A Thermo King Publication. Issue No. 31 (March 2004) SEE THE DIFFERENCE. 21 languages, user friendly, rugged, secure and intelligent.

Transcription

1 A Thermo King Publication. Issue No. 31 (March 2004) SEE THE DIFFERENCE THE NEW TM FROM THERMO KING 21 languages, user friendly, rugged, secure and intelligent. Customer stories Dealer news Tips from the experts Product news

2 2 IN THIS ISSUE... Welcome Page 4 Celsius First & R-COM. Mark Watson, Vice-President Sales, Transport Solutions IR Climate Control (European Served Area). Dear Reader, Welcome to the first issue of TTC in 2004, a year which we believe will herald a new era for Thermo King. We have reorganized our company to incorporate our market leading brands, Thermo King, Hussmann and Koxka under one management structure known as Ingersoll-Rand Climate Control. The purpose of the reorganization is to offer our customers total solutions throughout the entire cold chain, from retail refrigeration systems to transport refrigeration systems, combined with innovative service and maintenance packages, information services, and financing where required. We will continue to offer you a comprehensive range of market-leading Visit our website at transport temperature control products and services, designed to help your business become more efficient. For example, you will see in this issue that we have introduced a new controller, the TM a significant advance in control technology that has been designed expressly for ease of use. And rest assured, the common thread we will always maintain is a strong customer focus. We hope you enjoy reading this issue of TTC, and we always welcome your feedback and comments. Yours sincerely, Mark Watson Vice-President Sales, Transport Solutions IR Climate Control (European Served Area) Page 6 TK Update Direct Drive. Page 8 Tips from the Experts with Steve Williams. Page 10 Who has the oldest Thermo King Unit. TTC Issue No. 31, 2004 Editor: Patricia Toal, Thermo King Managing Editor: Jane Kennedy Content: M1 Marketing Designed and produced by Campaign Published for customers, suppliers and dealers in the transport refrigeration industry by Thermo King. Thermo King Europe, Monivea Road, Mervue, Galway, Ireland. Tel:

3 3 TM The New Industry Standard EASY TO READ, EASY TO USE For most operators of a transport temperature control system, the refrigeration unit is not the most important aspect of the equipment. But the unit controller is. As with a mobile phone, the keypad and screen (or humanmachine interface ) is the critical point of contact with the system. It can either make the system easy to use with error-free results or, conversely, complex to use and prone to mistakes. Thermo King recognised this challenge by introducing the industry s first microprocessor controller ( Smart Reefer ) ten years ago. The next generation TM (SR-2) sets an industry benchmark in ease of use. The SR-2 will become a standard feature on top-of-the-range SL-400e trailer refrigeration units from March IMPROVED READABILITY A key feature of the new SR-2 is the industry s largest and clearest temperature display. The screen is bright and the critical temperature data is readable from over 10 metres, day or night. We are confident that our customers will get a real benefit from the improved readability of the display, says Bill Roxby, Marketing Manager, Diesel Truck and Trailer, particularly in terms of fleet monitoring. Because the display can be seen clearly from a distance, it is no longer necessary to go right up to each unit to view it. This will save time and make the job much easier. The viewing angle of the display has also been changed and the keypad and screen are positioned closer to the operator. SIMPLICITY ITSELF IN THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR CHOICE! On-screen text is used to explain key functions and alarm codes and with a choice of over 20 languages, understanding and ease of use will be dramatically improved. The operation of the new SR-2 has been designed for ease of use, continues Bill Roxby. It has been made much more intuitive, working in much the same way as an ATM cash dispenser machine. Companies with high driver turnover will really appreciate this simplicity. Clear and unambiguous directions make every driver operation simple and accurate, while hot-keys save time by activating defrost and Cycle Sentry (stop-start operation) with one touch. ENHANCED DIAGNOSTICS Understanding and responding to alarm codes quickly is critical to protecting temperature-sensitive loads. The SR-2 not only displays alarms with text descriptions, but it can also be configured to show only critical alarms (while still logging all alarms). This will virtually eliminate nuisance alarms. SR-2 owners have no need to invest in retrofit data recorders. The SR-2 will come as standard with CargoWatch, a fully certified (EN12830 and TLMV) data logger. System maintenance will be greatly facilitated by data captured by a second dedicated maintenance logger: ServiceWatch. ADDED SECURITY AND LOAD PROTECTION Recognising the prime objective of load protection, the SR-2 offers a number of special features. For example, the keypad can be locked to prevent interference. For units equipped with electric standby, diesel/electric auto-switching can be activated to ensure continuous temperature control by starting the diesel engine in the event of an interruption in electricity supply. In addition, auto phase correction automatically prevents reverse rotation of the electric motor. The SR-2 is going to delight users and set new standards in refrigeration unit control systems.

