What are Eutectic Plates?
Eutectic Plates are used for keeping food and perishable goods cold during transportation across a wide variety of industries.
Eutectic Plates are essentially more industrial versions of the frozen blocks you use in your cool bags for a picnic. These commercial versions are available in a rigid or flexible form, full of eutectic gel, a phase change material, that, once frozen, can reduce and maintain the temperature of stored goods.
What can Eutectic Plates be used for?
For temperature-sensitive products, it is essential that the optimum temperature is maintained throughout the cold chain, from leaving warehouse cold storage through transit until the goods can be successfully stored at the retailers.
European directives, as well as the CE/DIN recommend that supplementary cooling be used when goods are transported in insulated containers for over 2 hours. Using Eutectic Plates or other Phase Change Materials (PCMs) means you can get up to 24 hours of transportation time without your goods being in danger.
Benefits of Eutectic Plates & Phase Change Materials (PCMs)
Key benefits include the fact Eutectic Plates include:
- Safe for use with food
- Age an impact resistant
- If best practices are followed, the plates can be effective for many years
Best practices for freezing Eutectic Plates
Best practices for using and caring for Eutectic Plates can help prolong the lifetime of the product and save you money in the long run.
Using freezing racks away from doors or openings and maintaining a minimum of 30mm between plates aids in fast and efficient freezing. Ensuring air circulation of between 3-6 meters per second and keeping plates clean also helps keep plates in optimum condition.
Using a specialist blast freezer is the best way to support the plates and keep costs down. There are many different types of blast freezers available, and CRS can help you find out which would be best suited to you.
How CRS can help
So, we now know that Eutectic Plates (Phase Change Materials) are essential in the cold chain process, but it’s also essential that freezer plates and gel packs are preconditioned effectively and efficiently.
You can reduce the time preconditioning takes, improve efficiency and cut costs without compromising the cold chain with a Preconditioning Blast Freezer from CRS.
Speak to one of our expert advisors today to gain advice on the right solution for your needs.
