Why should we invest in a vacuum cooler?

The functioning of the Vacuum Cooler is based on inducing rapid moisture evaporation from the product by reducing the pressure in a sealed chamber.

This method represents an effective evaporative pre-cooling treatment that helps prolong the shelf life of treated products by reducing post-harvest thermal deterioration.

Vacuum Cooler units are specially designed to cool fibrous vegetables from room temperature to nearly freezing. During the process, some water evaporates and condenses through a cooling coil located inside the chamber.

MOELCO LEVANTE's Vacuum Cooler machines cool products quickly and uniformly, preventing the growth of microorganisms that could affect their quality, extending their shelf life from 4 to 6 times longer than normal. This benefits the preservation of fruits, vegetables, greens, and flowers, among other products.

It's the primary treatment done before introducing the product into the cold storage, and its advantages include:

• Rapid introduction of cold into the core of the product (between 20 and 40 minutes)
• Increased shelf life of products stored in cold storage
• Maintenance of a stable temperature within the chamber.

Vacuum Cooler Components

• Process Chamber: Unit where the products are introduced for treatment and vacuum creation
• Vacuum Generation Group
• Refrigeration Group
• Equipment
• Safety Measures and Warnings: All installations have usage warnings and safety measures to prevent accidents
• Documentation and Certificates: All documentation and certificates of installed equipment are provided.

Vacuum Cooler Operation

The operation process of the Vacuum Cooler follows these steps:

1. Packaging and stacking of products on pallets, then they're introduced via conveyors into the sealed chamber specially designed to create a vacuum.
2. The chamber has automated doors that open and close to allow the automatic entry of pallets.
3. Pumps create a vacuum inside the chamber, causing rapid evaporation of surface water from the product. This results in quick, direct, and uniform cooling, reducing the product's temperature to 2ºC. The amount of lost water is insufficient to affect the product's quality or shelf life.
4. A cooling system inside the chamber is used to condense the vapor extracted from the product.
5. The pressure in the chamber is reduced from atmospheric pressure to 7 mbar during each operating cycle.
6. As a result, the temperature of the water present in the product drops from room temperature (25ºC) to 2ºC following the water vapor pressure curve.

The duration of each cycle varies depending on the type of product being treated.

Vacuum cooling is specifically used for products with a high surface-to-volume ratio, such as cabbage, lettuce, celery, and other leafy vegetables. These products allow for rapid evaporation and complete cooling in a short time while maintaining high quality.

Safety and Sustainability in Vacuum Cooler Installations

At Moelco Levante, we are committed to designing and constructing our machines safely and environmentally friendly. Therefore, the Vacuum Cooler is distinguished as a safe and eco-friendly machine since it does not emit toxic emissions into the environment.

During manufacturing, we meticulously consider all potential risks, implementing fixed and mobile guards to protect the operator from any hazards that may arise during machine operation. These guards prevent entrapments in motors, moving transmission elements, electrical components, among others.

Additionally, the machine is equipped with an emergency stop located on the control panel, integrated guards, and signage with indicative pictograms of risks.

Our electrical installation strictly complies with current regulations, meeting the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation (R.D. 842/2002) and the complementary technical instructions on low-voltage electrical installations. Likewise, we comply with R.D. 1580/2006, which transposes the directive on Electromagnetic Compatibility 2004/108/EC, and the UNE-EN 60204-1 standard on Machine Safety.

Benefits of the Vacuum Cooler System

Benefits for Vegetal Products

Rapid cooling reduces enzymatic oxidation and the activity of decomposition microorganisms, preventing external wilting of vegetables.

Commercial Benefits

On average, it's estimated that a vegetable treated with the Vacuum Cooler system gains a commercial shelf life of around 30 days. The benefits derived from this process include:

• Considerable increase in the commercial shelf life of treated vegetables
• Reduction in the cooling demand load in cold storage rooms
• Possibility to decrease the inventory of stored products
• Maintenance of vegetable freshness, preserving their original qualities
• Capability to transport refrigerated goods over longer distances, expanding the commercial market.