Imperial Manufacturing Purchases Walk-in Cooler and Freezer Manufacturer WA Brown, Inc.

by mmathews on 05/02 at 06:47 AM

Imperial Manufacturing, an industry leader in walk-in cooler and freezer manufacturing, closed purchase on WA Brown, Inc.

This move solidifies a cross-continental presence in the walk-in cooler and freezer industry for these combined companies.

Imperial Manufacturing has over 40 years experience manufacturing walk-in coolers and freezers. The company developed structural panels using non-wood lumber for stronger walk-in cooler walls and ceilings; pioneered the use of energy-efficient materials and components for lower product operating costs; and innovated design and production systems to bring custom design and manufacturing within the range of standard walk-in cooler costs.

WA Brown, located in Salisbury, NC, has continuously operated for over 100 years. Starting in the 1890’s as a family-owned fish market and expanding under Mr. W.A. Brown into manufacturing mechanical refrigeration in the early 1900’s. WA Brown holds claim to many industry firsts as a leading innovator in walk-in coolers and freezers.

The companies will continue operating as separate entities, but are now able to cover the continent from coast to coast with manufacturing facilities in Salisbury, NC, and Portland, OR. There is a modest name change for the 100 year-old company, it will now be known as WA Brown, Inc.

A more exciting change for WA Brown employees is the move to an ESOP structure similar to Imperial Manufacturing, which moved to a 100% ESOP in the last few years. This shift means every employee is vested with ownership in the company and is responsible for the company’s long term success, which fits well with the proud history of the WA Brown company.

Anil Shah, President of WA Brown, says “the continuation of the WA Brown brand under the leadership of Imperial Manufacturing is important to the future of the employees of WA Brown.” He goes on to say, “we are all excited and encouraged with the prospects this move brings to WA Brown in Salisbury.”

Imperial has a long line of design successes, including installations at numerous hospitals, stadiums, government facilities, even aboard U.S. Navy ships. The same custom design ability Imperial brings to the table is reflected in installations in the Hollywood ANDAZ, Henry’s Tavern in Portland, and Manito Pub in Spokane, WA. There are even installations protecting archival materials at the Smithsonian and the Doe Library at UC Berkley.

“WA Brown is a grand and storied brand,” stated Rick Schermerhorn, President and CEO of Imperial Manufacturing. “The combination of excellence in manufacturing and service from these two companies brings new opportunities to the foodservice/cold storage industry from coast to coast.”

W.A. Brown & Son, Inc. is the oldest manufacturer of commercial walk-in coolers and freezers in the foodservice/cold storage industry, continuously operating in Salisbury, NC, for over 100 years. Information on WA Brown products and history is available at http://www.wabrown.com or by phone at (800) 438-2316.

Imperial Manufacturing is a leader in quality engineered cold storage and insulated structures for food service, biotechnology, medical and building construction industries. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, since 1970, the more than 100 employee-owners of this 100% ESOP company manufacture custom design and handcrafted Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers. More information is available at http://www.imperialmfg.com or by calling (800) 238-4093.

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Imperial Walk-in Coolers Quoted on Paperless Office Savings

by mmathews on 04/18 at 12:14 AM

Rex Plombon, Accounting manager, estimates Imperial Walk-in Coolers saves $6500 per year by going paperless.

Imperial Walk-in Coolers is a case study in paper reduction for Oregon Metro, the regional agency responsible for recycling and waste reduction in the Portland metro area. The $6500 cost reduction is broken into three main areas

• Emailing or online faxing invoices to customers.
• Processing payments to vendors using an e-check service or credit card rather than cutting checks.
• Maintaining sales department files electronically.

Rex is quoted saying “Implementing a paperless system has had an incredibly positive effect on our company.” Rex concludes with “Going paperless also reduces expenses you may not have thought of - toner, stamps, and stationery. It is a win-win situation for the business and the environment.”

The entire case study is available at ...........................

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Methods for Insulating Floors for Walk-in Coolers

Posted in Imperial Ideas Posted in Recommended Reading by Rick Jones on 03/20 at 07:08 PM

This quarter’s Advisor newsletter is about floors & insulated pits for Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers.

We begin by looking at why insulation is always needed under a freezer and when you will need to insulate a cooler. Then we’ll go into the methods of insulating a walk-in including; prefabricated floors, recessed floors, insulated slabs and recessed pits along with providing some of the benefits and limitations of each design. Finally, we’ll circle back and talk a little bit about insulating a cooler when it’s on grade and the benefits of doing so.

FREEZER INSULATION
A freezer always needs to have insulation, period. This is pretty straight forward and easy to remember. The reason a freezer needs insulation is due to two factors; operating temperature and how an evaporator works. Obviously, if we have a freezer, we have temperatures below zero and in many cases we are holding a freezer at -10F. That’s pretty cold and the ground beneath the freezer, without any insulation, will eventually freeze as well.

Now let’s think about how an evaporator works. An evaporator is a heat exchanger that essentially removes heat from a walk-in. The way it removes heat is by removing moisture and they are very efficient pieces of equipment at removing moisture. If we do not have any insulation underneath a freezer, the evaporator will initially suck moisture out of the concrete (this is why in many new buildings you have excessive condensation in a walk-in right after start-up) and will eventually begin to suck moisture up into the concrete from the ground underneath the freezer.

This moisture will freeze upon hitting the frozen concrete and will somewhat thaw during defrost and will repeat this cycle over and over again during the refrigeration cycle. The eventual result is frost heave which is indicated by cracks and bulging in the floor. If this happens, there’s an ice ball underneath the concrete and that ice ball is going to continue to grow until the freezer is shut down and the ice ball is dug out and a properly insulated floor is installed.

In summary: a freezer always needs insulation beneath it.

COOLER INSULATION
So what about insulation in coolers? Since the temperature of a cooler does not go below freezing, coolers typically do not require insulation.

As long as the cooler is on grade; meaning it has concrete and dirt underneath it, we can place the cooler right on the floor. However, if the cooler is on a second floor or above or if there is a garage, mechanical room or some other room or vacant air space underneath it; or if it’s sitting on a wood floor, we want to be sure to insulate the floor. If the floor is not insulated in these cases, the floor materials will get cold enough to trigger the magical dew point and begin to accumulate condensation underneath. At this point, it will begin to drip or rain on the area underneath the cooler. If there’s an office underneath the coolers, the people in that office will not appreciate wearing their GoreTex to the office each day. If the cooler is sitting on a wood floor, it will accumulate condensation and eventually rot the wood at which point the second floor cooler will become a first floor cooler.

So the basic rule of thumb is:
    Freezer = Insulate always.
    Cooler = Insulate if the cooler does not sit on grade.

How much insulation do we use?
The minimum amount of insulation underneath a freezer is determined through the Federal Environmental Independence and Security Act passed by Congress in 2007 and amended for walk-ins in 2009. The law states that the minimum R-value underneath a freezer is 28. So, the thickness of the insulation used will be dependent upon the R-value of the insulating material. See last quarter’s Advisor Newsletter for a complete discussion on R-values.

SURFACE FLOORS, RECESSED FLOORS, AND INSULATED PITS
The question of whether to use a prefabricated floor or an insulated pit or insulated slab is one that where there is no correct answer; rather there are benefits and limitations to each design. Let’s review each of those here.

Surface Floors
This is floor is usually the easiest to install and takes the least amount of coordination between the walk-in manufacturer, installers and construction personnel. This type of floor is prefabricated by the walk-in manufacturer and typically consists of the same panel design and thickness as the wall panels, although the structural characteristics and wear surface will be different. It can be installed on top of any existing flooring and thus is a very viable option when replacing a walk-in in an existing building or restaurant. The design element to think about when using a prefabricated floor is how the end user will enter the walk-in. If the walk-in is sitting on top of a floor, the decision comes down to whether it will be a step-in or will have an internal or external ramp. If a ramp is desired, it’s important to note what the slope of the ramp is and how that may affect pushing fully loaded carts up and down it.

Recessed Floors and Insulated Floors.
Recessed floors and insulated pits are grouped together because they both required a contractor to either cut out an existing slab or to plan for the recess in advance during building construction.

Recessed Floors
A recessed floor is easy to imagine, it’s a prefabricated floor built by the walk-in manufacturer, and installed into a cut-out in the slab, so that the floor inside the walk-in is level with the floor outside. Typically the cut-out or recess is 1” larger in dimensions than the walk-in and should be the same depth as the floor. So a 10’ x 10’ freezer with a 4-1/2” floor should have a recess that is 10’-1” x 10’-1” x 4-1/2” deep. The benefit of this type of installation is that it eliminates the issues with a ramp, is easy to build and requires minimal coordination on the job site. The drawback of this type of floor is that it typically costs more to build and become quite expensive if manual or electric pallet jacks are to be used with heavy loads. Building structural floors will be a topic of a future newsletter.

Insulated Floors
Insulated floors fall into two main categories; insulated slabs and insulated pits. They contain the same items; a vapor barrier on the warm side of the insulating material, insulation and a top slab. The main difference is the sequence of how they are constructed. Here’s the definition: insulated slabs are constructed before the walk-in is built and delivered, the insulated pit is constructed after the walk-in has been shipped and built at the job site.

Insulated Slab
Given that definition, an insulated slab is where the pit is designed and constructed, by the general contractor based on the insulation and floor strength requirements and typically the walk-in manufacturer or KEC is not involved with its construction beyond the design stage.

That said, during design, it’s not a bad idea to have a walk-in manufacturer review the insulated slab design as there are several items that could come into play depending on the geographic location of where the insulated slab will go.

For example, if the project is a public building along the west coast, there will likely be seismic requirements and therefore, engineers will need to run seismic calculations on the walk-ins. A top slab that is only 2 or 3” thick may not provide enough strength to adequately hold the anchors required by the engineer. An additional concern may be the installation of a large 20’ x 40’ freezer where a forklift will be operating, carrying heavy loads. A structural engineer will likely let you know how thick the topping slab should be (which is, thankfully, beyond the scope of those of us building walk-ins) however, a competent walk-in manufacturer will likely inform you that you may want to install vents or heat in the slab in order to keep ice from forming in the center of the walk-in.

In most cases when building an insulated slab, if the KEC is not providing the pit insulation, vapor barrier and thermal breaks, the KEC should confirm the insulated slab dimensions before releasing the walk-in for production. The key here is that if the dimensions are off an inch or two, those dimensional changes are easily accommodated for in the production of the walk-in rather than once the walk-in has been built and delivered.

Insulated Pits
Let’s now explore an installation where the walk-in is built in a pit. What happens in this case is that the recess or pit is built to the dimensions and depth required and then the walk-in is designed and built taking these dimensions into account. This is the type of install where the walk-in walls recess down into the pit and the complete walk-in is built before the vapor barrier and pit insulation and final topping layer of concrete is poured.

