FANS
The future of refrigerated display cabinets
The design of refrigerated display cabinets has always required a balance to fulfi l the major supermarkets’ demands for more space, less downtime, less noise and a longer life span, all at the right price. Luke Tanner from ebm-papst UK explains.
E
nsuring refrigerated display cabinets are competitively priced, yet meeting performance requirements is not easy. Cheaper components have been making their way into new refrigerated display cabinets, as price-driven buyers have forced manufacturers to make sacrifi ces in order to remain competitive. This has resulted in reduced overall quality of refrigerated display cabinets, due to the shorter life expectancy of their parts. In turn, an increased risk of failures in stores has emerged. A short-term approach is not as cost eff ective as purchasers might think. Using cheaper, more basic fans reduces the performance of the components inside the cabinets, increasing maintenance costs and the risk of failure. These costs and risks can be avoided by investing in longer-term solutions.
The idea of a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) iceberg refl ects how the initial purchase price of a product may not represent the total cost to
60 January 2018
the buyer. When applying this to supermarket refrigerated display cabinets, the purchase price is characterised as the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and the ownership costs, such as maintenance and repair, are the ‘body of the iceberg’. While the initial cost is often the focus, there is a danger in focusing solely on the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
The costs of failure
For any supermarket, the safety and comfort of their customers and employees is a high priority. However, accidents can still occur, so many businesses have public liability insurance and legal requirements dictate that employer’s liability insurance is a must. It is the supermarket’s responsibility to ensure that their premises are as safe as possible.
When a refrigerated display cabinet fails, the condensation from the unit can cause fl ooding onto the aisle fl oor; this is a safety hazard. The risk of a customer slipping on the wet fl oor and
injuring themselves is a moral and economic dilemma.
If a single fan within a refrigerated display cabinet fails, the unit won’t be able to maintain a low enough ambient temperature. The unit will be turned off until it can be repaired. Many supermarkets have predetermined fees in place with service companies who repair the refrigerated display cabinets. Engineers often need to make repeat visits. With this, the cost for repairs and replacement fans starts to mount-up. Depending on the produce, a cabinet could hold on average £1000 worth of stock, with individual product prices ranging from as little as 80 pence up to £30. When a refrigerated display cabinet fails, unless the cabinet is emptied within 20 minutes the supermarket will need to dispose of the stock due to health and safety requirements. In the procurement process, is the risk of having to dispose of stock accounted for when choosing new refrigerated display cabinets?
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