Eutectic Plate Freezer by Thanakoon International Co., Ltd.

By:
Thanakoon International Co., Ltd. 
28/11/2011
Keywords:
Freezer

Eutectic Plate Systems

Eutectic plate systems are used as an alternative to traditional cooling methods used to maintain a cold chain. The reliable, environmentally friendly systems are based on re-usable energy, are extremely flexible and can be used for chilled or frozen products. The virtually maintenance free plates can be set to maintain various temperatures for different applications.

In the competitive global economic market of today, any means of reducing costs can give your business an advantage. The use of eutectic plates as an alternative to other cooling mediums, such as dry ice and normal ice, makes financial business sense. This is because eutectic plates are re-usable and do not evaporate into smoke or melt into water to be thrown away.

Eutectic plates, otherwise known as thermal storage units, have been in the market place for some time. Originally manufactured out of stainless steel, it has moved to plastic, making the containers lighter and cheaper. Having a plastic unit also makes the plates easy to handle and clean.

Ice Packs

A leader in eutectic plate manufacturing, it has designed to a wide range of plates as 0.50 kg, 2.20 kg and 5.00kg units. When you receive your plates, they will already have the freezing capability necessary to freeze or chill your products for up to 96 hours, and, importantly, maintain the desired temperature.

The ‘re-charging’ of the plates should take approximately 12 hours to freeze after the initial freeze time of at least 48 hours. This can be longer if the freezer is running at less than the required 5°C colder than the plate setting. The colder the freezer, the faster the ‘re-charge’ time. When the plates are used in a good insulated container, they will last in excess of 12 hours. It has successfully maintained temperatures below -20°C for 48 hours and below -2.5° for 70 hours.

Advantages of Eutectic Plate Freezer over Dry Ice

Eutectic plates replace the need for dry-ice. Using Eutectic Plate has a number of benefits, while dry ice has many downfalls. Dry ice evaporates, is a non-reusable resource and can be dangerous. Regardless of the transported item, a package containing dry ice is classified as dangerous goods and subject to declaration and safety fees. This wastes your time and money going through the process.

As dry ice is exceedingly cold, if touched it causes burns, restricts the respiration and triggers unconsciousness at a 7 per cent concentration in the air. One kilogram of dry ice releases close to 500 litres of CO2, which means that freights containing dry ice are dangerous goods and exclusively shipped by cargo aircraft. On the topic of CO2, every year sees a shortage of supply which means your business suffers delays and setbacks both in productivity and financially.

Depending on outside temperatures, it takes between 48 and 72 hours for dry ice to sublimate or purify and then must be replaced (called re-icing) with costs during longer transit times, at the airports or in the customs area. Another costly method is temporary storage in airport cool room facilities. This process is highly susceptible to various types of interference. Especially in intercontinental transit, it incurs a high risk of faults leading to considerable spoilage.

As eutectic plates eliminate the use of dry ice, all products can also be transported by passenger aircraft provided the transported item is non-hazardous. As there are no safety issues surrounding Eutectic plates and no need for re-icing, there is no need for your transport box to be opened.

EUTECTIC PLATES APPLICATION

1) ICECREAM VENDING – Impulse ice-cream confectionery is sold from in-situ ice-cream conservators and mobile insulated containers, mounted on trolleys or carts. The product must be maintained at a temperature of approximately -19°C to remain sellable. In mobile containers, eutectic plates frozen to (+/-) -27°C are placed in the container with the product and, subject to ambient temperatures and insulation performance, the product will remain sellable for between 5 to 8 hours.

2) COOL DRINK VENDING – Eutectic plates frozen to -4°C are placed in a mobile insulated container with the product and, subject to ambient temperature and insulation performance, the product will remain chilled for between 8 to 12 hours. Plates can be used in conjunction with ice, thus reducing the amount of ice needed for a day’s vending. The number of plates required would depend on the size of the cooler box. The cost of purchasing the plates is quickly recovered as ice does not need to be purchased on a daily basis.

3) FROZEN AND CHILLED GOODS TRANSPORT – Frozen and chilled foodstuffs are transported in dedicated refrigerated vehicles equipped with insulated bodies and diesel or electric refrigeration plants. Eutectic plates, frozen to -25°C, used in conjunction with well-insulated containers, would enable standard freight trucks, with no refrigeration equipment, to carry part-chilled or frozen loads. As the containers are not opened during transport, the temperature within the container would remain low. This category includes fishing and fish farming, where the catch is removed to a central processing plant. In the event of any breakdowns of the refrigerated unit the product is at risk of spoiling; by using the plates the temperature will be maintained for a specific time.

4) VACCINE TRANSPORT – The physiology of vaccines requires them to be refrigerated in order to maintain their efficacy and this applies equally to transportation of vaccines. Traditionally, they are packed in small insulated containers together with ice (water) and transported thus. Due to the small size of these containers, it is not economically viable to refrigerate them and melting ice creates unhygienic and messy conditions. Eutectic plates, frozen at +5°C, replace ice and do not melt into a liquid thus eliminating this problem. The units will maintain the product between 2°C and 8°C well over 24 hours. Eutectic Plate Systems has achieved 5 days within this range in a trial run by an independent concern.

The quantity of eutectic plates used varies with the size of the container and the application which is being used, and is available on application. Size of the plates is also relevant to the application, and this information is also available on request.

Keywords:
Freezer