The benefit of this type of install is that it’s fairly simple with respect to coordination between the general contractor, walk-in manufacturer and KEC. Most good walk-in installers have experience building these types of walk-ins and all of the products can be shipped from a single supplier (i.e., walk-in panels, doors, pit insulation, etc) which means that the installer receives everything required for the install from a single source and most of the time in a single delivery.

There is a variation to this type of install that should be noted. That is where a prefabricated floor is built and set down into the recess and concrete is poured on top of the floor. This removes the need for pit material and while it typically costs a little more to construct, it eliminates any errors during install with misapplication of the vapor barrier and/or the insulation material. There is something to be said about simplicity.

What are the Pro’s and Con’s
As discussed earlier, there are benefits and limitations with each type of insulated pit. Many of these items were discussed throughout the text but the table below summarizes the main points with each type of installation.

Finally, let’s take a look at whether or not there’s a benefit of putting insulation underneath a walk-in cooler. As we discussed earlier, if a cooler is not on grade, then we do want an insulated pit. But what about when the cooler is on grade, does it make sense to go ahead and insulate the cooler floor similar to what we are doing for the freezer?

Let’s compare two 10’ x 10’ x 8’ coolers that have 4” walls and ceilings (K-factor of .125 and R-value of 32). For the sake of simplicity, we’ll assume that outside ambient temperatures, product loads and infiltration loads are all equal. The first walk-in will be placed on a 6’ concrete slab while the second walk-in will be placed on 4’ of insulation that is then covered with a 4’ topping slab of concrete.

The table below illustrates the difference in R-values between the different products. In our example we will be adding the R-value of the foam stock board and the R-value of the 4h of concrete together in order to run the comparison.

Box 1, the walk-in sitting on the 6” concrete slab, will have an hourly transmission load of 2,090 BTU’s. Box 2, the walk-in with the insulated slab, has an hourly transmission load of 1,150 BTU’s. As we expect, Box 2 has the lower of two hourly loads and we can see that Box 2 requires 940 fewer BTU/h than Box 1. If we assume that the coolers run at 16 hours per day, 365 days per year, then the difference becomes (940 x 16 x 365) 5,489,600 BTU’s per year savings by installing the insulated floor. Let’s convert the BTU’s to kWH ( 1 BTU = 0.00029307107 kilowatt hours) so our insulated floor saves 1609 kWh per year.

So, if we assume the kWh cost for an area is $.10 then our cooler will save the $160 per year. If the lifespan of a walk-in is 10 yrs, the savings in electricity will be $1,600, if the cooler lasts 20 years, the savings in electricity will be $3,200. The ultimate payback will be based on the cost of the material & labor. I don’t have access to all the material costs but for the 4” of pit material (vapor barrier & insulation) plus labor to install it, the cost would be approximately $450. Add to that the cost of the concrete and its installation price and the payback can be calculated.

The bigger question becomes, is it of value to the end user?

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Manito Tap House Builds Eco-Friendly With Imperial Walk-ins

Posted in Green Posted in Projects by mmathews on 12/15 at 08:53 PM

When Manito Tap House needed a walk-in cooler to continue their plan to be an eco-friendly gastropub, Imperial Walk-ins were the preferred walk-in cooler.

The Imperial Walk-in cooler at the Manito Tap House forms the back-bar that serves the entire pub. The back-bar is also the central focus of the pub, with a good 50 taps installed and access to chilled beer bottles and wine.


LED and CFL lighting run throughout the pub, including in the coolers. This performs a double benefit in the coolers because there is no wasted heat from incandescent bulbs fighting the cooling requirements.

Reclaimed barn wood lines the walls. Bathroom counters made from recycled paper. Zero-VOC paints. The wall of the Imperial walk-in cooler that forms the back-bar is coated with a special paint that brings the stainless steel wall into a matching tone with the rest of the pub design.

Other fixtures and furnishings are also recycled. Pub tables made from wheels and other recycled metal parts. Benches from local middle and high schools. The bar counter from recycled benches. A bicycle rack out front makes it easy for the local bicycling community to stop by while their bikes are safely stored.

One area not recycled is the pub food from Chef Cruz, a graduate of Napa Valley Cooking School, who specializes in locally sourced ingredients and meals made from scratch. Of course, there is an Imperial walk-in in the kitchen that keeps all the locally sourced foods fresh and ready for use.


Manito Tap House benefits from using energy-efficient Imperial walk-in cooler designs just as much as their use of recycled materials in construction. The interior LED and CFL lighting avoid pushing wasted heat into the Imperial walk-in coolers, putting less draw on the refrigeration system and resulting in lower monthly energy bills. The construction of the Imperial walk-in cooler forming the back-bar eliminates the need for additional building walls and is designed to precisely match the space and product requirements. The Imperial walk-in cooler in the kitchen uses a space-saving and energy-efficient design for that location and the fresh product the kitchen produces.

Imperial walk-ins are unmatched in their design and space use, resulting in energy and cost-efficiency. Learn more about Imperial walk-in coolers by contacting your Imperial representative.

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What’s Up With R?

Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 09/01 at 08:09 AM

We’ve all heard about it, but what is an R-value and where does it come from in walk-in coolers and freezers?

We all remember from physics classes that the R-value is a measure of thermal resistance (it’s OK if you don’t remember). Think of it as a value that indicates a walk-in’s resistance to heat flow. So if you have a walk-in, let’s call it walk-in A, that is rated at R-32, it’s going to be twice as resistant to heat flow as another walk-in, walk-in B, that is rated at R-16. It’s pretty straightforward, the higher the R-value the more resistance to heat flow. This means that “all things being equal” the thermal resistance of walk-in A is greater than the thermal resistance of walk-in B. 

Why does this matter?
Well, for one, refrigeration needs to be sized to match the heat load of the walk-in. So if both these walk-ins were the same size and had the same number of door openings every hour, you would have a smaller refrigeration system on walk-in A. If you chose your refrigeration system accurately & used a system that was energy efficient, you would see a nice savings on your electric bill when you compared the efficiency of the two walk-ins. We will dive further into this topic, in detail, in future newsletter.

Remember the “all things being equal” remark I made earlier? Here’s the catch with that one. The R-value is calculated from another value called the K-factor. The K-factor is a value that indicates the insulating value of a material and is rated by its thermal conductivity. All foam manufacturers will give you the K-factor of their foam and it’s measured by a one-inch thickness. The smaller the K-factor, the lower the thermal conductivity; which means it will have greater thermal resistance. 

For example: Material A has a K-factor of .25 while Material B has a K-factor of .125. If both are 4 inches thick, then:
    Material A would have an R-Value of (4/.25) = 16, while
    Material B would have an R-Value of (4/.125) = 32

What would you do if you wanted to use Material A but wanted to have a R-value of 32?
Essentially, you would double the thickness of the walls and ceilings, so instead of having 4 inch-thick walls and ceilings, they need to be 8 inches thick. That’s easily accomplished but is it something that you have accounted for in the design? Two questions that come to mind immediately are:

1. Will the larger walls fit in the space?
2. How will having a smaller inside dimension affect the shelving layout?

For foamed in place polyurethane insulation, there are essentially two companies that supply their foam systems to all the major walk-in manufacturers. The two are BASF & DOW Chemical. Theses systems are going to be CFC free and will have very similar K-factors which means that they’ll have very similar R-values. 

So why all the hoop-la over R-values?
We inherently know that the greater the R-value the greater the thermal resistance, so by increasing the R-value, we are helping our customers keep their food at the proper temperature. In addition, the federal government requires walk-ins to have an R-value of 25 for coolers and 32 for freezers (Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 (PDF)). Finally, and we’ll discuss this further in future editions of this newsletter, when you increase the R-value of a walk-in, in many cases you can begin decreasing the size of the refrigeration equipment, which can save both money & electricity. 

So to summarize, if there is a 4-inch panel with a K-factor of .125, it will meet or exceed the Federal requirements for thermal resistance. However, simply specifying an R-value for a walk-in panel may not result in a 4-inch panel. To insure that you are getting exactly what you intend, it’s best to specify the K-factor value and the maximum thickness of the panels themselves. 

Common K-factors for Different Materials
    Cork or Mineral Wood               K- .30
    Glass Fiber or Polystyrene           K- .26
    Urethane (Sprayed)                  K- .16
    Urethane (Foamed in Place)        K- .12

In conclusion, it’s important to be aware that there are other factors that affect thermal resistance and thermal conductivity and it’s likely you’ll hear about these from time to time. These include the temperature of the walk-ins, temperature of the air around the walk-in, the insulation type and some argument over initial R-Value versus an R-Value at a later time (8, 15, 25 years). There is merit to some of these items and if you are interested in more information on these items, please contact me, Rick Jones, directly.

 

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Introduction To The Advisor Newsletter For Consultants

Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 08/31 at 08:03 AM

The Walk-in Advisor
A Quarterly Newsletter on Walk-in Coolers & Freezers, By Imperial Manufacturing for Food Service Consultants

Welcome to the first consultant newsletter on walk-in coolers & freezers by Imperial Manufacturing, an employee-owned company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Imperial Manufacturing has been in the business of walk-ins for just over 40 years and in that time has come to understand the unique position of walk-ins within the food service industry. This newsletter is about these issues & how they relate to the work you do as Food Service Consultants. 

The information that will be included in the newsletter is focused on technical issues.  It’s purpose is to provide information on the key features, differences in the manufacturing processes, and pieces of legislation that affect walk-in coolers and freezers.

Before I go further, let me introduce myself to you: My name is Rick Jones and I am the Technical Services Manager for Imperial Manufacturing. I often get asked, what does that mean and to answer that I’m going to tell you about a friend of mine. My friend’s name is Mike and he works in the IT department for a major hospital chain. Mike has a business background and certainly over the years has learned a lot about IT issues but he didn’t go to school for computer science. He’s a bright guy and one night he explained his role to me as that of being the translator between the IT techies and hospital management. You see, the hospital management doesn’t really want to know the ins and outs about the IT world. The hospital management wants products and services that work to help them run the hospital efficiently. 

Mike is “bilingual” in his chosen field and translates technical jargon to his management and conversely, his management’s needs to the techs. Although we are in different professions, in a many ways we have similar roles. It is my job to communicate my knowledge and expertise in walk-in coolers and freezers, refrigeration, and energy savings in an easily understandable manner. Like my friend Mike, I’m “bilingual”.

Imperial Manufacturing believes that this newsletter will be of help in your understanding of the walk-in industry and realizes that time is our biggest asset. Thus, if you wish to opt out of this newsletter, please feel free to click on the unsubscribe link at the end of the newsletter and we will promptly remove you from the mailing list. If you wish to continue to receive this newsletter, I can promise you that the information presented will be informative and timely. 

