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Cold store and chilled environments
Cold store operations are one of the toughest working environments. Not only do the sub-zero temperatures affect your trucks’ battery capacity, electronics, lubrication and drivers’ ability to operate the forklift, but you also need to think about the use of space.
The challenges in cold areas
Trends are clear, today’s consumer values convenience, wholesome food and just-in-time delivery. More fresh and chilled products are being ordered in smaller quantities. No more simple pallet in/pallet out operations: the cold chain must become as flexible as possible. It's key to address these challenges
to keep costs under control:
challenge
Time
Minimising downtime and having access to the right technology.
challenge
Space
Maximising space whilst retaining flexibility.
challenge
Resources
Keeping workers and equipment warm enough to keep efficiency high.
Cool solutions to minimise waste of time, space & resources
Chilled (ambient temperature down to 0°C) or frozen (below 0°) operations require lean, efficient solutions that minimise waste of space, resources and time, while also ensuring reliability in these demanding environments. We have a long history and experience working in low-temperature operations, offering as standard a full range of vehicles and solutions for chilled operations as well as dedicated cold store solutions.
Available lean solutions for cold zones
Dedicated cold store trucks for maximum uptime
- For temperatures down to -30°C
- Dedicated cold store specifications & add-ons for each model
- Service contract tailored to your needs
The complete truck range of Toyota has been designed to work effectively down to 0°C without modification. However, for temperatures down to -30°C most trucks will need to be adapted. Specific features can include stainless steel, cold store oil, anti-slip platforms, heated batteries, etc. Toyota offers a range of warehouse trucks including hand pallet trucks, order pickers, reach trucks and Very-Narrow-Aisle trucks (VNA), as well as counterbalanced trucks that can be fully engineered for cold store use. Some trucks require little modification, for example, Toyota BT Levio pallet trucks and BT Staxio stacker trucks simply need low-temperature hydraulic oil – in all other respects they are pre-engineered for cold stores with fully sealed components. All cold store machines are clearly defined by the snowflake symbol. This helps drive down costs by reducing the risk of trucks being incorrectly used.
More solutions for cold working environments
Energy solution
Lean energy solution for maximum efficiency in cold store
- Longer running time with lithium-ion battery
- Heated li-ion battery solution with ‘in-cold store’ charging
- Maintenance-free technology
Due to the temperature difference it’s advised to keep the trucks in the cold as long as possible to avoid any condensation. Thanks to lithium-ion technology, the trucks can run longer on 1 battery, with the possibility of charging within the cold environment (with battery heater option), and elimination of maintenance.
High-density storage
High-density storage for maximum use of space
- Wide choice of storage systems to suit your needs
- Very-narrow-aisle trucks take up minimum space and offer high throughput
- Automated solution with shuttles
Space is costly in cold environments and therefore needs to be minimised. High-density storage with shuttles or Very-Narrow-Aisle trucks (VNA) are a lean solution for this. The Toyota Radioshuttle gives very high-density storage without compromising throughput. The end result is low cost-per-pallet-moved thanks to its semi-automatic operation. Loads are carried inside the racking on radio-controlled shuttles that are moved between slots with conventional trucks. Very-Narrow-Aisle (VNA) storage increases use of space by around 30% compared to traditional racking, which makes it a good option for cold stores. VNA systems can provide effective full pallet cold storage and also order assembly, picking from all levels. Depending on your goods, needs and flexibility, the type of racking you need may differ.
Automation in chilled areas
Automation of repetitive tasks in chilled areas
- Automated trucks can take over logistics in chilled areas
- Workers can focus on tasks outside the cold areas instead
- Continuous flow and increased productivity
Working in a chilled environment can be hard on workers, leading to frequent breaks and high labour costs. With automated trucks (AGVs) taking over the work, operators can focus on other tasks instead. Making life easier for drivers and optimising the workflow within cold environments.
Everything you need to know about logistics in temperature-controlled environments
Cold store operations are one of the toughest material handling challenges. Sub-zero temperatures may affect your trucks’ battery capacity, electronics, lubrication, bodywork and drivers’ ability to operate the truck. Efficiency and uptime are crucial in frozen storage of perishable goods (such as fish, meat, fruit, dairy, etc). Therefore, to prevent breakdown and repair costs, dedicated cold store trucks are highly recommended. Depending on the model, the trucks are fitted with the necessary components (cold store oil, stainless steel axles, cold store platform, …) to keep productivity high in cold environments.
To find out which trucks and specs fit in your cold operations, contact us to get more information or order a site survey.
Our trucks and solutions are used in virtually every sector & environment. You can choose from a wide offer of material handling equipment, including manual and automated trucks, all built according to the high-quality standards of the Toyota Production System. But also different energy solutions, several types of racking that fit your goods and available space, and service tailored to your needs covering a wide network within Europe.
Condensation is one of the biggest technical challenges for your cold store operation. When going from a cold to an ambient zone, moisture will form all over the truck, which can freeze to ice when going in the cold again, damaging the truck’s components. That’s why we recommend having a chilled room outside the cold store area to minimise condensation on trucks and loads. Or to stay outside the cold area until the truck is dry before entering again. Another alternative is to stay in the cold store as long as possible: li-ion batteries for cold store allow operators to drive and charge in cold store for a long period.
Besides proper clothing and training for the operators who have to work in temperatures as low as -30°C, fully enclosed cabins with heaters are also available. These will keep them warm and healthy, helping them to stay productive throughout the shift. In combination with the lithium-ion battery with heater, the truck can also be charged within the cold store area during breaks. Offering high efficiency, while eliminating the need for battery exchange and condensation problems.
Both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries can operate in cold store. But did you know that lead-acid batteries lose a significant amount of energy when operating within a cold store environment? Lithium-ion batteries on the other hand lose little to no battery performance within the cold store and have an energy efficiency that is up to 30% higher than lead-acid. This allows for a longer running time, and in combination with the ability to charge within the cold store thanks to our battery heater solution, the trucks are able to perform continuously throughout the shift. Having the truck always within the cold environment prevents condensation issues that occur when entering and exiting a cold store frequently.
The use of space in cold environments is extremely important as refrigerated air is expensive. Particularly in cold rooms with temperatures as low as -30°C, the space should be filled as efficiently as possible. Shuttle racking solutions and/or mobile racking are good ways to maximise the use of space whilst keeping throughput high.
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Case studies
Shuttle racking enables high-density storage
World-leading food producer Döhler needed a solution to store thousands of pallets with food in cold store. Toyota Material Handling therefore supplied a racking and shuttle solution that fit their cold store perfectly thanks to its efficient use of space.
Toyota racking and VNA efficiently store frozen goods at Foster Fast Food
Foster Fast Food was looking for a space-saving solution to efficiently handle and store their frozen, chilled and ambient goods. Having already Toyota trucks in operation, they returned to Toyota Material Handling for a cold store VNA truck and narrow-aisle pallet racking.
Toyota supplies Natures Menu with drive-in racking for cold store
Natures Menu got a complete logistics solution offered by Toyota to store their frozen raw pet food. The drive-in racking solution within their cold store warehouse can store almost 1000 pallets.