4 4 Celsius First choose R:COM for their national fleet. DELIVERING INFORMATION A Bird s Eye View of the growing professional partnership between Celsius First and Thermo King. Celsius First, one of the UK s leading providers of frozen and chilled logistics, is rolling out the implementation of Thermo King s remote data downloading system, R:COM, to their national fleet. The installation of the system, coordinated by Cambridge-based Marshall Thermo King, is now complete at each of the company s UK four primary distribution centres. Formerly known as Frigoscandia, Celsius First has been using Thermo King s R:COM system since 1999 at their site in Hams Hall, which is dedicated to their contract with Unilever Ice Cream and Frozen Foods. TEMPERATURE MONITORING Geoff Herring, General Manager at Celsius First, comments, As a blue-chip company with very high profile customers such as Unilever, temperature monitoring and due diligence have always been extremely important to us. data for every trailer, as soon as it arrived in the depot. THE HIDDEN BENEFITS Using the R:COM system over the past few years, we have discovered a number of other significant benefits to our operation, particularly in terms of asset management, Geoff goes on to say. Paul Hammond, Traffic Manager at Celsius First s Hams Hall depot comments, The data from R:COM is an excellent tool for our engineers, especially in terms of maintenance scheduling, giving us a far greater degree of control over locating vehicles which are due for service. He adds, It has also helped us with our driver training programme by looking at the data, we can check if the drivers are using the fridge unit correctly, and responding appropriately to any alarm codes. This helps us to identify any training needs. THE NATIONAL ROLL-OUT Phil Ward, National Fleet Manager, comments, Centralised maintenance planning in a decentralised distribution operation can be a nightmare. The biggest benefit I foresee with the roll-out of R:COM and FleetWatch to the national fleet is in terms of maintenance scheduling and vehicle tracking. The information will save us a substantial amount of time, and generally make our planning process much more effective. In addition, it offers a real benefit to all our customers the availability of the temperature data throughout every journey will also protect them FleetWatch made it easy for Celsius First to integrate reports into their national computer network He continues, We needed to ensure we had a complete temperature record for every load we delivered, and were using till-roll printouts from the data recorder, which weren t always reliable. Thermo King s R:COM system, which had just come onto the market in 1999, was ideal because it is completely automatic, it was a much simpler and more reliable method for us to be sure we had the

