Benefits of retrofitting a refrigerated cabinet

Retrofitting a refrigerated cabinet is done to upgrade it to the latest market needs and legal regulations, therefore achieving excellent results on a limited budget.

Why would you carry out a retrofit?

Retrofitting activities convert an open refrigerated cabinet into a closed one.
The closing takes place with an additional system consisting of insulating panels, doors and opening/closing systems.
Closing the cabinet saves electricity and therefore money. It also saves the refrigerating unit which needs to be switched on less often and this reduces wear of its inner mechanical and electrical components.

Perfect conservation of products

When the product is isolated from the external environment, there are some significant advantages:

• The merchandise is no longer in direct contact with the external environment, hence greater hygiene;
• The product is stored at a constant temperature, thus maintaining all its organoleptic properties

Environmental comfort for customers

An advantageous aspect of the retrofit is the increased comfort in the chilled food departments: the room temperature stays at comfortable levels and sudden changes in temperature between store aisles are avoided.

As customers, we all have experienced freezing temperatures among the aisles of open refrigerated cabinets. Surely these environmental factors do not invite to stop and pick up the products. Creating a welcoming environment facilitates purchasing.

Characteristics of the components for a perfect retrofit

Obviously the closing systems must be the best available which means their attributes have to be desirable by the end user and by the store management as well:

• Ease of use; • Low effort required when opening;
• Quiet and smooth automatic closing;
• Protected from harsh and noisy slams when closing;
• Long service life;
• Reliable door locking system.

Everything must be done to let the customer have an excellent shopping experience that will induce him (or her) to return to the store.

The store management must also be satisfied in terms of efficiency and reliability which must be capable of ensuring energy savings and service continuity.

Components selection

In order to achieve the perfect retrofit, it is necessary to make rational technical choices on every component to be installed:

• The doors which must be made to achieve maximum visibility of the products;
• The door hinges which must provide smooth, and at the same time fast and quiet movement; they have also to protect the door gaskets and most importantly be maintenance-free.

Only recently hinges equipped with hydraulic systems have been introduced. This technology allows the door to transmit a pleasant feeling of controlled motion capable of avoiding harsh closings and facilitate the product pick-up.

Everything evolves and so the hydraulic hinges for refrigerated cabinets: do you know Artika? Discover it HERE.

Fotografia: y N-Lange.de – Own work, GFDL