Before we begin that discussion you should know that future issues will discuss:
a. walk-in floor design
b. the differences between panel construction techniques
c. door design
d. types of metal that are typically used for the skins of walk-ins
e. designing walk-ins to maximize energy efficiency
f. refrigeration basics & advanced topics
g. structural design considerations and many more

With that, the topic of this newsletter edition focuses on R-Values and how they relate to walk-ins.  OK, let’s get started!

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Imperial Manufacturing Named 2011 Equipment Vendor Of The Year By Little Caesars

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 05/19 at 11:10 PM

Little Caesars honored our walk-in coolers and freezers by naming Imperial Manufacturing as the 2011 Equipment Vendor of the Year during the recent Franchisee Conference.

It’s not often that a major customer awards kudos to a vendor, and we are happy to receive that notice for our Imperial Manufacturing walk-in coolers and freezers from Little Caesars.

We’ve been working with Little Caesars for some time. Philip Stiefel, of Stiefel Associates, and Imperial Manufacturing sales person Kristy Heatley, work hard to make sure Imperial Manufacturing walk-in coolers and freezers are the answer to Little Caesars franchisee needs.

As with all our great customers, we try to meet or exceed every measure with our Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers. From the first part of the purchase decision process, through the design and manufacture, and on to the installation, we work hard to make sure a high-quality walk-in cooler or freezer is ready to serve the customer. This includes the work we do to save energy and lower operations costs with energy-efficient refrigeration systems and LED lighting, and keeping the walk-in cooler or freezer in top shape with hard rail framed panels and high quality doors.

Thank you to Little Caesars for the recognition. We will strive every day to continue deserving that recognition.

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Six Reasons For LED Lighting In Walk-In Coolers And Freezers

Posted in Green by mmathews on 03/17 at 11:57 PM

Back in 2009 we covered the Luxim bulb, an advance in LED lighting that is still in research, and we have used LED lighting for Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers for some time.

Now LED lights have reached the tipping point where cost and efficiency make them much more desirable than other lighting used in walk-in coolers and freezers.

Here are our six reasons to use this sustainable and efficient light source:
1. Specifically designed and manufactured for use in wet and cold environments, -40 degrees F(C)
2. No heat given off to defeat the refrigeration process
3. No mercury as a possible food contaminant, possible with CFL lamps, ROHS compliant
4. 50,000 hour rated life (5.5 years if left on 24/7) - up to five times as long as typical incandescent lamps
5. Daylight color at 5000K for quick identification of product
6. Up to 85% reduction in energy use, a significant savings combined with lower maintenance requirements that pay back in 12-26 months

We specify the Kason 1806 and 1810 LED fixtures and lamps in Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers. Kason fixtures and lamps are built to handle the tough working conditions found in walk-in coolers and freezers, with tough fixtures that protect the LED lamps while providing the maximum amount of light in the walk-in cooler or freezer.

Get more information on Kason 1806 and 1810 LED fixtures and lamps and talk with your Imperial rep.

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Switch To PU From XPS Improves Energy Efficiency

Posted in Green by mmathews on 03/17 at 11:52 PM

Regulatory and market pressures force walk-in cooler and freezer manufacturers to constantly seek ways to improve the energy efficiency of their products.

As reported in the PPI Quarterly Newsletter:

Regulatory and market pressures force walk-in cooler and freezer manufacturers to constantly seek ways to improve the energy efficiency of their products.

U.S. Cooler used to offer only walk-in coolers and freezers constructed primarily of extruded polystyrene (XPS). They bond blocks of XPS between metal skins to form the insulating walls, ceilings and floors of their coolers and freezers.

Now, the company has added a line of walk-in products made with polyurethane as the insulating core. They use an economical OMS ECOPlus 100 high-pressure metering machine, equipped with an ECOMIX Y2K 16/24 L-shaped mix head, to inject rigid polyurethane foam between metal substrates on a discontinuous press.

U.S. Cooler continues to use XPS in the majority of its products because they believe it is a better insulating material for their application, but the new polyurethane process does have advantages.

UPDATE (4/6/2011): By request of PPI, this post is a modification from what was originally posted.

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Commercial Display Systems releases new glass door video

by mmathews on 11/24 at 07:17 PM

The new CDS LED lighting is included in this new video on servicing CDS glass doors.

Imperial works closely with CDS, we use their glass doors on retail installations for reach-in access to our walk-in coolers and freezers. This new video gives service instructions for the commercial display doors.

Main features shown being serviced are:

• top hinge pin
• spring relief
• safety clips
• bottom hinge
• torque rod
• hold-open plate
• quick torque

The video shows how the top hinge pin is assembled with spring relief into the top of the frame. We also see the bottom hinge assembly, composed of torque rod and the door hold-open plate, and how the assembly works for either right or left swing.

Detailed information is shown on how to use the quick-level on the top door hinge. Detail is also shown for the bottom quick-torque and hold open plate assemblies. This includes mounting the door into the frame, leveling the door using the quick-level, and adjusting torque for automatically closing the door. detail is included on installing both safety clips around the top hinge.

Also shown are instructions on removing the door for service and how to access the door and case lighting, to replace or service either fluorescent ballast or LED power supplies.

You can get more information on CDS doors by visiting the CDS website.

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Heatcraft Products In First LEED Certified Green 7-11

by mmathews on 07/16 at 10:46 PM

The recipe for walk-in cooler energy efficiency is identifying and using the proper components.

Typical for most business, using the right tools or components for the job is a key to finishing the job satisfactorily. This LEED-certified 7-Eleven in DeLand, Florida is a great example of choosing the right components for energy-efficient walk-in cooler operation. The Heatcraft Bohn evaporators, Hyper Core condensers, and Beacon electronic refrigerant and operations control system are matched to provide the optimal balance of efficient energy use and cost savings.

One advantage to designing an energy-efficient walk-in cooler or freezer system is that many utilities and local governments have rebate and incentive programs to defray the initial additional cost of the components. But a longer term advantage appears when electrical usage and bills are lower every month. An additional advantage is that the consistent temperature and operation keeps more product from spoiling than older systems, which adds to the monthly payback.

You can read the entire case study (PDF) or give us call to talk about applying this to an upcoming project.

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Imperial Walk-in Coolers Meet San Diego County Needs

Posted in Green Posted in Projects by mmathews on 05/12 at 08:59 AM

Projects can be measured any number of ways. The Imperial walk-in cooler at the San Diego Medical Examiner’s new building uses 21 doors and has seven rooms.

The new facility is 84,000 square feet, more than five times larger than the original 16,000 sq ft facility built in the 1960’s and evidence of the growth of the entire San Diego area. The facility opened at the end of 2009 with a LEED Silver rating, featuring the latest in energy saving design and technology, including Imperial walk-in coolers.

The San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office investigates approximately 11,000 cases each year with roughly 3,000 cases brought in for further examination. By any measure, this is a big job and Imperial walk-in coolers meet the requirements in the new Medical Examiner’s facility, as seen in the facilities tour with Dr. Glenn Wagner.

More detail about the Imperial walk-in coolers used in this facility is available in a new Case Study.

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Chrane Foodservice Solutions Joins Imperial Manufacturing Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

by mmathews on 03/29 at 05:37 PM

Chrane is the new sales representative in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana for Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers.

With offices in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, Chrane Foodservice Solutions will cover the three state area of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, training dealers and helping them meet customer requirements for Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers. Chranefs facilities to help develop customer solutions include a 550 square foot, fully stocked Test Kitchen with gPlug & Playh utilities allowing for equipment rotation, and a classroom with seating for 50 or more and complete audio-visual support.

We welcome Chrane to the Imperial Manufacturing family and look forward to great business.

See the news release for complete information.

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Three Imperial Employees Greet A 20-Year Anniversary

by mmathews on 01/15 at 08:35 PM

Burl Zirkle, Bart Maslowski, and Ken Rhoads each reached the 20-year milestone working for Imperial this year.

Burl Zirkle, Bart Maslowski, and Ken Rhoads (left to right)


Celebrating 20 years with one company is an accomplishment. Burl, Bart, and Ken received recognition for that achievement during the 2009 annual Christmas luncheon at Imperial Manufacturing.

Imperial has come a long ways in the last 20 years. Changes in insulating foam chemicals used in walk-in coolers and freezers, new equipment, plant expansion, the advent of LEED and green technologies, the transformation of Imperial Manufacturing from a family-owned enterprise to a wholly employee-owned ESOP corporation, and many more changes to numerous to mention.

During all these changes over all these years, Burl, Bart, and Ken have helped keep the plant running, the production humming, designs moving, and business growing.

Thank you Burl, Bart, and Ken for a great 20 years!

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Employee Awards During Christmas Luncheon at Imperial

by mmathews on 12/30 at 07:19 PM

The annual Christmas luncheon was fun and a number of employees received performance awards for 2009.

The year 2009 was interesting for Imperial. But even with the economic downturn affecting our customers, everyone at Imperial pulled together and kept business moving.



On December 23rd, we all took a work break and gathered in the loading bay of the plant to enjoy a Christmas luncheon with all the trimmings.



Rick handed out raffle tickets to everyone for the after-luncheon raffle.



The loading bay is the only space in the plant large enough to hold all the Imperial employees at one sitting, especially when there are tables and food involved.



The sound system made it easy to hear the awards and year-end congratulations.



Our CFO, Justin, presented awards for reaching financial goals.





Rick and Dave were joined by Justin in handing out awards for production excellence.



Ken Rhoads was recognized for his contribution to a successful year. Ken took on a second job to streamline operations in our warehouse and shipping.



Every year someone loses the big bet on whether Oregon or Oregon State will win the Civil War football game. The winning team of the game has their team flag flown above the loading bay, but the loser of the bet has to appear in the opposing teams colors during lunch. There’s always next year!



Founder Al Zell spoke for a minute about the changes he has seen since he started the company 40 years ago and now that Imperial reached 100% ESOP status one year ago.



Following the raffle, where some lucky winners received tickets to Portland Blazer games and an assortment of other prizes, everyone lined up to pick up this year’s company gift, a 1/4-zip sweatshirt branded with the Imperial logo.

The luncheon closed out 2009 on a very positive note, a tough year that saw lots of success and growth for Imperial. Now we can look forward to a great 2010.

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Stacey Sewell Joins Imperial Manufacturing in Southern California Walk-in Cooler Sales

by mmathews on 11/06 at 07:33 AM

With more than 15 years experience in the walk-in cooler and refrigeration business, Stacey is known as a consultant for her clients.

Stacey has always been interested in building and construction. Her first involvement in construction was working for a mid-west commercial walk-in cooler manufacturer. She quickly moved into sales and then served for 10 years as a national account manager at the company.

While Stacey is qualified in refrigeration load analysis and other design parameters required for proper walk-in cooler and freezer design, her interest in construction pulled her into a two-year role in Southern California as project engineer coordinating all aspects of construction.

Stacey spent some time at the Imperial headquarters on the plant floor getting a close look at the manufacturing process and the construction of Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers.

