PROJECT
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
FROM ASHES TO
STATE-OF-THE-ART
Ahead of the 2017 harvesting, a modern
state-of-the-art new pack house was
brought online at Southern Farms in
Skuitdrift. During the harvesting season
of 2016, disaster struck and the pack
house at Luiperdshoek was destroyed by
fire. By early February 2017, the site had
been completely cleared and even the
concrete bases removed. A project team
was appointed, and work commenced in
earnest to erect a new pack house that
would be energy efficient, have a high
level of productivity, be compliant with all
safety standards (health and food), and
well within building and fire regulations.
The new Luiperdshoek pack house, with a
capacity to handle 18 000 cartons (4.5kg
each) per day of table grapes and a
pack line staff of 320, went online in mid-
November 2017.
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At the heart of the refrigeration and
air-conditioning system, are two Phoenix
Racks (now called SCM Ref Africa), each
with four Bitzer semi-hermetic compressors
(all model 4GE-30). The two compressor
racks, charged with R507 refrigerant,
provide chilled water for three coils in the
pre-coolers; refrigerant for the two DX
Aermec air handlers in the packing line
area; refrigerant for the DX coils in six rapid,
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1. Crates arrive from the vineyards at the
covered receiving bay.
2. Sill to be equipped with packing
equipment. On either side, the Aermec
air handling units with fabric ducting to
maintain air temperature in the packing
line area.
3. Pre-coolers remove some of the field heat
from the grapes.
4. The completed pack house ready for its
first table grape harvest.
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COLD LINK AFRICA • March | April 2018
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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