Page 25 - FoodFocusThailand No.201 December 2022

Cold Chain Automation:

Staying Ahead and Boosting the Success

of Your Company

The Global Cold Chain Logistics is Getting The Challenges for the Food and Beverage Industry in
“Hotter” Thailand
Ms.Pichamon Pattanajiranun, Cold Chain Specialist at Swisslog ventured into the Thai market a few years ago and has been
Swisslog, remarks that the adjustments of the global focusing on the food and beverage industry, which has the potential
cold chain logistics took place once the COVID-19 crisis for continuous growth around 1.9-2.7% in 2022 by Kasikorn research
started to dissipate. Admittedly, the cold chain sector center. Nevertheless, there exists a challenge that is unique to Thailand
has undergone several changes due to the demand- and not seen elsewhere in Europe: the extremely hot climate. If the
driven problems rather than the supply-related ones. control system of a deep-freeze storage (-25 C) is not efficient, it
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More consumers begin to opt for chilled, frozen, or may result in condensation, which will eventually lead to temperature
ready-to-eat foods because of longer shelf life and instability. Additionally, the store personnel may experience cold-
occasional shortage of foods and fresh raw materials, induced fatigue, which may compromise their operational efficiency.
such as poultry. Thus, the cold chain storage and logistics Since cold storage personnel cannot work full-time in the refrigeration
are now playing a more active role in the global supply unit due to excessively low temperatures, shift work must be adopted
chain. Moreover, certain products, such as medicine and as a solution, but this will also lead to the need to recruit more staff.
medical supplies, need to be delivered under constant Therefore, the automation systems can improve operational
optimum temperatures. In this regard, the highest effectiveness, increase storage spaces, enhance operational safety,
efficiency of the vaccines that are imported from and reduce the dependency on labor.
overseas manufacturing countries to the destination
countries can be guaranteed. Hence, various industries, Swisslog, an Expert in Automated Cold Storage
in general, need to rely on the cold chain systems for Systems
their logistics and supply chain management. Swisslog provides data-driven automation and software-powered
integration of advanced warehouse technologies that offer accurate
Revolutionizing your Warehouses with the and precise warehouse management. Moving forward, automated
Bespoke Automated Solutions warehousing play a more active roles as the traditional picking of
Ms.Pichamon added that there is now a rise in the needs palletized products will turn into the customized picking of smaller or
for automated warehousing solutions to address spiking individual products. Some overseas countries have modified their
customer demands, which have rendered conventional automated palletizing arrangements so that they can selectively pick
warehouses unable to effectively handle increasing a mix of SKU or a variety of products located in the same pallet. A
numbers of products. Warehouses, as a result, must be warehouse may feature a combination of various automation
designed to feature more height. Thanks to the technologies, such as palletizing and picking solutions, since only
technologies from Swisslog, inventory spaces can be one system may no longer satisfy customer needs. Thai industries
added according to each client’s requirements. To can benefit from the usage of automated storage and retrieval system,
address the question of “How to optimize the warehouse such as Vectura, pallet stacker crane for high bay warehouses that
spaces, in terms of height and floor load, under the offer both efficiency and value for investment. This system can be
restricting conditions imposed by the original shapes”, operated in any temperature range, and it can store or retrieve as
a new warehouse must make full use of the vertical many types of product as required. It is, therefore, an ideal solution
spaces, especially for cold storage where temperatures for Thailand, which generally exports products in containers, to pave
must be consistently regulated. In addition, the balance way for future flexibility.
between space size, warehouse height, and construction Swisslog, a leading global warehouse automation provider with
expenses must also be taken into consideration. its office in Bangkok, would partner with Thai companies on their cold
Designing a refrigeration system for a temperature- chain automation journey with our strong experience. We can start
controlled room entails relatively high costs, and all with basic automation system with lower investments, and then
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shelf-stored products must equally receive the same upgrade to 4 Generation fully automated warehouse, and future
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intensity of cold exposure. Based on the same size of proof to 5 Generation “lights-out” robotics and data drive warehouses
space, a conventional warehouse consumes more as in Europe and US.
energy or electricity than an automated one. Important
factors to be considered in the designing of an automated
cold storage warehouse are, for instance, the quantity
of products to be stored, the height of the warehouse,
the required temperatures, and the product turnover rate.
Swisslog is capable of designing automated warehousing
system with temperature control of as low as -30 C and Tel.: +66 (0) 2115 9986
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height of up to 45 meters, both of which will help achieve www.swisslog.com/th-th
optimal operational flexibility.

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