We are happy that Stacey brings to us her wealth of walk-in cooler and construction experience in chains, cafeterias, and casual- and fine-dining restaurants, as well as industrial refrigeration. Although she is located in LA, we know she’ll be bringing her snowboard and love of the beach with her on trips to our headquarters plant.

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Walk-in Cooler Requirements For Restaurant Fresh Produce

Posted in Green Posted in Imperial Ideas Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 07/28 at 03:23 PM

Fresh produce has unique refrigeration requirements different from standard restaurant refrigeration. As fresh produce has very high water content it is important that the refrigerated environment maintain high humidity.

A natural by-product of mechanical refrigeration is dehumidification. Improperly refrigerated walk-in coolers can quickly dehydrate fresh produce ruining the “freshness” of the product. Grocers have known this for years and always include specialty high humidity produce coolers in their supermarkets.

Fresh produce is a big discussion topic at the current IFDA sales and marketing conference, but properly storing fresh produce requires some additional preparation. Restaurants featuring fresh produce offerings need to consider dedicated “produce coolers” just as they have dedicated “meat coolers” to insure high quality produce. Ringside Restaurant, Portland, OR is including a walk-in cooler specifically for produce as part of their current expansion plans to make certain their fresh produce offerings are of the highest quality.
For information on produce coolers call your local Imperial rep. More infomration on our walk-in coolers is in our walk-in cooler pages.

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Get A 30% Grant For Solar-Sourced Power

Posted in Green by mmathews on 07/27 at 07:16 PM

We have worked with power utilities and other groups for over a year on incentives and rebates for energy-efficient refrigeration equipment, some incentives cover up to 100% of walk-in cooler and freezer equipment costs. Now the U.S. Treasury says they will cover 30% of the cost on entire solar power projects.

This offer is only good for 2009 and 2010. But if you are considering adding solar power to your next project, this could be a great opportunity. BuildingsAndEnergy.com has a very clear post outlining the details and linking to the specific documents on the U.S. Treasury web site.

We work with local utilities to design highly energy-efficient reffrigeration into your walk-in coolers and freezers. You save money on the monthly bills and you pay nothing or very little additional.

You can get a list of our current rebates and incentives opportunities by calling our reps directly.

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Burgerville Looks Good In Green

Posted in Green by mmathews on 06/25 at 10:40 PM

Burgerville efforts in “Fresh. Local. Sustainable.” were lauded by The Green Bin blog and Imperial walk-in coolers help make it happen.

The Green Blog (TGB) did a nice job covering how Burgerville carefully selects local farmers and suppliers to serve the freshest food as close as possible to the source. TGB also covered the efforts Burgerville makes in recycling everything in the restaurant and the focus on using renewable sources of energy. But they missed the efforts that Burgerville makes to control the hidden wastes in areas like walk-in coolers.

Every year the refrigeration electric bill comes to over $1 billion and 25% of that can be saved just by upgrading to more efficient components. That 25% savings in cost is equaled by the 25% savings in energy use and environmental impact, equivalent to removing 475,000 cars from U.S. roads in the first year.

Imperial is proud to contribute to Burgerville’s tremendous efforts to be environmentally and socially responsible. We will continue to design walk-in coolers and freezers that match those efforts to achieve energy efficiency and operating economy.

More information on how walk-in cooler and freezer designs can contribute to energy and operations savings is available on this web site and in our award winning article Capturing Financial Savings Through Energy Efficiency In Commercial Refrigeration, written for Foodservice Consultants Society International.

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Future high-efficiency lighting for cold storage walk-ins

Posted in Green by mmathews on 06/23 at 10:22 PM

Luxim introduced a high-efficiency bulb design that could rewrite the formula for cold storage lighting in power consumption, wattage, color, and heat output.

About the size of a tiny Christmas string light, Luxim’s bulb transfers most of the energy input to light instead of heat. The bulb itself is filled with argon gas and does not use embedded electrodes, an electric field is driven into the bulb through what is called a “puck”. The electric field vaporizes the argon into a plasma that outputs 6000K daylight-spectrum light at a very high lumen per watt.

Typical lumens per watt ratings are:
Luxim - 140 lumens/watt
LEDs - 70 lumens/watt
CFLs 50-80 lumens/watt
ordinary lightbulbs - 15 lumens/watt

The full daylight color spectrum is an advantage in determining the condition of perishable or frozen food items, which can be difficult to see under some lighting. The entire unit is RoHS compliant, meaning there is no lead or other environmentally harmful substances in the bulb. Argon gas is inert, unlike the substances used in many lighting systems.

With an operating temperature range of -40C to +40C, these bulbs could easily handle the environment of a cold storage warehouse or walk-in cooler or freezer. Even better, there’s no lifetime derating for bulb orientation or short cycle times. The only drawback is the 30-second warm-up and two-minute restrike.

Check the ZDNet video (only 1:30) where Luxim CEO Tony McGettigan explains the properties of the bulb and the technology used.

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Andaz West Hollywood Sees New Walk-in Coolers

by mmathews on 06/18 at 03:14 PM

Glass walk-in coolers from Imperial Manufacturing are seen from every angle in the restaurant at the Andaz West Hollywood hotel.

When the Andaz West Hollywood came calling, we snapped to attention. After all, it isn’t every day we get to make the historic scene of rock stars.

This project has our coolers made mostly of glass and completely viewable from the restaurant seating areas. In fact, some views of the coolers extend to the food prep areas in the back of house. Lee Simon, the designer from Innovative Foodservice Design Team, said the results met the initial challenge as “The end product has allowed the property to differentiate itself in the marketplace, and the walk-ins were a big part of that strategy.”

Read the entire case study.

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John Cornyn Takes FE&S 2009 Top Achiever Award

by mmathews on 05/20 at 09:26 PM

Congratulations to John Cornyn, The Cornyn Fasano Group, FE&S Magazine’s Top Achiever Consultant for 2009.

This week at NRA, John Cornyn received FE&S Magazine’s top award for consultants. The FE&S announcement was presented during the magazine’s annual Dealer of the Year & Industry Awards Gala on May 16 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago.

The Cornyn Fasano Group has been consulting on foodservice management since 1976, working with architects, designers, developers, realtors, hotels, restaurants, health care, legal services, corrections, educational and recreational facilities to design programs that are as individual as their needs. Cornyn and his partner Joyce Coons-Fasano are co-authors of Noncommercial Foodservice: An Administrators Handbook, a well-known reference for new and seasoned foodservice professionals.

Imperial Manufacturing congratulates John Cornyn on receiving the recognition his long career deserves.

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9 of Top 50 U.S. Green Power Purchasers Are Food Businesses

Posted in Green by mmathews on 04/29 at 04:22 PM

The EPA Green Power Partnership quarterly update shows food-related businesses represent almost 20% of the top green power purchasers.

According the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nine of the top 50 green power users in the U.S. are in food-related businesses. These businesses range from food produceers to wholesalers to retailers, spanning the entire food production and distribution chain.

The nine food-related businesses are:
PepsiCo
Whole Foods Market
The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Starbucks
PepsiAmericas, Inc.
The Dannon Company, Inc.
WhiteWave Foods Company
Safeway, Inc.

Many of the remaining top 50 businesses have substantial food-related operations as part of their business. These include branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, many colleges and universities, and a number of vacation resorts.

Businesses on the list and located in the region near Imperial’s manufacturing facility include Oregon State University; California State University System; City of San Diego, CA; Los Angeles Country Sanitation Districts; Cisco Systems, Inc. ; Intel Corporation; and many local offices and retail outlets of other large corporations on the list.

Seeing so many companies involved in the move to more efficient use of energy is heartening. We are doing our part at Imperial, both in our manufacturing facility and in the products our customers use. It’s a good feeling to be a part of this green movement, especially helping our customers save money on energy use and obtain rebates on walk-in cooler and freezer upgrades.

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Imperial Manufacturing battles tough economy

Posted in Recommended Reading by Dave Zell on 04/21 at 10:33 PM

Even in these stressful economic conditions Imperial is keeping cool!

Imperial has been able to weather the storm the last 9 months as the US economy continues to fluster. Imperial has reacted to decreased orders by adjusting our overhead to stay financially healthy. In fact, order entry has steadily increased over the last 4 months to the point were we have even hired back production workers. With the current Oregon state unemployment at 12.1% we are doing what we can to help out. Our sales force and high quality products have made it easy for existing and new customers to purchase from Imperial. 

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Southern California Edison Adds Green With Imperial Walk-in Coolers & Freezers

by Rick on 04/20 at 04:06 PM

Calculations by Southern California Edison proved Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers are the true energy-efficiency leaders of the industry.

The SCE calculations listed below reflect a minus $15.00 investment for this particular Imperial customer. That’s right; they will receive a rebate check that is larger than our system upgrade cost by going with our energy efficient walk-in cooler on the project. 

“From:
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 11:39 AM
To: Paul Nastari
Subject: Re:
Paul,

Based on the Study# 09- - -00-01-00 it shows 5,098 annual kWh savings.
We would remove the lighting savings of 228 kWh and pay the incentive based
on the process load of 4870 kWh saved. The incentive would be .09 cents a
kWh and then $100 per kW reduced. $438.30 + $100 per kW reduced. It looks
like approximately $900 per unit. The lighting and the HVAC would be part
of the store lighting calculation. The store lighting incentive is .05 kWh saved and
the HVAC incentive is .14 kWh saved. We would need a prototype of the store
lighting and mechanical.

XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX Representative
Southern California Edison
XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXX
ph. XXX-XXX-XXXX
fax XXX-XXX-XXXX”

Our energy-efficient systems designs include thicker wall insulation and an extremely efficient Beacon II refrigeration system. Needless to say, our competition is at least a year behind us in developing these types of programs with the utility companies.

In addition to this program with SCE, two weeks ago Imperial was given a comparable program by PG&E in San Francisco. Now we can bring the most energy-efficient coolers and freesers to the most populous areas of California and our customers will receive rebates for those energy-efficient upgrades. W
Additionally, we are the only company that has these programs available for our customers anywhere in the country. Existing programs include the majority of the western United States and a sizable territory throughout the Midwest.

We want our cutomers, consultants and dealers to know that Imperial can reward them for going green. Energy analysis can be provided by contacting .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at 503-517-3672 or me. Please let me know if you have any questions about these or any of our other rebate programs with utilities.

 

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Southern California Edison Test Laboratories use Imperial Doors

Posted in Green by Rick on 03/13 at 11:40 PM

The attached photos show two single horizontal electric sliders and one manual overhead door (with the plastic still adhered to it).

I thought some people at Imperial would find it interesting to know that one of the most recognizable refrigeration testing laboratories in the nation is using three Cascade 2000 sliding doors in their testing chambers.
I was meeting with Southern California Edison and was given a tour through their “RTTC”, as they call it, when I realized that I was looking at our doors!!! Here’s a link to the Southern California Edison website: http://www.sce.com/b-sb/design-services/RTTC/

This photo shows the cramped testing area and some of the equipment used during the tests. Multiple tests take place in the same area with each test using different equipment, so manuvering room is at a premium—somewhat similar to many kitchens we visit!

