PANEL POINTS KPS Global manufactures insulated panel systems that use a hard-nose cam-lock system, which streamlines installation. Along with a gasket, this also helps keep water vapor out of each unit. The panels can be customized to fit to the shape and dimensions needed, says Rob Sorba, president of KPS Global. This allows, for example, a prep cooler to be located near a deli counter; many standard coolers would be too large. Because the panels are framed, they install quickly and can stand on their own, without needing support from the building itself. This is key in several scenarios, including when a company needs to retrofit an existing building. Organizations can use the panels to build out the interior space without having to do expensive structural work. The panels also offer an economical solution when a company needs multiple climate zones within one building, Sorba says. KPS Global can build in its factories the interior doors necessary to creating multiple spaces within a building, cutting installation time. For example, if a company is using panels to create 15,000 square feet of temperature-controlled space, KPS Global typically can do the core setup in 10 to 14 days, Sorba says. That compares to 10 to 12 weeks with traditional construction. The Accessible Cold Environment (ACE) unit from KPS Global can boost labor efficiencies and reduce pick times when additional storage is needed for prepared, bulk, or fast-moving refrigerated products. The vertical lift system allows pallets to be easily moved into the chilled environment, slashing both load and pick times. Employees no longer need to head into a walk-in cooler to pull items. “The ACE unit saves a ton of labor because you can just drop the pallet in and drop the slider door down,” Sorba says. Patented air curtain technology pushes air across the surface of the opening and cycles it back inside, so cold air isn’t lost.
KPS Global ( top ) designs and manufactures panel systems with various thicknesses to help control humidity and temperature requirements. Interstate Cold Storage (bottom) has invested in six state-of-the-art lift trucks to enhance its cold storage warehousing solutions.
TELEMATICS ADVANCES AND IMPROVEMENTS Telematics, or the transmission of digital information over long distances using wireless forms of communication, is also advancing. A few decades ago, telematics provided simple GPS location alerts, says David Brown, senior product manager for transportation and telematics with ORBCOMM, a provider of Internet of Things technology and asset monitoring and control solutions. Over the past 10 years, however, telematics capabilities have improved, even as the sensors that collect information have become less expensive. Today, the sensors embedded within refrigerated units can, among
other capabilities, take temperature readings, monitor the frequency of door openings, and calculate any variations from established parameters. Then, the solutions can extract and offer this information in ways that drive business decisions, such as sending an email alert to employees who can take needed corrective action. The solutions can also provide documentation showing a product remained within the required temperature range while in transport. This can reduce claims by recipients stating a product fell outside the specified temperature range. This capability helped a refrigerated carrier save roughly $400,000 in one year, Brown says.
30 Inbound Logistics • December 2024
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