Cold Room storage requirements are increasing as we look to better preserve the life of our food. But the same technology that provides these benefits, is creating environments that will decrease the life of lighting fixtures if it is not understood and addressed.

Sammode understands the effects of ambient temperature, water condensation and ice on lighting fixtures. The Sammode range is designed and engineered for these specific conditions, and as a result have proven themselves in these extremely demanding environments.

Fixtures installed in these environments need a high IP (Ingress Protection) rating to ensure water vapour and condensation does not result inside the fixture. The cyclic switching of lights on/off to reduce energy can result in a capillary action, with moisture being drawn into the fixture and then either condensing or freezing. Both conditions generally result in a shortened life of the LED Driver or other components.

In lower temperature Freezers and Spiral Freezers, particularly if they are designed for CIP cycles as well, the change in temperatures can result in mechanical stresses occurring between the materials used in the construction of the light fixture. This will cause stress cracks to result, and the subsequent loss of the IP protection of the fixture. A shortened life (compared to what the product brochure said) will result.

In applications such as Spiral Freezers, and even Blast Freezers, it is becoming common for CIP to occur, as various products are manufactured. The light fixture needs to be manufactured from materials that can withstand this type of cleaning regime.

The Sammode range is IP69K rated and as such has been tested to a high-pressure water jet @ 100 bar and 80°C water temperature.

Finally, we understand that maintenance is not an easy function in cold temperatures. Workers need to be able to perform maintenance tasks quickly. Sammode designs fixtures that can be quickly removed from the mounting brackets, disconnected from the power supply using the PS3 Plug Assembly, and then maintained in the workshop rather than the freezer.

Replacement fixtures can be installed just as quickly into the same mounting brackets meaning the lighting levels are not deficient or unsafe for the work activities.