You can see the thick bundle of cables just below the overhead walk-in cooler door track. These cables move test data from the test area and into the offices where lab managers and technicians can use the data to determine the progerss and outcome of the tests.

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Our First Little Caesar’s Walk-in Cooler Installation

Posted in Green Posted in Projects by Rick on 03/13 at 11:14 PM

Attached are photos of our first Little Caesar’s restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA.

I just want everyone to know that this job looks great. The 28-gauge galvalume walls looked nice and flat, and the stainless door was square in the hole.

Little Caesar’s is making a big step into green operations of all their restaurants. This is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our energy-efficient design capabilities as well as how our designs meet standards for incentives and rebates from local utilities that cover the cost of the energy-efficient upgrades.

I really appreciate everyone who put in the extra effort to get this project out the door and looking good. Thanks again.

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How We Did at NAFEM 2009

Posted in Green Posted in Imperial Ideas by Rick on 02/13 at 07:54 PM

Here is a photo of our display at the NAFEM tradeshow in Orlando, Florida last week.

NAFEM stands for North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers. We are a member of this trade association. NAFEM members consist of companies that manufacture equipment for the Foodservice industry. When we speak of Foodservice, we’re talking about any operation that has a kitchen. The kitchens could be in a small restaurant or huge college central kitchens preparing thousands of meals per day. Foodservice is a vital business segment for us.
The NAFEM trade show features all the latest and greatest equipment that is used in Foodservice. All of our major walk-in cooler and freezer competitors display in this important industry event. The tradeshow is held every other year in Orlando. It was and will continue to be very important for Imperial to display in this show.
This year we featured energy savings and a couple of key Imperial innovations including ThermoSteel backing for our door hinges, and our new Adjustable Hinge. Paul Nastari headed up our sales team accompanied by Kristy Heatley and Rita Foster. Paul reports that most of our Sales Rep agencies brought their key accounts by. We also had good participation from our Foodservice Consultant companies. Paul tells us the major impact we had at the show was our Energy Savings initiatives. The electric utilities were very impressed with the work we’ve done on the Energy Savings front. We remain the only walk-in cooler and freezer manufacturer that has been tested and validated by an independent Energy Star test agency.
In all, Imperial employees can be proud of the showing Imperial made at this year’s industry wide equipment trade show. Our presence and success at the NAFEM show this year is a direct reflection of their hard work and dedication to Imperial.
Be sure to ask Paul, Rita or Kristy about the show if you’d like more information.

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Carl’s Jr. Goes Green With Imperial Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

Posted in Green Posted in Imperial Ideas Posted in Projects by mmathews on 02/12 at 06:40 AM

Imperial supplied the walk-in coolers and freezers to the new, green Carl’s Jr. in Carpenteria, CA.

We are extremely happy to be involved with Carl’s Jr. in developing their “green” concept restaurant. The new restaurant includes Energy Star-rated appliances, solar roofing, electronically controlled energy management, and a charbroiler catalyst that reduces emissions and particulates.

CKE, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s parent company, has implemented such companywide environmental initiatives as electronic waste recycling, the recycling and conversion of fryer oil into bio-fuel, and compact fluorescent lamp, or CFL, lighting replacement at all corporate-owned restaurants. This new step is a continuation of their corporate environmental initiatives.

You can read the complete press release here.

Give Paul Nastari, Imperial National Sales Manager, a call for information on the energy-efficient contributions made by Imperial products.

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Visit Imperial Mfg At NAFEM 2009 Booth 4202

Posted in Green Posted in Imperial Ideas by mmathews on 02/06 at 01:12 AM

February 5-7. Imperial exhibits at NAFEM 2009 Booth 4202, focusing on energy-efficient technologies and the use of utility incentives and rebates for walk-in coolers and freezers.

New products being shown include an adjustable hinge for swing doors, allowing for easier alignment at walk-in cooler and freezer installations with sloping floors and other anomalies; a new sliding door controller that uses better wiring technology and faster, easier programming; and ThermoSteel hinges that control rust-inducing electrolysis while still remaining strong.

Along with the new products, Imperial sales people are ready to discuss how to qualify and use utility company incentives and rebates to offset costs for newer energy-efficient walk-in coolers and freezers. Imperial uses Energy Star lab results that speed qualification and Imperial works with utility companies across the U.S. Many of the incentives and rebates cover 100% of the upgrades, which means the captured energy savings on walk-in coolers and freezers drops directly to the monthly bottom line.

Talk with Paul Nastari, National sales Manager, in the booth at NAFEM 2009

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Imperial Walk-in Cooler & Freezer Demonstration Model

by mmathews on 01/27 at 06:55 AM

Now we have a new walk-in cooler & freezer demonstration model for use at events.

We built the model to demonstrate the finer points of walk-in coolers and freezers, especially doors. The model is specifically designed to demonstrate the latest technical updates and how those updates meet the Energy Independence Act of 2007 requirements. Event audiences seeing this model learn about innovations that save energy and lower operating costs while meeting the Energy Act walk-in cooler and freezer requirements that went into effect on January 1. Information on how we meet the new energy act requirements is available here online, including information on doors, insulation values, energy saving strategies, and more.

We enjoy working closely with our business partners and look forward to helping them advance their ability to service their customers. If you want to know more about how we can work with you, call or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) at 503-665-5539 (800-238-4093).

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Answers on Walk-in Coolers & Freezers Meeting EISA Requirements

Posted in Green Posted in Imperial Ideas Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 01/22 at 02:01 PM

We just released two new short documents outlining how Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers, and R-Plus doors meet the new EISA requirements.

We’ve received many questions and noticed some concern from customers on how to meet the EISA requirements. Over the last year, we’ve covered the changes on our Door Buzz newsletter, both these sources have links to articles and information answering questions in detail.

Now we have quick overviews delivering just the most important information on how our doors and walk-ins meet the requirements. Each document provides a full point by point overview for R-Plus doors (PDF) and Imperial walk-in coolers and freezers (PDF).

These documents answer the most common interests. For more detailed answers to your customers’ specific needs, contact our our sales people and reps, they are fully familiar with these solutions.

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Imperial announces change to 245fa blowing agent.

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by Rick on 01/15 at 01:20 AM

Imperial Manufacturing changed to 245fa blowing agent used in polyurethane foam production, meeting EISA requirements.

On June 1, 2008, Imperial joined leading walk in cooler / freezer manufacturers in providing the highest R value panels available. Imperial 4” panels exceed federal 2009 freezer standards and Imperial’s unique 3-1/2” panel exceed federal 2009 cooler standards! These standards went into effect January 1, 2009 as required by the US Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA).

We cover all this information and more in our “Countdown To Implementation: Energy Independence Act 2007” web site.

While Imperial exceeds EISA standards with minimal thicknesses of panel, we strongly believe in maximum energy savings.  That means going far beyond federal minimums. California Energy Commission (and Oregon Building Code in 2009) already requires R values considerably higher than federal standards. Cooler panels need to be 4” thick and freezer panels need to be 5” thick to meet these standards. We have met these stringent standards since inception and, in fact, are the first Walk-in manufacturer to be tested and validated by an Energy Star testing agency.  Imperial is receiving energy incentive rebates for its industry-leading Walk-in Cooler and Freezer systems.
Bookmark this site for regular updates.

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Walk-in Cooler And Freezer Windows Offer A Clear View On Product And Operations

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 11/18 at 06:41 PM

Windows are an essential option in many walk-in cooler and freezer applications, but they can also become a source of environmental maintenance problems. While the benefit of being able to view operations or product, or safely operating the door in a crowded situation, is obvious, windows can leak cold, be a source of energy loss, and cost a bundle of money in energy costs.

R-Plus Doors offer windows starting at 14” x 14”, and can be manufactured in many custom sizes depending on the application requirements. The window glass is a 1” triple pane tempered insulated unit. The durable aluminum frame has a thermal barrier built into it to diminish cold transfer. This attention to design and detail in windows matches our work on our doors.

A clear view is required to maintain the safety benefit of a window, which is why we offer windows which are not heated, or windows with just heated frames, or both the frame and glass heated. These heating options meet the need for walk-in cooler and freezer requirements as well as environmental chambers used for pharmaceutical and other industries.

These windows match the thickness of the doors and walls, ranging from 3 1/2” to 5 1/2” thick, and are adjustable to meet nominal variations in thickness, so you get a perfect fit every time, a fit that seals out heat and keeps food and other product at the optimal temperature. The standard windows are rated to -20 degrees F, but lower temps are available to meet the needs of specialized applications.

Custom sizes, both smaller and larger, are available on request. The larger sizes need to be carefully reviewed in order to ensure the integrity of the door.

Each window frame can be finished to match your door or wall finish, even paint color matching is available. Specialized options meet different industry design requirements:

• environmental chamber designs using Air Flow wall designs so air can pass between the glass panes
• clean room designs that with flush framing to avoid ledges that collect dust
• security designs with locking security panels, wire screens and see-through polycarbonate panes, and light-blocking window covers, providing an additional measure of product safety and security

The right window completes a walk-in cooler or freezer design for each specific application, providing safety and security benefits that protect product quality and help contain product loss.

Call or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (1-800-238-4093) for more information on making windows work for you.

 

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It’s Official! Paul Nastari Wins A Writing Award With FCSI

Posted in Recommended Reading by Rick on 10/24 at 10:02 PM

Yep, we just got confirmation, Paul’s article R You Insulated Against The Next Phase (Out)? has won The Consultant article of the year award

The Consultant is a quarterly magazine for the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI). This high-quality, glossy magazine covers the foodservice industry from the facilities design consultant perspective. The magazine has a variety of articles ranging from kitchen layout design to dining area wallcoverings. Consultants reading the magazine design foodservice facilities for hospitals, schools and high-end restaurants, and everywhere in between.

The announcement was made in Beijing, where the FCSI is holding their worldwide conference. Joyce Faisano, a principal in The Cornyn Fasano Group and the publisher of The Consultant, sent word today telling Paul and me about receiving the award. There will be a formal announcement in the upcoming edition of The Consultant.

Congratulations Paul, thank you for making the extra effort, it certainly paid off.

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Moving Out The Old Walk-in Cooler and Freezer Panel Press

Posted in Imperial Ideas by mmathews on 09/11 at 11:13 PM

Friday we moved our new panel press into place, replacing our oldest press. See photos of the big move.

There comes a time when old equipment just can’t keep up with new production demands. This time we made a big move.

Friday we shut down our panel press area, all three presses, and let a backlog of frames build up while we moved our old vertical panel press out of the area. Then we cleaned the area and moved our new panel press into place. The old panel press handled our largest panels, but it was slower to set up and operate than our horizontal presses.