5 5 UK logistics company Celsius First is rolling out R:COM to their national fleet Thermo King, as part of Ingersoll Rand Climate Control Transport Solutions, is developing its products and services to meet the needs of the industry as professional business partners. Products such as FleetWatch and our internet based satellite tracking system Trac-King go a long way to supplying our clients business and helping them be more successful in the service they in turn offer their customers. from any damage claims their customers might make. Celsius First has a reputation within the industry for its leading-edge approach to providing flexible logistics solutions, tailored to their customers needs. Part of the company s success has been the result of a significant investment in IT, resulting in more efficient operations and the ability to transmit all information electronically through an integrated network. Nick Jaciuk, National IT Manager, comments: The integration of Thermo King s FleetWatch software into our network was very easy. FleetWatch enables us to produce bespoke reports with the downloaded data, and over the next few months we will develop these with the managers at each depot to ensure everyone has the information they need. He adds, The ability to monitor the location of the vehicles remotely, and have remote access to the data downloaded from each refrigeration unit, will also be a huge advantage. Steve Williams, Key Accounts Manager at Thermo King adds, The logistics industry is relying more and more on information, and more importantly, access to that information by those who need it. The current project with Celsius First is a perfect case in point. Steve concludes, We recognise that teamwork, and ensuring that all relevant parties are involved such as the IT department, will be the key to the successful integration of our products with our customers systems, allowing us to fulfil their needs most effectively. How does R:COM work? R:COM is a radio based system that automatically downloads data collected by data capture systems such as DAS, to an office based PC as soon as a vehicle enters the customer s depot. A small R:COM mobile (transmitter) is connected to the refrigeration unit s data capture device. As soon as it comes into range, this communicates with the base station transceiver, located on the office building, which is linked directly into the computer network. All data collected since the last download, including temperature and alarm codes, is transferred. The system uses 2.4 GHz spread spectrum radio technology, to ensure minimum interference from other radio sources. Once the data is downloaded onto the PC, Thermo King s Windows based FleetWatch software processes it into useful information, allowing the user to automatically create reports showing the information most relevant to him, at timed intervals.

6 6 Thermo King Updates Direct Drive Range Thermo King has just updated its direct drive product range for vans and small trucks, with the launch of the new V-100 series and improvements to the design of the V-200 and V-300 platforms, available from November The new V-100 series and the road-only-operation models of the V-200 and V-300 series share a newly designed small, lightweight platform. The V-100 has been specifically developed for installation in smaller trucks and vans, with a load capacity up to 7m 3. It is available with R-134a refrigerant for chilled only applications, or R-404A refrigerant for frozen or chilled applications. NEW Direct Smart Reefer All models in the new series, the V-100, V-200 and V-300 feature the new user friendly Direct Smart Reefer, the latest in microprocessor control for Thermo King s direct drive product range. The new Direct Smart Reefer will control and monitor the refrigeration unit from inside the cab safely and conveniently, ensuring that the cargo temperature is maintained at the correct level. Smart, small and simple to use, the Direct Smart Reefer can be mounted on top of or set into the dash and removed when vehicle is parked. The new Direct Smart Reefer offers maximum load protection combined with maximum efficiency, with features that include: Easy to understand alarm codes with abbreviated written descriptions, allowing quick diagnostics and resulting in reduced maintenance costs. Maintenance reminder to encourage preventative maintenance, resulting in reduced downtime. Several features to protect the vehicle battery. Three hourmeters to record the total, road and electric standby operation working hours. Automatic start-up, if the unit stops on either road or standby operation because of a lack of energy. Manual or automatic defrost cycle Software can be customised in the field. There are also many customisable features such as: Set-point limits, allowing the customer to select the permissible temperature range, to minimise any chance of operator error. Soft start of engine compressor to increase compressor life. Defrost start and duration time. Constant airflow during null mode for maximum protection of sensitive loads. Out of temperature range alarm. Option to add a door switch for more efficient temperature management. Temperature control band depending on the application for efficient and accurate temperature control. In addition to the new Direct Smart Reefer, other changes to the V-200 and V-300 ranges have been made to improve reliability. These include the introduction of new fans in both the condenser and evaporator with a working life 3 times longer than previously, sealed electric control box and connectors and easy access to electrical components requiring frequent service (e.g. fuses). The modular platform of the new V-100, V-200, and V-300 series gives operators maximum flexibility, offering features such as: Heat option can be retrofitted. Conversion from single to multitemperature using the same condenser section. Modules to add heating, bi-temperature or multi-temperature management. MAC modules to manage cabin air conditioning and load refrigeration with the same compressor.

