Postharvest Cooling Capability Takes a Big Step Forward

Fast cooling of perishable crops such as berries, leafy greens, and tree fruit has been proven to be the most effective means of improving product quality and prolonging shelf life. Tunnels, tubes, and MAC systems can quickly lower the ambient air temperature, but the challenge has been obtaining optimum core product temperature, especially on inner pallets, without damaging some product with under or over-cooling. Because of this, cycle times are usually extended beyond what is necessary, resulting in excess power consumption and loss of productivity. Enter the InteliCool cooling monitoring system from Inteligistics.

“InteliCool was designed to convert existing precooling equipment into an automated system, with cycle times and temperatures controlled by the real-time temperature of products throughout the load,” says Gary Fleming, CEO of Inteligistics.

“Recent updates to InteliCool now use artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to correlate ambient air, product core, as well as supply and return air temperatures to optimize cooler efficiency and preserve product quality.”

InteliCool fully automates Start, Stop, Swap, and Move stages of the precooling process. This elimination of manual cooling system guesswork and errors results in shorter cycle times, lower power consumption and increased throughput. “We’re seeing cycle time reductions in excess of 10 minutes, and overall efficiency gains of up to 33%,” adds Eric Kithinji, VP, Operations & Engineering. “InteliCool can be installed on virtually any tunnel, tube or MAC system. The ROI payback is averaging 4.8 months, and the increased throughput means some companies can delay or avoid CapEx costs for additional equipment.”

“While efficiency gains and cost savings in cooling operations are impressive, the real game-changer for growers, packers and shippers is having more high-quality product to sell,” Fleming concluded.

For more information on Inteligistics and InteliCool, visit inteligistics.com.