The new horizontal panel press holds more panels on each platen than the old press, more than either of our other two horizontal presses, and the new press has more platens than the old press. Better yet, it takes up less floor space than the old vertical press so the panel press crew has more room to move and the work flow is smoother.

Here’s pictures of the move:

Our old press


Positioning a dolly under the new press.


A second dolly positioned under the new press.


Pulling the new press out of the way where the old press will be stored.


Leaving just enough room between the wall and the new press for the old press to move.




Moving the old press out of it’s spot and down the wall, and starting on cleanup for placing the new press.





Finishing and inspecting the cleanup before placing the new press.




Moving the new panel press into place.

We spent the weekend making final adjustments on the new panel press and preparing it for joining the work flow on Monday morning. More pictures and stories to come.

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Vertical Doors Offer A Tall Range Of Flexible Configuration

Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 09/10 at 05:22 PM

Vertical doors, with their wide range of styles, sizes, and options, meet the needs of many cold storage applications through the flexibility of their design.

Confined door openings are managed with ease since they require only minimal amounts of wall space to either side. Variations of door width allow for multiple door openings or special-use doors on the same wall.

Three different vertical door styles provide a design to fit the need. Full-lift doors move as a single rigid door, providing a highly secure and impervious shield between internal and exterior conditions. Sectional doors come in two styles, the standard height matching the door opening and a high-lift version that maximizes the clearance space inside the door opening by traveling as high as possible before turning back, a good fit between the clearance of a full-lift door and a standard sectional.

Vertical door placement and style is not the end of flexibility for vertical doors. Size presents another vector of flexibility. Standard door sizes run up to 12 feet by 12 feet, but larger sizes are engineered through the use of multiple panels and cam-locks that form larger door units. These larger than standard door units have the same rigidity, strength and temperature rating of any single panel.

Flexibility continues with a wide range of options.

Vertical doors can operate manually, mainly for smaller doors or doors that are seldom used, or powered lift at 18 inches per second. Powered lifts may be actuated by pull cords, radio control, motion detectors or loop detectors, determined by the facility needs. In freezer applications, the interior control panel is heated. All R-Plus powered doors include an air-activated instant reversing edge along the entire bottom length of the door panel. Track and operator are assembled and tested at the factory prior to shipping.

R-Plus sectional doors have easily replaced grease-resistant neoprene bulb-type seals and foam gaskets are placed between door sections. On freezer installations, all four sides of each panel are pre-wired with UL-approved heat cable, also completely replaceable, ensuring smooth operation that avoids freezing problems.

Windows are available in both heated and non-heated versions to match the application. The triple-pane windows are standard in 14-inch by 14-inch size, but other sizes are available by specification. Windows can be placed for safety considerations or for natural light collection.

Personnel doors are available with R-Plus full-lift doors. These doors allow quick passage for individuals, and even for small pallet jacks and other small wheeled tools. Using a small entrance for personnel access makes it easier to maintain the integrity of the interior environment, lowering energy usage and costs.

Door cladding is available in different gauges in baked-on enamel steel in a variety of colors; aluminum; and stainless steel for greater durability.

Configuration flexibility is the signature of R-Plus vertical lift doors. There are styles, sizes and options to match any need, ask Nick Stahl (1-800-238-4093) for his recommendations.

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Solar Powered Refrigeration The Next Big Thing?

Posted in Green by Rick on 08/21 at 01:27 AM

Solar-Powered A/C is now real, McDonald’s is using it. The next step is raising the efficiency so this becomes a real power for walk-in coolers and freezers.

In a series of announcements, GreenCore Air, Inc., has moved solar-powered air conditioning into reality. A McDonald’s franchise in Dallas, TX, “will be supplementing its traditional air conditioning system with the GreenCore solar DC air conditioners in order to reduce energy usage and related monthly operating costs. (CNNmoney.com)”

This is a great step forward in lowering energy costs in foodservice. The next great step will be when the technology is efficient enough to handle the requirements for walk-in coolers and freezers. Definitely, that is a big step up in power requirement, but the change could be on the horizon.

The US Navy is even getting into the act, purchasing and installing units in a remote installation of the Naval Research Laboratories. The Navy requirement is to operate grid-free and uninterrupted 24/7 for all 365 days of the year, a tall order.

Technology like this will eventually help isolate the foodservice business from extreme rises in energy pricing, helping control costs and keeping prices in line with customer expectations.

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A Place For Sustainable Culture In Foodservice

Posted in Green Posted in Imperial Ideas by Rick on 08/21 at 12:56 AM

Lenny Teller, a specialist with E. Friedman & Associates, discusses ideas for lowering energy use costs in the kitchen, but he does not address refrigeration issues, so we have a couple of additional suggestions.

Lenny’s article in Foodservice Equipment & Supplies online addresses a number of great ways to control energy costs.

While his ideas are great, we want to add inspecting and possibly replacing the walk-in cooler and freezer doors, they could be silently stealing any planned energy savings, and considering upgrades to system conponenets that can pay back in months. Also, if a project is in the design stage, we can consult on energy saving design and equipment specification decisions, and we can help find incentives and rebates offered by government bodies and utilities—some upgrades can be entirely paid for with rebates and incentives, depending on the installation location. Our suggestions also meet the January 1, 2009 requirements of the Energy Independence Act of 2007.

You can read more about our design ideas on the rest of our web site, or give us a call at 1-800-238-4093.

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ThermoSteel Door Hardware Isolates Heat Transfer On Walk-in Coolers And Freezers

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 08/16 at 12:40 AM

Everyone knows about the need for tight seals on walk-in cooler and freezer doors, now days strip doors are a regularly added measure to keep out heat, but even door hardware can be a point of entry for heat stealing the efficiency.

Using ThermoSteel door hardware backing reduces another point of thermal loss, and electrolytic corrosion, by thermally separating the steel hardware from the finished skin of the door. ThermoSteel combines the strength of steel with better thermal efficiency than wood, a winning combination.

The traditional manufacturing method for fabricating steel door backing for refrigeration hardware is mounting steel backing behind the exterior finished metal skin on the door frame. The door hardware is then attached directly to the exposed side of the exterior finished metal skin and the interior steel
door backing.

Two Long-Term Drawbacks With Uninsulated Steel Hardware
While steel door-backing is the strongest and most durable method to mount refrigeration door hardware, there are two long-term drawbacks. One drawback to traditional steel door backing systems is the steel backing promotes premature corrosion through electrolysis when used with certain exterior finished metal skins, such as aluminum, a very common skin material.

The second drawback is “telegraphing”, the thermal conduction created between two metals contacting one another in cold storage/ambient air conditions. The conduction between these two metals causes them to sweat, eventually staining and then rusting the finish metal on the door and frame.

The ThermoSteel door hardware backing system incorporates the use of 3/4-inch thick Thermo-Lite® insulated boardstock sandwiched between the cold storage door hardware and 10-gauge galvanized backing plates. The remainder of the cavity inside the door and frame sections is foamed in place with urethane foam. The Thermo-Lite board acts as an isolator between ferrous and non-ferrous metals, eliminating any chance for electrolysis to occur.

The insulating value of the Thermo-Lite inhibits conduction from cold transfer between the backing plates and the finished wall metals. This eliminates any rust or corrosion from forming on the exterior finished wall metals. The Thermo-Lite composite material is present throughout the entire door frame section and provides superior strength without the use of conductive materials attached directly to the door hardware.

Call or email Nick Stahl  (1-800-238-4093) for more information on how ThermoSteel works for you.

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COUNTDOWN TO ENERGY INDEPENDENCE Walk-in Cooler and Freezer Fan Motor Changes

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 08/15 at 11:48 PM

A change in evaporator and condenser fan motors is also specified by the Energy Independence Act, but you may already have some of these changes in your basic specifications. On page 74, the act specifies:

(E) for evaporator fan motors of under 1 horsepower and less than 460 volts, use:
  (i) electronically commutated motors (brushless direct current motors); or
  (ii) 3-phase motors;
(F) for condenser fan motors of under 1 horsepower, use:
(i) electronically commutated motors;
(ii) permanent split capacitor-type motors; or
(iii) 3-phase motors;

Reducing The Heat Load And Microcontrollers Further Raise Efficiency
Moving directly to EC motors will actually raise energy efficiency more than any other solution and compound the cost savings because they emit less heat than either typical Shaded Pole or Permanent Split-Capacitor (PSC) motors. Reducing the heat load inside of the walk-in effectively reduces the compressor’s run time. Fewer refrigeration cycles not only saves energy it extends the life of the compressor as well.

Current EC motors operate at approximately 85% efficiency. This makes EC motors 50-60% more efficient than the older Shaded Pole motors and 30% or more over PSC motors. These efficiencies quickly add up to real cost savings when applied to the 50-85 watt motors capable of turning the 10-18-inch fans producing the higher airflows required to effectively cool walk-in coolers and freezers. EC motors are also available with microcontrollers for precisely matching environmental requirements which constantly vary.

Adjusting Designs Is Easy, Simply Exchange The Part Number
Designing refrigeration systems with EC motors is relatively easy: a change in nomenclature simply replaces the current choice of Shaded Pole or PSC motors. No changes in design are required past specifying the motor, especially since the electrical requirements will be lower with EC motors. EC motors are designed to be compatible with existing evaporator cabinets without any change in physical dimensions. Rebates are available for retro-fitting EC motors in California.

For more information on securing walk-in coolers and freezers, call or email Nick Stahl (1-800-238-4093).

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University of California, Berkeley - DOE Library

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 08/06 at 05:03 AM

The DOE Library at the University of California, Berkeley, underwent extensive renovation and seismic retrofitting in the Fall of 2007. Brad Bidwell of Cold Room Solutions was asked to build a cooler/freezer combo in the basement of the building for storing valuable books and manuscripts.

“The history of the entire civilized world is stored in the box at UC Berkeley!” says Brad jokingly.

There were concrete columns and beams supporting the building that needed to be worked around. “The ceiling was a waffle pattern and to maximize the height, we had to notch around the waffle. Same thing for the vertical building columns,” Brad says.

To maximize the cold storage room, Imperial panels were used for the entire freezer, but only for the walls of the cooler. The ceiling with beam notches and the column wraps were built with liner panels. Imperial used the same metal finish as the liner panels so everything matched.

Attached are some drawings showing the difficulty of the construction; one drawing covers a cutaway of the construction on the waffle ceiling, the other drawing is an overhead of the entire room layout with detail on the support column surrounds. Everyone involved is pleased with the finished product.

DOE library cutaway pdf
DOE library layout pdf

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Product Security Helps Foodservice Businesses Handle Cost Control

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 06/16 at 09:18 PM

Cost control is an essential part of the foodservice business and refrigerated or frozen product is a high-cost area for loss. A door carelessly opened or left unlocked in an area away from employee scrutiny can leak profits.