7 7 Greater payload capacity with V-700 Thermo King in Miniature! SSG Managing Director Christof Egger DIRECT-DRIVE UNITS IDEAL FOR FOOD DISTRIBUTION SSG Managing Director Christof Egger is impressed with Thermo King s new V- 700 MAX refrigeration units. SSG Salat-Service GmbH is equipping its entire fleet with units from Thermo King s new V-700 MAX series. The company, based in Aufkirchen near Munich, currently has seven 7.5-tonne MAN vehicles in use, three of which are already equipped with V-700 units. SSG Managing Director Christof Egger says of the decision: We re extremely pleased with the refrigeration units, firstly because they offer excellent value for money, and secondly because of the support offered by our dealer Thermo King in Munich. The large number of service centres was another strong argument in the V-700 s favour. And last but not least the units are very lightweight. SSG s vehicles are on the road six days a week supplying fresh fruit and vegetables from Germany, France, Spain and Italy to customers including canteens, restaurants and hospitals. Our customers place great emphasis on maintenance of the correct transport temperature, says Egger. So we need equipment we can rely on. SSG s fleet covers around 80,000 km annually in an area encompassing Ingolstadt, Augsburg, Landshut, Munich, Chiemsee and Ammersee. The advantage of the new V-700 MAX units is that the vehicle engine also powers the refrigeration unit s generator. Since the units don t need their own diesel generator they are very light: Including all the bits and pieces a unit still only weighs about 200 kilograms, Egger confirms. Even without an engine of its own, the V-700 MAX has a very high cooling capacity. On the road and at a setpoint temperature of O C, the capacity is 6,800 watts. The units are equally suited to cooling and heating applications and are mains powered. The electric standby capacity is 80 to 90 percent of onthe-road capacity. Thermo King has truly well established itself in the world of transport refrigeration, and the minds of customers and consumers. This was demonstrated at a recent exhibit at Legoland in Denmark, which clearly used a Thermo King SB refrigeration unit on a model trailer made of Lego plastic bricks. In another example in the UK, Thermo King customer James T. Blakeman had a perfect Thermo King unit installed on their Corgi miniature tractor-trailer combinations, commissioned to celebrate the company s 50th anniversary. James T. Blakeman has recently added a number of Thermo King s state-of-the art SPECTRUM SL multi-temperature trailer units to their fleet.

8 8 TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS Steve Williams DATA TRANSFER In the last issue of TTC, we considered the different options for Data Capture. In this issue, we look at the next step: how to transfer this data into your management system so that you can get maximum benefit from the information provided. Once you have chosen your preferred data capture device (DAS, TranScan, Trac-King) you need to decide how you wish to transfer the data. There are several options available to users today, but before making a choice a few questions need to be answered: Does your data capture device have enough memory to store the required data and comply with the current European Legislation? Do you need to produce temperature print outs for deliveries? Do you want to transfer the data onto your PC network to share with other users? Do you want to view your data on a secure website? The current EU legislation for quick frozen products EN12380, states that you must store your temperature data for 12 months. Most data capture devices have either 128K or 512K memory storage. If you are logging two or more sensors at fifteen-minute intervals you may not have twelve months storage capacity. To ensure that your stored data is not over written you should down load your data from the capture device and store on a floppy disk, CD or PC hard drive. Data Print Outs: You can print stored data from your data capture device by using an integral printer (TranScan 2, Sentinel) or an external printer as used with the DAS or TranScan XL. These print outs can show temperatures from and to a specific date. Other information available is the reefer thermostat set point (DAS/Smart reefer data recorders only), the truck or trailer number and customer name. Temperature delivery print outs are often requested by receivers of perishable products. Transferring data to a remote PC/Network: Transferring the stored data from your data capture device can be done in a number of ways: Serial cable: Most data capture devices have an external data port; this allows you to connect the device to a laptop computer or a PDA (personal digital assistant) using a cable. You must have the appropriate software installed on the laptop or PDA (Wintrac/Pocket Wintrac or FleetWatch). Once you have copied the data from the data capture device to the laptop or PDA, you can transfer it to a disk, CD, the PC network or print out. Wireless Transfer: Transferring data over the air is an option available to users today; you can automate the transfer of data from your data capture device to your PC network over the air. Steve Williams, Key Account Manager. Products such R:COM (RF 2.4GHz) can connect to data capture devices (DAS, Smart Reefer, and TranScan) and copy the data direct to your PC network. Once the data is stored on the external hard drives it can be transferred to a disk, CD, the PC network or printed out. GSM/GPS: Another option available to users is tracking the data capture device on the Internet. A GSM/GPS modem (Trac-King) is connected to data capture devices (reefer microprocessor, or DAS). From a remote PC connected to the internet you can go on line ( enter a unique password and view the location of the vehicle plus the refrigeration unit s mode of operation including alarms, temperature and thermostat set point. For international transporters who carry high value cargo (such as pharmaceutical products), this is a very effective means of asset management. In the next issue we will outline the various options that turn the data into meaningful information: Data management.

