor. The special grooves not only ensure top bonding during gluing, but they also allow for dispersion of any bubbles and elimination of any glue clots, which, besides being unsightly, can even ruin the finished product's quality. The material's light weight along with the characteristics illustrated above make it an insulation panel with unique properties especially fit for this type of application.