Lock hasps are a simple method for securing walk-in cooler and freezer contents. While the main advantage is avoiding product loss, the secondary advantage of access control ensures that product is not exposed to undue harm from exposure to heat or other damaging conditions by unauthorized entrances.

Using a cylinder lock in the latch is a substitute for using a hasp. Cylinder locks require more care with key security because the lock cannot be changed immediately. Lost or misplaced keys can require expensive replacement of the cylinder on an irregular basis.

Physical Mounting
Hasps are secured to the door frame using tamper-proof fasteners and are thermally separated from the inside temperature. The staples are mounted on the door using a through-bolt inside release. This configuration placing a staple on the door and the hasp on the frame is the most secure against forced entry because it places the most force against the heavier built frame instead of the lighter door panel.

Hasps can be defeated, even with tamper proof bolts; a locking bar is an even more secure method for protecting product in walk-in coolers and freezers.

The locking bar uses two staples, one mounted on either side of the door through the frame. The staples are mounted to the door frame using a threaded rod and a twist-off inside release on the interior. Once the bar is in place, there is no access to the mounting hardware because the hardware is covered by the bar. The main drawback to a locking bar is that two locks are required, one for each side of the door, both locks must be removed to open the door. Using two locks adds some minor complexity to maintaining keys for the locks, but locks can be quickly replaced and keys can be synched.

Keys Versus Combinations
Keyed locks are preferred because keys control access physically, a person must have a key in order to access the secure area. Combination locks are not recommended because control of the secure factor, the combination, is easily passed along from one person to the next and replicated each time it is passed along; controlling physical keys is much more secure.

More About Tamperproof Fasteners
Tamperproof fasteners provide an extra level of security by making it very difficult for unauthorized persons to remove hinges and latches. Without the proper tools and access, tamperproof fasteners are extremely difficult to remove, foiling quick attempts to pilfer product by removing hardware. Many styles and designs of tamperproof fasteners are available to handle specific situations, matching various security requirements and tool designs.

For more information on securing walk-in coolers and freezers, call or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (1-800-238-4093).

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Energy Act Requires Automatic Door Closers

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 06/14 at 12:22 AM

Automatic door closers are the first item mentioned in the 310-page act going into effect on January 1, 2009. Specifically, for any door closed to within one inch of full closure.

This requirement covers all doors up to 3 feet 9 inches wide and up to 7 feet tall, anything beyond these dimensions is exempt. Most doors beyond the sizes mentioned either already have some door-closing action incorporated or are subject to other special requirements.

R-Plus Doors use a self-closing door package that has a magnetic gasket to ensure a proper seal. Spring hinges swing the door to the closed position and the door closer uses a spring to pull the door completely closed and ensure the door is latched shut. The latch has a more sensitive action that works in combination with the door closer.

Other styles of door closers are available for larger applications. Hydraulic door closers are also available.

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Gear Up For The 2nd Annual Commuter Challenge

Posted in Green by Rick on 05/30 at 06:18 PM

A bunch of us had fun with this last year, so let’s try to beat our record: the Commuter Challenge is back on from June 1 through August 31.

You know I enjoy this. Anytime I can cut the cost of commuting and get a chance to ride my bike to work. OK, some days I cheat and use the MAX line to get over, or under, the hills, but at least I give it a try. Here’s our press release on our involvement this year

A whole bunch of us won awards from the WTA last year and we had some fun getting the awards. So who’s up for the Commuter Challenge this year?

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FE&S Remarks on New National Walk-in Cooler and Freezer Requirements

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by Rick on 05/19 at 09:04 PM

Foodservice Equipment and Supplies Magazine released an article on May 13, 2008, covering the new national requirements for walk-in coolers and freezers to be implemented on January 1, 2009. This gives everyone about seven months to gear up for this change, but we’ve been working with the technologies specified in this requirement for years.

Dan Greenberg, Associate Director, E Source, writes about the new rulings required nationally and how only five states are currently working with similar requirements: California, Connecticut, Maryland, Oregon or Rhode Island. The bill was signed into law by President Bush in December 2007 and goes into effect on January 1, 2009.

According to Greenberg, ....” an analysis conducted for Pacific Gas & Electric in advance of California’s adoption of these standards, these features will add, on average, slightly less than $1,000 to the cost of a walk-in. The good news is that they’ll cut energy consumption by as much as 55 percent, yielding a simple payback to the user of 1.5 years for freezers and 3.4 years for refrigerators, on average.”

Our own Paul Nastari recently published two articles in FCSI’s The Consultant covering energy-efficiency and the technologies used in walk-in coolers and freezers. You can read both these articles to get a very good understanding of the technology and background behind conforming to these new regulations.

FCSI Quarter 4 2007 - R You Insulated Against the Next Phase (Out)? (PDF)

FCSI Quarter 1 2008 - Capturing Financial Savings through Energy Efficiency in Commercial Refrigeration (PDF)

Comment here or give Paul a call if you want to discuss how to handle these regulations.

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Energy-Efficiency and Alternative Energy Ranked Highest by 37% of Americans

Posted in Green by mmathews on 05/01 at 03:38 AM

Energy is on American minds everywhere these days. A recent survey of the FECDA in Virgina found that 37% of respondents ranked spending on energy-efficiency and alternative-fuel technology a top priority for future investment, and a second survey in Britain reveals similar priorities. This issue hits home with foodservice businesses.

We are working pretty hard with our customers in foodservice and other industries to help lower energy use and the accompanying costs through better, and sometimes “green”, technologies. Many subsidies are available from federal, state and local governments and utility companies, that will pay for a large portion or possibly the entire cost of the upgrade. So these energy-efficiency efforts just make good business sense, and now they make customer-interest sense, too.

The interest in saving energy and reducing costs is only going to rise for the foreseeable future, so this is a great time to stay in step with the public and show that our businesses can be publicly responsible and still be profitable. In fact, many of these energy-efficient solutions return higher cash flow and greater profitability within months. Given a choice, this survey indicates customers will find an energy-efficient solution more attractive, whether that is a fuel-efficient delivery vehicle or a energy-efficient walk-in cooler or freezer.

You can read the entire FECDA report on their web site. Additional energy and cost-savings technical information is available from this web site, including information on the hidden costs of using pre-charged line sets, and the efficiencies of using split systems versus self-contained systems. More information on how Imperial Manufacturing approaches energy-efficiency is available from your Imperial representative.

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State Policies On Energy Savings—Look For Effects On Walk-in Coolers & Freezers

Posted in Green by Rick on 04/17 at 04:17 AM

Here is another very good web site to see what the latest legislative picture on energy efficiency is for your state.  Alliance to Save Energy.

This contact information came from the State Energy Efficiency Policy Bulletin, your connection to legislative, regulatory, and industry news from accross the country.

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Kickplates: Essential Protection for Walk-in Cooler and Freezer Doors

Posted in Recommended Reading by mmathews on 04/16 at 08:53 PM

Walk-in cooler and freezer doors withstand a number of assaults over time. One of the more immediately devastating assaults is damage from mechanical transports like forklifts, pallet jacks and even hand truck blades. A simple kickplate will not stop a forklift from piercing the door, but the kickplate can stop modest damage and maintain the environmental integrity of the interior of the unit or space.

Even simple push carts or hand trucks can degrade a door over time. The act of opening a door with the hand truck blade or the ends of a cart cause wear and eventually break down the door surface unless it is protected. Mounting a kickplate can avoid damage requiring the door to be replaced before it’s standard lifetime.

Kickplates are mounted on each side of an R-Plus door using screws and sealed with color-matching silicone. This mounting process maintains the integrity of the door finish underneath the kickplate, further enhancing the longevity of the door. The kickplates prevent unsightly damage and maintain the integrity of the interior environment by protecting against puncture, but they can also be quickly replaced in less time and at less cost than replacing a full door.

Available finishes are standard in 1/8-inch aluminum, 18-gauge stainless steel, and 16-gauge galvanized steel. But special orders are available through consultation with your R-Plus Doors factory representative. Stainless steel is the best surface for corrosive environments, especially those exposed to salt-laden sea air, and in manufacturing facilities that are constantly in wash-down cycles. Aluminum is the next best choice for these corrosive environments; galvanized steel will eventually develop rust, especially in where exposed to external environments.

Although kickplates do add weight to a door, this is rarely an issue. In some installations, on extremely large doors, the additional weight can require the use of a heavier-duty hinge or an additional hinge. R-Plus sliding door hangers are already designed to manage heavier weight than the standard doors and easily manage the addition of kickplates.

Obviously, using a kickplate has many advantages. Kickplates extend the service life of the door, protect the door from common bumps and scrapes during typical use, and are quickly replaced when necessary while maintaining the integrity of the environment they enclose. For more information on kickplate options or R-Plus Doors, contact your local R-Plus Doors representative.

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Smith & Greene Installs Imperial Walk-in Cooler at Tutta Bella in Seattle

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 04/14 at 06:43 PM

Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria and Wine Bar, Seattle, WA
This small, local pizzeria has grown to 3 stores in Seattle with another reported to open in Woodinville in 2009. Because they make their dough fresh, the walk-in cooler needs capacity and air movement.

Due to the unique site in Westlake the cooler has to take on some interesting challenges with beams, columns and a mezzanine, not to mention the entrance is at an angle with a ramp. Despite all that was going on with this plan, Smith & Greene and Imperial answered the call. A great place, with an elegant pizzeria atmosphere this site has excellent neighborhood views into the heart of Seattle. Check out their web site for more about this fantastic pizzeria and their coveted Verace Pizza Napoletana “VPN” certification.

Whether planning new construction or remodeling an existing space, a proper analysis and specification can win big bottom line rewards on an annual energy usage basis and on the overall construction investment. Contact our nearest rep to see what savings might be available in your project.

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Curtis Restaurant Equip Installs Imperial Walk-in Cooler at Albany, OR, Sizzler

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 04/14 at 06:01 PM

Sizzler Steak House, Albany, Oregon
Curtis Restaurant Equipment and Imperial Manufacturing supplied Sizzler with an outdoor walk-in cooler/freezer combination that substantially increased Sizzler’s growing demand for cold storage without consuming any more of their valuable kitchen space.

On this project the City of Albany required structural calculation of the walk-in, requiring that the walk-in would stand up to the worst imaginable weather conditions as well as a catastrophic event, if one were to arise. Working with Miller Consulting Engineers, Imperial provided a walk-in that both meets the Sizzler’s growing needs but also is extremely safe from a structural standpoint.

In many cases Imperial’s walk-ins do not require any changes to the normal construction approach. In this particular case, Miller Consulting Engineers recommended a moment frame to ensure stability of the walk-in under the most extreme conditions. Imperial Manufacturing constructed and incorporated a steel moment frame at a very minimal cost, giving Sizzler’s of Albany a very useful and safe cold storage walk-in.