9 9 THERMO KING UNITS FOR CLOVIS LOCATION When it comes to vehicle hire, whether it s for a day, a year or even longer, French company Clovis Location and Thermo King provide a service customers can rely on. With some 15,000 vehicles in France, Clovis Location hire out commercial vehicles of all sizes, from the Master to the Magnum, for periods ranging from a single day to five years or even longer. AB Location is a member of the Clovis network and a subsidiary of the Alvarez group. Based in Pau, the company boasts a fleet of 315 vehicles, 80 of which are equipped with an insulated body and a Thermo King refrigeration unit, such as the V-200, V-400, TS-500 or the Spectrum TS. Installed by EFR, Thermo King s dealer in Pau, these units are perfect for Clovis needs and, above all, for the needs of their customers. Basically people want a high-quality product but, at the end of the day, they also want service, states Franck Perez, Manager of Clovis Location in Pau. He adds: The vehicles need to be in perfect condition and the services that go with them must be of high quality. That s why we opted for Thermo King units the assistance of EFR and Thermo King play an important part in assuring the high quality of the service we offer. We replace our vehicles every three or four years depending on usage and mileage. This means that Clovis are always able to offer our customers the latest, most economical and most advanced equipment available. Five years on and we re still delighted with our partnership with EFR and Thermo King, he concludes. Thermo King units are the ideal solution for Clovis' extensive rental fleet.

10 10 Who has the oldest Thermo King? In September 2003 Thermo King launched a competition in the UK and Ireland, looking for the longest-serving Thermo King refrigeration unit in the UK or Ireland. By a cat s whisker, the prize in the UK went to leading producers of fresh vegetables, Lincolnshire-based Marshalls of Butterwick, with a 21 year old SNWD mounted onto a Gray & Adams trailer. The trailer has been in continuous use since its purchase over 20 years ago, and is still being used for local deliveries. Old and new Marshalls 21 year old SNWD and a modern SL unit. Graham Eames (R) of Thermo King and Jim Thackray (L) of Marshalls of Butterwick at the award ceremony. We have been using Thermo King temperature control for our transport fleet for over two decades, says Jim Thackray, Transport Manager at Marshalls. We consider each purchase to be a long-term investment, so we always look for the best equipment available on the market. The local Marshall Thermo King depot at Spalding takes care of all our maintenance requirements, he continues, and the fact that we are still using every trailer in our fleet from the 21 year old SNWD, a number of SB units purchased in the 1980 s and 1990 s, right through to our latest Oakley's, with a 21 year old MD, were a close runner-up in the UK competition SL-400e is a testament to the quality of their service. We are delighted to receive this prize from Thermo King, concludes Jim. We look forward to continuing our relationship for another twenty years! A close runner up was Oakley s Catering Supplies, based in Powys, Wales, who entered a 21 year old MD-I 50 truck refrigeration unit particularly appropriate as the winner was announced at the launch of the newly updated MD series! Mounted onto a 7.5 tonne Leyland DAF, the vehicle is still in daily use delivering catering supplies to pubs, hotels and restaurants in Wales. CAN YOU BEAT THIS? Thermo King would now like to extend the challenge to customers in the rest of Europe! If you think you can beat the entries described above, please send your details, the details of the unit (including serial number) and what it is being used for to: thermoking@m1marketing.co.uk

