Walk In Cooler Panels

Walk-in coolers and freezers are vital for keeping products fresh in many settings, including grocery stores, restaurants, convenience stores, food warehouses, and breweries. While these cooling units normally get all the credit, walk-in cooler panels are the main components responsible for keeping perishable products fresh. They play a vital role in maintaining optimal temperature, ensuring food safety, and even saving energy.

Importance of Walk-in Cooler Panels

The primary role of walk-in freezer panels is to provide insulation. They are typically made of high-density foam put between metal sheets, creating a barrier against heat transfer. This keeps warm air out and prevents cold air from escaping, which is essential for maintaining constant temperatures for stored products. Well-designed and installed panels reduce the workload on the cooling system. This allows it to run less frequently and consume less power, translating to an increased lifespan of the cooler and substantial savings on energy bills. Cold storage panels are also made to withstand regular use, heavy loads, and harsh conditions. They are made of sturdy materials like galvanized or stainless steel, making them resistant to corrosion, scratches, and dents. This allows the coolers to function for an extended period with little maintenance.

Materials for Walk-in Cooler Panels Insulation

Polyurethane and polystyrene are the most common materials used in walk-in cooler insulation panels. Polystyrene is further categorized into expanded polystyrene (EPS) and extruded polystyrene (XPS). EPS is made by expanding small beads of the material inside a mold. Heat and pressure are applied, causing them to combine and form a panel. However, the final product still has sizeable open spaces that may affect the insulation level. Styrofoam is a great example. XPS is created by injecting a liquid form of the plastic into an extrusion mold, which then makes a foam panel. The final product is denser than EPS, making XPS a better insulator. Polyurethane panels are made by combining two chemicals known as polyols and isocyanurates. When injected into a mold or flat fixture, they react and cause a rapid expansion that fills the enclosure. This results in a panel with good heat-resistant properties.

How to Choose Walk-in Cooler Panels

Great walk-in fridge panels should provide the right level of insulation, performance, and durability for the desired application. Their insulation value is a vital aspect as it determines the cooler's efficiency. The higher the insulation value, the better the thermal protection and ability to maintain the necessary temperature. The thickness of the panels plays a role in insulation and durability. Thick panels offer better insulation and are less susceptible to damage from regular use. The size is also important as it can affect the ease of assembly and installation time. Small cold room panels may be easy to install, but thick ones should be picked if a high level of insulation is a primary factor.