Cold storage facilities require highly specialized construction materials that can ensure the ideal internal temperature without damaging products stocked in them due to environmental influences. Be it food, medications, or other chemical and pharmaceutical items sensitive to temperature conditions, cold storage facilities need to maintain a strict level of thermal and structural integrity. Sandwich panels are an excellent choice for insulation, providing better durability, energy efficiency, and more, thanks to their innovative design.
In the blog below, we explore the core advantages a cold storage facility can enjoy when adopting sandwich panels and their potential contribution to the effectiveness as well as cost-efficiency of critical infrastructures such as cold storage facilities.
One of the significant uses of cold storage buildings is the maintenance of a consistent, regulated internal temperature. The sandwich roofing sheet’s layered construction makes it an excellent thermal insulator. A sandwich panel is an outer panel of a strong metal with an insulating core placed in between. The material for the insulating core can be of any type, such as PU, PIR, or even EPS. Due to its structure, it curtails heat flow and ensures that the inner temperature remains consistent regardless of the external weather conditions.
For example, sandwich roofing sheets minimize the leakage of heat from the roof, which is one of the structures most exposed to sunlight. Reduced fluctuation in temperature helps preserve the integrity of store contents and lowers the energy load on the refrigeration systems.
A cold storage facility tends to incur high costs on energy due to refrigeration units. With sandwich panels, those owning such facilities can reduce this expenditure. The efficiency of the sandwich panel roof in insulation results in fewer units of energy required to sustain the desired temperature. In that way, the better the insulation, the less frequently the refrigeration systems need to cycle on and off, leading to lower electricity consumption.
All these panels also help minimize the requirement of high complex multi-layered wall systems that would otherwise demand additional materials and labor for construction, thereby further reducing initial costs. Energy savings through these sandwich panels also contribute to the lower total cost of ownership of cold storage facilities over time.
Speed is often a critical factor when constructing cold storage facilities. The ease of installing cold room panels promotes the acceleration of the overall construction timeline. Sandwich panels have a reputation for being easy to install and thus promote the acceleration of the overall construction timeline. They arrive at the site prefabricated, which means they are pre-fabricated and ready for installation. This modularity allows for rapid assembly without extensive on-site work.
Sandwich panels can also be fixed on building walls and roofs. Cold room panels and sandwich panel roofs offer versatility of materials allowing for their smooth integration into different designs. This prevents the delay of the construction process as well as saves labor.
Despite their light structure, the sandwich panels are in fact very robust and enduring. The combination of sandwich panel roofs with a rigid insulating core gives the panel high-performance resistance to any external forces such as wind, snow, and minor impacts. Therefore, the location of cold storage facilities in areas that are well-known to have aggressive weather conditions would be very apt for sandwich panels.
Panels are also resistant to moisture and corrosion. In cold storage applications, humidity will be changing, which makes this an important factor. Due to the sandwich panels being strong and sturdy, they have a long service life with fewer repairs and replacements, which ultimately translates into lower maintenance costs over the years.
Cold storage premises feature high dangers related to fire safety, especially in those establishments that store flammable products or materials. Many sandwich panels, especially PIR core, possess great fire-resistant properties. These sandwich panels work by slowing the fire’s spread and resisting flames, giving everyone extra time to get out or control the situation.
Also, the outer layers of metal can be coated with layers of fire-resistant material to ensure that sandwich panels are better protected. This feature makes them more reliable choices for cold storage facilities, for whom security and regulatory compliance is of utmost importance.
One of the first and most prominent advantages of sandwich panels is the degree of flexibility that has to do with design or the possibility to tailor it according to a specific use. Cold room panels can easily be tailored for each facility, providing a customized solution for various cold storage needs. Cold storage facilities vary, depending on the type of goods to be stored, and differ in size and configuration. Sandwich panels can easily be tailored for each facility.
Whether it is a big warehouse or a small cold room, sandwich panels can be produced in a variety of sizes, thicknesses, and grades of insulation to fit the needs of the building. For example, in deep-freeze applications, the panels for a cold room could be made thicker for extra insulation, while for moderate cooling environments, they can still provide adequate insulation.
Sustainability is becoming a very integral part of construction, and sandwich panels contribute to this in many ways. For instance, the materials used in sandwich panels, such as steel and aluminum, are recyclable, thus reducing the overall impact of the facility when those panels reach the end of their lifecycle.
In addition, the sandwich panels consume less energy, making their energy efficiency exceptional and ensuring that such storage facilities are friendly to the environment. Some manufacturers are taking it to the next level by providing eco-friendly insulation material for their sandwich panels, making them friendly to the environment.
Cold storage facilities, especially in the food and pharmaceutical industry, maintain a higher level of hygiene. The smooth, non-porous sandwich panels are also easy to clean and sanitize, which is essential in maintaining a hygienic environment. The metal outer layers of sandwich roofing sheets are non-moisture-permeable, making them inhibitors of mold, bacteria, and other contaminants.
They are low-maintenance panels in comparison to traditional building materials while being maintained. They are durable, hence less prone to damages. Any resultant repairs are possible without requiring extended periods of downtime or disruptions.
As you may have noticed thus far, sandwich panels are not cold storage specific. They can be used in various cold chain environments using cold room panels to simplify construction and maintenance with consistent performance across several applications. They can really be applied in nearly all applications of cold chains, in refrigerated trucks, modular cold rooms, and temperature-controlled warehouses, making them an obvious choice for food distribution and pharmaceutical-related industries, among others that rely on ensuring stable temperatures.
Finally, sandwich panels installed in cold storage facilities are designed with the toughest standards of the cold chain industry. The manufacturers ensure that sandwich roofing sheets meet all the international conditions for thermal insulation, fire resistance, and rigidity.
The benefits of Arcelor Mittal Sandwich panels for cold storage warehouses are that they provide superior thermal insulation, energy efficiency, ease of installation, and fire resistance, all of which enhance their versatility. Their durability, flexibility in meeting industry standards, and broad applicability make them ideal for any cold storage building. Whether it's a large warehouse or a small cold room, sandwich panels ensure that valuable goods are stored under optimal, well-maintained conditions.