Cold storage facilities maintain perishable foods like fruits, vegetables and frozen foods at temperatures between -40°C and 4°C. They are part of the cold chain that preserves food quality from production to consumption. Pallets are commonly used to transport stacked containers of food. Different stacking patterns like columns, rows and interlocking are used depending on container shape and weight to maximize stability and strength.

1. FUNCTIONS OF COLD STORAGE
PALLET LAYOUT AND STACKING
PATTERNS

2. DEFINITION OF COLD STORAGE
Cold store is known as a cool store, a warehouse where the
interior of which is maintained at below ambient temperature,
typically well below freezing point.

3. COLD STORAGE FACILITY
An installation intended for the cooling, freezing and cold
storage of perishable food products and other perishables. A
cold storage facility, comprises a cold storage warehouse with
truck and railroad platforms, compressor and condenser for a
refrigerating systems, a cooling tower, and a pumping station for
a circulating water supply, administration and residential
buildings… etc.
Cold storage facilities contain refrigerated rooms maintained at
various temperatures. All the refrigerated rooms have insulated
doors.

4. The air temperatures ranges from 4˚C to -5˚C in cold storage
rooms,
from -20˚C to -30˚C in frozen food storage room,
from 0 ˚C to -30 ˚C in general purpose storage rooms,
down to -10 ˚C in cooling rooms, and
from -30 ˚C to -40 ˚C in freezer rooms. All such refrigerated
rooms have insulated doors.

5. COLD CHAIN
It’s a logistic system that provides a series of facilities for
maintaining ideal storage conditions for perishable foods from
the point of origin to the point of consumption in the food
supply chain.
It extends and ensures shelf life of products such as fresh
agricultural products, seafood, frozen foods, etc.

6. FUNCTIONS OF COLD STORAGE
• Protect perishable foods
• Protect perishable nutrient products
• Storage of dairy products
• Storage of foods and vegetables

7. PALLET LAYOUT AND
STACKING PATERNS

8. PALLET
Stacking containers onto a pallet is the most common way of
loading and despatching a number of containers to the same
location.
There are a number of types of pallets which are made from
different materials and with a variety of designs.
Wood is the most common material used, pallets can also be
constructed from metal or plastic.
Pallet designs can be either:
• 2 - way entry or
• 4 - way entry

9. 2- WAY ENTRY PALLET-
This pallet is a low cost stable pallet. This pallet comes in a
number of types and sizes.
4- WAY ENTRY PALLET-
This is a very common pallet; its made in variety of sizes and
types to meet the needs of customers.

10. PALLETIZING A LOAD
Palletising a load involves stacking the cartons onto the pallet. It
is important when palletising a load that you make sure that:
• The load is stable
• The load is within the safe lifting limits of the materials
handling equipment you will use
• The pallet will fit into the transport vehicle

11. STACKING A PALLET
One of the most important factors that needs to be considered
when stacking a pallet is the strength of the cartons to support
the load.
The strongest part of a carton is in the vertical edges of the
carton. 2/3 of the load bearing strength is in these edges with
the panels only supplying 1/3 of the strength of the container.
The best stacking pattern is for cartons to have
the vertical edges lined up with the cartons in
vertical columns.

12. CARTON STACKING PROBLEMS
The best stacking pattern is for cartons
to have their vertical edges lined up with
other cartons so they form vertical
columns.
If the edges are not aligned the strength
of the stack is reduced.
Cartons that overhang the edges of the
pallet are not able to support the load of
the stack and reduce the stability of the
stack.
Failure to use the strength of the carton
structure can result in excessive damage

13. PALLET STABILITY
The stability of a stack on a pallet
can be achieved by the pattern in
which the cartons are stacked.
There is a tendency for vertical
columns of cartons to fall apart.
An interlocked pattern can increase
stability by holding the cartons
together.
Interlocking the cartons however
can reduce the load bearing
strength of the stack.

14. STACKING PATTERNS
There are several different patterns in which
cartons can be stacked on a pallet. The pattern
for stack depends upon the shape of the cartons
to be stacked. Square items are usually stacked
as columns.
• Rectangular cartons can be stacked in:
• Row pattern
• Brick Pattern
• Pinwheel pattern.
• The use of interlocking patterns should only
be used when the weight of the loads will not
exceed the load bearing strength of the

15. INTERLOCKED UPPER LAYER
• A combination of column and
interlocking cartons can provide
stability with only minimal loss
of load bearing strength of the
stack.
• In this example the second top
layer is interlocked to provide
stability but the lower layers are
all column stacked to increase
load bearing strength.
• This pattern reduces the load

16. IMPROVING PALLET STABLITY
Other methods used to increase the
stability of a stack of cartons on a
pallet include:
• Interlayer sheets
• Banding
• Shrink wrap
• Stretch wrap
The use of shrink and stretch wrap
can cause a disposal problem if there
is a large quantity used.

17. IRREGULAR CONTAINERS
• When a pallet is to be stacked with a mix of
different containers the following rules should
be followed as much as possible.
• Heavy items are placed on the bottom of the
stack
• Containers of similar height are stacked
together if possible
• Irregular shaped objects are placed on the top
of the stack
• Large items placed on the bottom of the stack
• Shrink or stretch wrapping a pallet of irregular
shaped containers can increase the stability.