Cold Link Africa May/June 2016 Vol 1 No 5 | Page 3

ISSN 2412-7779
REGULARS

INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN

09

Contents

17

27

36

REGULARS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CONTRIBUTORS

3 Letter from the editor
15
Company profile: Haber Transport
51 Products

17

41
47

Chillventa launches awards for industry projects

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS

NEWS
4
Ice solutions driven by quality
7
MRE turns 21
7
Bitzer approves HFO for screw compressors
9
Pre-cooler for export table grapes
9
MACScool Pretoria branch moves
11
Smart energy, smarter business
13
SARDA cold store operator deadline extended
14 Afrox clinches top science and technolgy award

18
19
21
25

Talking Technically: Identifying types of condensers
Business survival toolkit: Selling your business (Part 5)

WorldSkills deadline extended – enter now!
Local refrigerated distribution to gain from GIZ project
Industry forum challenges SAQCC Gas registration
No import quotas on HFCs

FEATURES
27
33

Improving racking solutions for cold stores
HCFC phase out: what’s happening?

Keeping up with the industry
E
ach meal eaten at home, in a
restaurant, on an aircraft, in a hotel
or even a quick take-away from a
fast food outlet, consists of one or many
perishables that has travelled along the
distribution chain from the sea, land or
hoof, to our plate or take-away package.
Whatever the meal comprises, we
eat it with full confidence that it will
not cause any illness or harm to our
health. We also assume that the food
has not lost any of its nutritional value.
The safety, and to a large extent, the
nutritional value of the foodstuff, relies
heavily on an effective cold distribution
chain, requiring specialised equipment,
trained personnel and unique handling
techniques. The equipment or support
services may have even been supplied by
your own company or business and, if not
reliable, will impact on your own health or
wellbeing.
The logistics sector of temperature
sensitive perishables in South Africa
continues to show rapid growth. All the
large supermarket chains have expanded
their distribution centres or added to their
national network.
Third party logistics specialists are
expanding at an even greater rate.
The new state-of-the-art Imperial Cold
Logistics facility in Linbro Park is one of the

many built in South Africa during the last
12 months and all have new operating
techniques, automation, management
systems and technology (check out the
story on page 36).
Each new cold store in the distribution
chain is reliant on refrigerated vehicles
for the intake and dispatch of product.
To keep pace with the expansion of third
party logistics cold stores, fleet operators
are expanding and replacing their
refrigerated vehicles to maintain service
levels in a highly competitive market.
The GIZ-sponsored thermal test
chamber at the South African Bureau of
Standards (SABS) in Pretoria will be a major
step to benchmark the thermal efficiency
of refrigerated vehicles built in South Africa
(read more about their last meeting on
page 25).
The diesel consumption of the
refrigeration unit and the level at which a
refrigerated vehicle maintains the product
temperature, is largely dependent on the
thermal efficiency of the insulated vehicle
body. Without a thermal test chamber in
South Africa, operators have no foolproof
method of assessing the thermal efficiency
of a new vehicle at time of procurement.
After testing samples of refrigerated
vehicles in service, none of which have
been previously tested, in the chamber,

operators may find that it will make good
business sense to replace aged vehicles
and gain the benefits of reduced diesel
costs.
Participation in the refrigeration industry
as a cold store operator, transporter,
contractor, consultant or supplier of
equipment requires an undertaking and
acceptance of the rules and standards.
The onus lies with each role player to
be familiar with the required standards.
If unable to comply with the standards
or invest in the required equipment or
training, why try to compete in the industry
or even be allowed to participate? It
is disheartening to witness the lack of
awareness and understanding by many
role players of the regulations, national
standards, SAQCC Gas registration and
plant safety compliance. (Read more
about the recent industry forum dealing
with this topic on page 21).
Similarly, few role players are prepared
to volunteer time to draft standards or
develop training programmes, all for the
benefit of uplifting the industry. The call
to participate in forums and initiatives to
combat climate change by reducing
the environmental impact of refrigeration
and air conditioning systems, is also often
re