Whether planning new construction or remodeling an existing space, a proper analysis and specification can win big bottom line rewards on an annual energy usage basis and on the overall construction investment. Contact our nearest rep to see what savings might be available in your project.

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Refrigeration 101 Class for Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

Posted in Imperial Ideas Posted in Recommended Reading by Rick on 04/10 at 05:24 AM

We just finished up our annual Refrigeration 101 class.  This internal 8 week college level course covers all aspects of basic refrigeration as it applies to walk in coolers and freezers. 

All sales, service and design staff at Imperial are required to pass this course to insure the staff can provide expert application assistance to our customers.  Graduates of this year’s course are Bruce Garrett, Design; Freddy Rodriguez, Design; Jeff Thomas, Service; JP Karleskint, Sales; Nick Stahl, Sales; Rex Plombon, Accounting; Rick Jones, Sales; and Rob Loucks, Sales.

We also developed a modified version of this course - Introduction to Refrigeration - to be made available to our customers.  The course consists of two 2.5 hour sessions (can be done in one day - morning & afternoon or two separate days). The sessions provide attendees with an excellent foundation in basic refrigeration as it applies to walk-in coolers and freezers, as well as refrigerated cabinets. 

We’d be happy to schedule this course at your location either face to face or via webinar.  Leave me a comment here for more information on this very informative course.

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US States Moving Forward on Energy Efficiency Legislation

Posted in Green by Rick on 04/08 at 09:46 PM

I was surprised to see that nearly half of the States in the Union have legislative items in the works relating to energy efficiency.  This website gives us, in condensed format, a summary of the ongoing state projects.  Note that most of the projects deal with updating current building code from and energy savings perspective.  While each State listed may not be working on projects dealing with commercial refrigeration, you can be sure that discussions are in works at some level.

An excellent website that gives a State by State summary of utility incentives is www.dsireusa.com . 
Energy savings strategies are essential in business planning at all levels.  Commercial Refrigeration, especially in the Foodservice category has tremendous upside potential in energy savings approaches.  Microprocessor based control systems on refrigeration equipment from Heatcraft  and high performance polyurethane foam insulation systems from BASF  are among the highest energy savings protocols in this category.

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Demand Defrost Benefits Disrupted By Well-Meaning Humans

by mmathews on 03/12 at 10:30 PM

Seems that interest in demand defrost is rising. FE&S magazine published an article by E Source analyst John Sustar, that suggests our practice of designing new refrigeration systems with demand defrost is good practice. Unfortunately, he also suggests that industry practice sometimes inadvertently the advantage of demand defrost.

Heatcraft, an Imperial strategic alliance, produces two versions of demand defrost, one for new installations (Beacon II) and one for retrofit or replacement installation (Smart Defrost Kit). We use the Beacon II product as often as possible because, as the FE&S article suggests, it pays back the initial cost in a couple of years and lowers costs in following years.

E Source, an energy industry research and advisory group with a 20-year history in addressing energy efficiency issues, looked into the energy usage and financial aspects of demand defrost and discovered that the benefits paid back quickly, indeed, but human intervention sometimes disrupted the effort. It seems that some refrigeration techs disable the demand defrost system if they make a service call to a malfunction report, this action defeats the design and eliminates any future savings.

Service techs should be aware of the proper process for handling service calls on demand defrost units.

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Congratulations to Bargreen-Ellingson, FE&S 2008 Dealer Of The Year

by mmathews on 02/21 at 05:45 PM

It’s not often we get to congratulate an industry member or colleague, so we’ll take this chance to give a hearty congratulations to Bargreen-Ellngson and thank them for being great members of the industry.

We have the opportunity to work with Bargreen-Ellingson on many projects, so this is especially good news to see a company rewarded for good work.

Some of the projects we work together on are reviewed on our web site as Case Studies, Success Stories and Testimonials. We occasionally mention Bargreen-Ellingson in our Blog .

They will will receive the award during FE&Sf annual Dealer of the Year & Industry Awards Gala, May 17 at Chicago’s Four Seasons Hotel. We won’t repeat the entire announcement, you can read it at the FE&S web site.

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Energy Savings Government Incentives and Rebates for Walk-in Coolers and Freezers

Posted in Green by Rick on 01/22 at 12:10 AM

In looking at potential energy savings rebates for Walk-in Coolers and Freezers it is apparent that there are multiple State, County, City and Utility programs available in the Pacific Northwest.

I went to a website summarizing Incentive and Rebate program - Dsire.com - and was surprised to see a diverse array of programs ranging from low interest loans, utility rebates, and a variety of regional programs. Of interest, each of these programs required applications ranging from quite simple to very involved. To incorporate the programs into a client presentation, one has to ask, at what level in distribution is the research on these programs handled in order to make effective client presentations. It’s confusing. Oregon utilities seems to have the best approach via the Energy Trust of Oregon. This organization consolidates all utility programs and provides a central clearing house to process applications.

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Maverik Country Stores Needed A Unique Walk-in Cooler Solution

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 01/17 at 01:53 AM

Maverik Country Stores, Moab, UT
Adding walk-in cooler capacity to an existing store sometimes calls for thinking outside the walls, something Kelly Irons, construction manager for Maverik Country Stores, was willing to consider when they needed a new
beer cooler installed in three weeks in their Moab store for the Moab Jeep Safari 2007*.

Imperial sales person John Sandall reviewed the remodel and discovered that there was not room inside the store for a cooler of the required size. So architect Jason Sandburg of Dixon & Associates specified that the cooler break through the store wall and be built partly-inside and partly-outside the store, a unique solution to handle the expanded size. Also, the store height kept the cooler from being built with an internal steel structure, so a support beam was installed to support the building structure at the wall opening and to support the cooler ceiling panels.

Then, a couple of weeks before the event, it was discovered that the store did not have 230V 3phase power available, so the refrigeration equipment had to be switched out to 230V 1phase. Heatcraft, an Imperial strategic alliance member, managed to get the proper equipment delivered on time, thanks to Shane Cleveland of F. E. Company.

The fairytale ending? Cobalt Refrigeration completed construction within the critical time requirements and beer sales rose 70% following the remodel. This design worked so well that two more Maverik stores are being remodeled for expansion using the same method.

* Maverik is very in tune with events and outdoor adventures of all types. They use outdoor adventure as the theme for their stores, and have their own reality show airing on the SLC KJZZ TV station.

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Papa Murphy’s & Curtis Restaurant Equipment Save Energy

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 01/09 at 12:03 AM

Papa Murphy’s Pizza, Monticello, MN
Papa Murphy’s, Curtis Restaurant Equipment, and Imperial Manufacturing have a longstanding and successful partnership. What makes this latest project in Monticello different is the approach to energy savings.

Energy is a substantial operating expense to restaurateurs. To help mitigate energy expenses for Papa Murphy’s and their franchisees, Imperial Manufacturing worked closely with Curtis Restaurant Equipment to design an energy savings alternative to the standard Papa Murphy’s walk-in cooler.

Imperial Manufacturing provided an energy analysis comparing the energy savings construction approach vs. the standard construction for Curtis Restaurant Equipment to present to the Papa Murphy’s franchisee. The analysis showed that for a minimal increase on initial cost the Papa Murphy’s franchisee will enjoy annual energy cost savings of $720 at current energy rates in Minnesota. The franchisee will also enjoy an initial investment payback period of less than two years.

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Olympic Food Equipment Sales Helps Westwood Baptist Church Serve Their Missions

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 12/20 at 01:41 AM

Westwood Baptist Church, West Olympia, WA
Westwood Baptist Church in West Olympia, Washington, serves the community of Olympia and other sister churches, as well as missions both home and abroad. But their existing kitchen did not meet the expanding needs.

Todd Sillars, Imperial sales person, got a call from the church and joined Olympic Food Equipment Sales, Inc. to help with the project. The church had an existing, small, non-commercial kitchen that was not able to keep up with demands, so a remodel was planned.

Consumer refrigerators could never carry the expanded requirements efficiently, but space was at a premium in the remodel. Todd and Olympic Food Equipment were able to shoehorn a walk-in cooler and freezer combo into a tight 22’-6” x 5’-9” space, giving the kitchen a commercial refrigeration capacity to match their needs.

The new kitchen now replaces the need for the church to cater out of house when they hold their events, a big help for a non-profit with an expanded mission.

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Presbyterian Community Care Center Satisfaction

Posted in Projects by mmathews on 11/13 at 06:11 PM

Skip McMillan of Boise Refrigeration rated us on our work on the Presbyterian Community Care Center in Ontario, Oregon.

Skip gave us a “5”, on a scale of 1 to 5, on every item on our satisfaction survey—except for Problem Resolution, which he says just didn’t apply on this project. Skip even complimented Bart Maslowski and the rest of the Imperial crew for promptly returning phone calls and emails, something we pride ourselves on handling quickly during every project.
Thanks Skip, we look forward to working with you again very soon.

Click here to read Skip’s exact comments.

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High Efficiency Scroll Compressors

Posted in Imperial Ideas Posted in Recommended Reading by imperial on 08/31 at 03:30 AM

I just read an excellent case study regarding energy savings through the use of scroll compressors.

In one section of the case study it compares the scroll compressor to a reciprocating compressor on approximately a 9’ x 16’ x 8’ walk-in cooler. The scroll compressor would save an impressive $212 per year on that cooler. This report offers good information on where to find rebates and tax credits for scroll compressors. Click here to download the case study.

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Electronically Commutated Motors

Posted in Green by imperial on 08/02 at 05:11 PM

Here is the article’s summary: The current California Energy Commission Report calls for all single phase evaporator fan motors that are smaller than one horsepower and less than 460 volts will be required to have EC Motors on them.

The current California Energy Commission Report calls for all single phase evaporator fan motors that are smaller than one horsepower and less than 460 volts will be required to have EC Motors on them.

The current CEC report can be found at:
CEC-400-2006-002-REV2.PDF.
EC motors have a typical payback period of about 2 ½ years in restaurant applications. A good explanation of ECM technology and some case studies can be found at www.nailor.com.

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New Smart Defrost Kit

Posted in Green Posted in Recommended Reading by imperial on 08/02 at 05:02 PM

I just read a press release from Heatcraft & InterLink regarding their new Smart Defrost Kits for walk-in freezers. An independent 3rd party testing company confirmed that the Smart Defrost Kits reduced the number of defrosts in freezers by up to 44%.

The Smart Defrost Kit uses a microprocessor to learn the tendencies of the freezer refrigeration system. Once it has educated itself it will begin to eliminate or “skip” a defrost cycle that it determines to be unnecessary. They did a case study at one restaurant and found that they could save $146 annually. That is significant because the Smart Defrost Kit only costs around $300. These kits are available on new systems and retrofit kits for existing freezer systems. More information on Smart Defrost Kits can be found at www.interlinkparts.com/sdk. This website includes an energy savings calculator, installation video for retrofits and additional case studies.

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