SMI Cold Stop Curtains fulfill twin duties for Orchard House Foods
As well as saving energy by dramatically reducing heat losses from chilled areas Seymour Manufacturlng's Cold Stop door curtains are serving another role at Orchard House Foods. Finished with one colour on one side and a different one on the reverse, they are used to differentiate and remind staff which are high and low risk areas within the production and storage areas of the Corby, Northamptonshire plant.
Orchard House Foods produces a range of fresh fruit products for the major multiple retailers. They process into juice, smoothies and other fresh fruit derivatives.
- Blue Cold Stop curtains are used In parts of the processing plant to indicate a change to a standard care area. Red curtains signify a change to a high care area.
- High Care areas are fully segregated with conventional doors, their own changing areas and hygiene restrictions.
- When staff are confronted by a doorway inside the plant that has coloured curtains they should not enter unless suitably attired.
- Majority of the chilled production areas - some standard and some high care -- are equipped with Cold Stop to help maintain an interior temperature between 5ºC and 7ºC.
- For areas, where finished bottled product is stored and awaiting transport to customer, the temperature is maintained at 2.5ºC to 3ºC.
Paul Fellows, Drinks Division Engineering Manager said that the aim in changing to Cold Stop from plastic strip was threefold; primarily to save energy but at the same time have something that was much more aesthetically pleasing and user friendly. However. after speaking to SMI about the design and the opportunity to use different colours, it became evident that they could be also used to remind staff that they needed to be specially attired to enter certain areas. "And we are making significant energy savings too", he said.
