FEATURE
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
scheduled service to scheduled service
without breakdowns.
“The imported units are normally a bit
more expensive upfront but then have
a reduced operating cost, providing the
manufacturer’s service schedule has
been followed,” Gröss says. “The local
units are cheaper to purchase, but then
tend to have more failures in-between
services, which tends to drive the
operating costs up.”
“The biggest difference is that our
local market is too small to warrant
the investments needed to be at the
forefront of the latest technologies and
advancements in the refrigerated market,”
says Heyman. International markets
have much higher volumes, but are also
fiercely competitive and the international
manufacturers thus have to invest to gain
even the slightest advantage. “This would
not be possible for a local manufacturer,
as they cannot achieve the economies of
scale needed for new technologies at a
reasonable price.”
According to Swart, the life span of
international equipment is proven to
be longer. “In-depth engineering and
time spent testing equipment proves
international products to be superior
to local,” he says. The research and
development that go into internationally
manufactured equipment is much higher,
with European standards changing so
fast and pressure to comply with new
global laws, so you are able to use
equipment that conforms to the highest
international standards.
Correct and proper
refrigeration and
temperature control
is important as it
prevents the ageing of
the product
during transit.
Another advantage is that international
products can be used globally and
are certified for operation, e.g. ATP
tested equipment is certified by an
independent authority, explains Swart.
The data published by the international
manufacturer is factual and cannot be
published to the industry with the intention
to benefit from results under less stringent
testing conditions. Local manufacturers
are not subject to an independent
authority testing to verify the data
published. “The results obtained under
different environments and testing done
under less stringent conditions than those
under international standards could be
questionable and biased to say the least.”
There is more than one side to the
story though. “International products are
based on differing countries’ legislation,
and may be completely useless to our
market,” explains Marks. “Most countries
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The refrigeration system is a combination of the insulated body and the refrigeration unit. Together the two must
maintain the cold chain for the transporter.
that we follow technically have similar
temperature requirements to ours, but
their ambient properties differ to ours, and
cause us more problems.”
Imports are expensive, and as
explained above, follow different
temperature regimes, says Marks. “We
need to spend more energy studying
our local needs, and gearing our
manufacturing abilities to local factors.”
Imports are very costly and could
take six to nine weeks to ship and clear
customs, explains Martinelli. “The best
is to support local!” Besides the price
and manufacturing time advantage,
you are creating employment and
the whole value chain benefits from
suppliers of raw materials. “The biggest
advantage is that if there is something
wrong, there is local guarantee and
warranty. I want to see an overseas
company come all the way to South
Africa to fix a faulty door.”
In the end, it is important to partner
with a reputable supplier who is
knowledgeable about the options
available as well as having a reliable
after-sales service to support their
product, advises Holcroft. The body
manufacturer should also be staying
abreast with the latest technology for
panel manufacture and the accessories
available to suit the customer’s
requirements. The recent introduction of
an ATP test station means transporters
can demand their manufacturer
produce evidence of compliance. “This
cannot be manipulated and provides
peace of mind that standards have not
been compromised.”
TRENDS
What are some of the current trends
locally and internationally for products
and technology in general?
At the moment there is a great drive
in the cooling unit world to try and bring
down the “Global Warming Potential”
(GWP) and carbon footprint of the overall
operation of the unit, explains Gröss.
This will include using new technology
refrigerants and also powering the
units from alternative power sources
like lithium-ion batteries, which can be
charged via green and clean energy
sources like wind and solar.
“The trend is towards more efficient
equipment and the reduction of
carbon emissions, global warming
and the greenhouse effect,” agrees
Solomon. Also, insulated body builders
are working on improving the heat leak
factor of bodies. This will result in a lesser
refrigeration requirement and, in turn,
improve efficiency.
Liquid nitrogen with zero on road
emissions has been introduced to the
South African market as a cryogenic
option, says Solomon. Manufacturers
are designing and prototyping different
options in the development of transport
refrigeration equipment.
Lower GWP refrigerants such as
propane have been tried and tested
in South Africa and will be rolled out
in the future. Various hybrid options
are now available and others are in
the development stage. Also, some
manufacturers are in the development
stage of full electric units. Telematics
on refrigeration equipment are
COLD LINK AFRICA • June 2019
becoming the norm rather than the
nice to have, Swart notes. Customers
and clients require this for temperature
and product monitoring throughout
the cold chain process. “The drive for
connectivity is becoming important
and we see companies investing vast
amounts of money to improve and
develop the technology. We find
ourselves in a digital age and the
refrigeration industry is doing their part
in embracing technology available to
assist with improving the cold chain and
temperature control.
In South Africa we are not using
telematics to improve the efficiency of
the cold chain to its maximum, Heyman
adds. “The rest of the world is ahead of us
there and we need to catch up. Lower
emissions and green energy are also
advancing rapidly in the rest of the world
and we must not be left behind.”
Internationally, many secondary
distributors are investing in pure electrical
drives for the cooling units. This is due
to the emissions and noise pollution
restrictions that are imposed on inner city
deliveries, explains Heyman.
Electrification and the development
thereof is becoming a real game changer
internationally, notes Swart. There are
some European countries not allowing any
diesel engines anymore and enforcing
zero diesel emissions. Manufacturers are
thus forced to fast-track the development
of electrification. “The next five to 10 years
will be interesting, as the development of
other power sources will bring about some
challenging times and changes to what we
know today.” CLA
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