Cold room chillers / freezers

The right cold room panel thickness depends on the storage temperature and the product. As a general guide:

• Fruit & vegetables, +7°C to +1°C: 60–80 mm
• Meat & cheese, −2°C to +2°C: 80–100 mm
• Frozen products, −18°C to −25°C: 100–120 mm
• Ice, −10°C: 100 mm
• Ice cream, −30°C: 120–140 mm
• Blast-freezing tunnel / deep freezing, −30°C to −40°C: 120 / 140 / 160 mm

Thicker polyurethane panels give better insulation and lower running costs. If your product is not on this list, contact AMP and we will advise on the correct specification.

It depends on the temperature your products need:

• Walk-in chiller (cold room): usually +2°C to +8°C, for fresh produce, dairy, meat and other perishables — often with humidity control to keep optimal conditions.
• Walk-in freezer: usually below −18°C, for frozen meat, seafood and ready meals that must stay deep-frozen and safe.
• Blast-freezing tunnel (deep freezing): −30°C to −40°C, to rapidly chill products from room or process temperature down to very low temperatures for long-term preservation.

Most cold rooms used by pedestrians and trolleys with Teflon or plastic wheels are supplied by AMP with an insulated polyurethane floor panel. If forklifts will drive into the room, the cold room is usually taller than 2.80 m; in that case we recommend floor insulation with rigid boards (e.g. Fibran/Dow type) plus an industrial floor that can withstand heavier loads.

Automated factory production lets us build the cold room to your exact required dimensions. AMP provides a floor plan so you can check the measurements before production. Because the polyurethane panels can wrap around a corner or column, or follow a non-rectangular shape (for example trapezoidal), you can make full use of the available space.

A walk-in chiller is a walk-in refrigerated room that keeps fresh products at a temperature above zero. It is used for fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, pharmaceuticals and beverages. It is built from polyurethane insulated panels (sandwich panels), a refrigeration unit and a cold storage door, to maintain a stable temperature and humidity. 

A walk-in chiller usually operates between 0 °C and +8 °C, depending on the product stored. For example, fresh meat and dairy require around 0 °C to +4 °C, while fruit, vegetables or beverages can be kept at slightly higher temperatures.

A walk-in freezer is a walk-in deep-freeze room for the long-term storage of frozen products. It has an increased insulation thickness, an insulated floor and a freezer door with a heating element, to maintain consistently very low temperatures and minimise energy losses.

A walk-in freezer usually operates between -18 °C and -25 °C. For special needs, such as blast freezing or storing fish and ice cream, AMP manufactures rooms that reach lower, down to -40 °C.

The main difference is the operating temperature: a walk-in chiller keeps products fresh above zero, while a walk-in freezer keeps them frozen below zero. A walk-in freezer requires thicker panels, an insulated floor, a more powerful refrigeration unit and a door with a heating element.

A cold room consists of polyurethane insulated panels (walls, ceiling and, in freezers, the floor), a cold storage door, a refrigeration unit (compressor and coils), as well as accessories such as PVC strip curtains, lighting and thermometers. AMP provides complete turnkey solutions.

Chillers typically use panels 60–100 mm thick, while freezers require panels 120–200 mm thick for adequate thermal insulation. The exact thickness depends on the operating temperature, the dimensions of the space and the climatic conditions.