11 11 MD Series Gains Ground in Europe Thermo King s latest additions to its truck range, the MD-200 and MD-300 is already gaining popularity throughout Europe. Fruchtof Nagel in Germany has already fitted MD-300 units to eight of its trucks. German operator Fruchthof Nagel GmbH, from the Bavarian town of Neu-Ulm, which specialises in the temperaturecontrolled transport of fruit and vegetables, has already acquired Thermo King s new MD-300 units for eight of its trucks. Every day trucks set out from Neu-Ulm, Heilbronn and Worms to deliver fresh produce to wholesalers and retailers, hotels, restaurants and canteens. Fruchthof Nagel ensures it delivers a top quality service by fitting Thermo King units on every one of its 70 vehicles, which transport over 200,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables each year. The MD-300 units were delivered to Fruchthof Nagel in Ulm, one of Thermo King s five biggest locations in Germany. We re very pleased with the units, and PJ Down had one of the first MD units to go on the road in the UK. even more so with the excellent service provided by Thermo King s dealer in Ulm, underlines Fruchthof workshop manager Georg Lang. AND IN THE UK Bristol-based fresh fruit and vegetable importer and wholesaler Percy J Down has taken delivery of one of the first new model Thermo King MD-200 refrigeration units to go on the road in the UK. The unit was supplied by Cambridge-based Marshall Thermo King. The MD-200, mounted onto a new Scania 23 tonne truck, joins the company s fleet of temperature controlled distribution vehicles delivering fresh produce to customers throughout the Southwest of England and South Wales. Although the produce we deliver isn t as temperature-critical as, say, meat or dairy products, says managing director Tim Down, we know that even a small temperature difference over a relatively short period can make a difference to the appearance and shelf-life of the fresh produce. We differentiate ourselves from our competitors by ensuring the quality of our produce is optimised for our customers, by using temperature controlled delivery vehicles, he continues. All of our vehicles have Thermo King units on them, and we know we can rely on the product, and on the service we receive from Marshall Thermo King.

12 12 Thermo King and IR working together harmony. perfect in Focus on Climate Control IR Climate Control encompasses three market leading brand names: Hussmann, Koxka and Thermo King, each renowned for its excellence within the cold chain. Now combined under a single management structure and backed by the global resources of Ingersoll-Rand, IR Climate Control is uniquely placed to deliver a comprehensive range of integrated temperature control solutions to the retail sector. The combined resources of the IR Climate Control sector ensure that food can be transported from producer to wholesaler, to retailer, and even to the consumer at the correct temperature, to maintain product quality and food safety. With a full range of temperature monitoring products, IR Climate Control is committed to preserving the integrity of food supplies from field to fork. From field Thermo King manufactures a comprehensive range of transport refrigeration solutions, with units suitable for any application: from home delivery vans, to mid-size trucks for local and urban distribution, right up to articulated trailers for national and international distribution. Thermo King also manufactures temperature controlled sea-going containers and refrigeration units for railcars for a truly global solution. Options are available to allow any temperature controlled transport operator to find a unit to suit his needs, whether it be frozen, chilled or multi-temperature, on any size of vehicle. Attention in the design is always paid to efficient operation, ensuring low fuel consumption, long maintenance intervals, and minimum total life costs. To fork Hussmann and Koxka combine accumulated expertise in the design and manufacture of temperature controlled retail displays, cold storage solutions and refrigeration systems with a comprehensive contracting, installation and service organisation. The product ranges of Hussmann and Koxka include an extensive selection of refrigerated and frozen cases and include integral and remotely driven cases for all types of retailing. Examples of the types of products in the Hussmann and Koxka ranges include multideck cases, regarded by many as the standard workhorse of convenience retailing, full height glass door freezers, specially designed cases for chilled beers, wines and spirits, and a variety of serve over counters and merchandising cases. Commitment to quality A common underlying principle behind all IR Climate Control products is a commitment to quality. Substantial investment is made into Research and Development, to ensure that the products are not only the most effective and environmentally friendly on the market, but also the most efficient offering the most cost effective temperature control solutions throughout the cold chain.