Advanced technology reduces closing force and protects cold-vault doors from costly damage
Brought to you by Anthony
Though no one can say for sure, there is general agreement that the origin of the phrase “silence is golden” dates back to the Ancient Egyptians. Grocery store and supermarket operators, as well as their customers, may wish to go back to those quieter days after taking a trip down the market’s cold-vault aisles. It’s there that they can be inundated by a cacophony of slamming and banging as shoppers release the handles of cooler and freezer doors, allowing them to bounce back into place as they close.
That slamming and banging can not only be irritating, it can have a deleterious effect on the supermarket or grocery store operation’s bottom line. Specifically, gaskets can be damaged when doors that weigh as much as 200 pounds and produce more than 100 pounds of force are allowed to bounce when they close. Over time, damaged gaskets lose their ability to adequately seal the door, which leads to air leaks and overall inefficiency in the cooling or freezing processes and resulting higher energy costs.
The solution is to retrofit cold-vault doors with the latest door-close controls and Anthony®, a leading provider of cooler and freezer doors, and related equipment, has developed a white paper that demonstrates how its next-generation door-close technology, combined with improved gasket materials and energy-free doors, can reduce overall energy consumption, maintenance and operating costs in the cold-vault aisle.
“For far too long, the sound of banging cold-vault doors has been an ever-present and irritating part of the daily soundtrack in supermarkets and grocery stores,” said Craig Little, President and CEO of Anthony. “Recognizing the need for better door-close technology, we have developed the patented Cloze Control™ mechanism, which will prevent bouncing and double the life of cooler and freezer door gaskets. With Cloze Control, retailers will truly realize that silence can be golden – and cost effective.”
Traditional cooler and freezer doors are equipped with torsional springs that allow automatic closing, but the impact of the door banging against the frame will eventually crack and deform the gasket material, along with damaging other components, such as corner joints in the door frame, light fixtures and electrical equipment that can be mounted on the door or frame. Also, doors with a heavy bounce can cause adjacent doors to briefly pop open, which allows cold air to escape and forces the cooler or freezer to work harder to maintain desired temperatures.
The Cloze Control overcomes these concerns by utilizing a door-closing technology that reduces closing force from 100 pounds to less than 20. This eliminates bounce and optimizes service life and energy costs. In fact, side-by-side comparisons have shown that a cold-vault door with worn gaskets will consume an estimated 176 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually, while a traditional door with door heat typically only requires 23 kWh per year, a savings of 153 kWh per door.
To encourage retailers to retrofit their coolers and freezers with Cloze Control, which is compatible with most Anthony cold-vault door models manufactured since 1995, Anthony is offering a 1+1=5 sales promotion. With this promotion, any retailer who purchases one next-generation gasket and one Cloze Control will receive five years of gasket warranty.
About Anthony®
Founded in 1958, Anthony, Sylmar, CA, USA, is a manufacturer and solutions provider of glass refrigerator and freezer doors, lighting systems and display equipment for use in commercial refrigeration systems. Anthony’s products are designed to enhance merchandising, ensure food safety and protect the environment. A 50-plus-year commitment to Quality, Innovation, Customer Service, Continuous Improvement and Flexibility have allowed Anthony to become the supplier of choice for merchandising components in the refrigeration industry. Anthony is a member of the Dover Corporation’s Refrigeration & Food Equipment market segment. For more information, please visit www.anthonyintl.com or www.dovercorporation.com.