REFRIGERATION SERVICE TODAY: Refrigerated Facility Expands Use of Press Fittings
The perishable goods transportation market is expected to increase by 6.43 billion dollars from 2021 to 2026 according to data from Technavio, but success in this space relies on more than just quick delivery timelines. Logistics providers also rely on refrigerated facilities and vehicles to store and transport goods in a way that won’t jeopardize the quality or freshness of the most sensitive cargo – whether it’s food from across the globe or scientific specimens intended for a lab.
Almir Kapetancic, an account manager with Enginuity, was among the first to utilize XL press fittings from RLS, which are specifically designed for HVACR applications that require high volumes of refrigerant. The project, located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, expanded a previously existing refrigerated storage facility
for a multi-national freight and logistics provider by nine coolers for an additional 50,000 square feet. The enormous scale of this task was one of the reasons why Kapetancic turned to RLS for options that might improve his team’s on-site workflows.
Kapetancic quickly realized that a newly launched XL press fitting from RLS would be the ideal solution to deliver a high quality install with an incredibly efficient workflow for his team.
“I had full faith that I could explain the technique for press fittings to even the greenest contractor on my site and they could confidently reapply it across the worksite after a quick training and hands-on instruction” he said. “The alternative is a brazing certification, which is an in-depth process that can’t just be taught on a whim or in passing. Brazing certified contractors are also becoming harder to find these days, so press fittings have allowed us to adapt to an evolving workforce without compromising the quality of our installations.”
The ability to quickly train, then deploy any of his employees with press fittings allowed Enginuity to cut almost two-thirds of the project time down during this massive undertaking, resulting in a reduction in overall costs. Ultimately, Al and his team of four completed the project in only about six weeks.
“This was the first time that I’ve utilized press fittings on a job site, but it was an absolute game changer for both our workflow and bottom line” Kapetancic continued. “The benefits of added flexibility and efficiency of labor on-site more than made up for the investment we made in the press fittings and tools themselves.”
While on-site efficiency advantages of press fittings are clear, Kapetancic and his team found they also pass the longer-term tests related to reliability and durability. Each press fitting used on the project is still as secure and sealed as they were on the day of installation.
“We haven’t needed to revisit any of the connections that used press fittings” said Kapetancic. “The proven reliability and resilience of XL press fittings from RLS has me very excited about the positive impact they could have on our business going forward.”
Refrigeration contractors are realizing the benefits of reliability, repeatability