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When POPCO needed a high performance pull down walk in freezer installation for delicate ice cream storage in Salt River, Cape Town, the project required far more than a standard cold room setup. Ice cream is one of the most temperature sensitive frozen products in the food supply chain. Even small fluctuations can affect texture, crystallisation, shelf life, and product quality.
This case study showcases how a purpose built walk in freezer installation in Salt River was successfully completed within 7 days, delivering stable -25°C room performance, efficient pull down cycles, smooth defrost control, and reliable long term operation backed by real time WiFi monitoring.
The project demonstrates how correct system design, fast technical problem solving, and skilled on site adjustments can turn a potentially difficult installation environment into a highly efficient commercial freezing solution.
This was a refrigeration critical project where the freezer needed strong pull down capability, dependable door sealing, and fast recovery during loading cycles. Because the stored product is ice cream, system stability was essential from day one.
Why This Walk In Freezer Was Different
Unlike standard freezer rooms used for meat, frozen vegetables, or bulk dry frozen stock, ice cream storage places stricter demands on refrigeration engineering.
Ice cream is highly sensitive to:
For this reason, the refrigeration system was designed around fast pull down efficiency, ensuring the room rapidly returns to target temperature after every loading cycle.
The 9.4kW low temperature refrigeration capacity at -30°C suction was carefully matched to the room size and the product load profile, ensuring the system handles both holding temperature and recovery demand.
The POPCO site presented a unique operational challenge from the start.
The freezer room position was close to the main entrance area, where loading activity and limited movement space could easily interfere with access and workflow.
To overcome this, the installation team focused on:
The 150mm polystyrene insulated panels provided the thermal resistance required for reliable deep freeze performance at -25°C.
This insulation thickness plays a major role in reducing compressor load, minimising heat gain, and maintaining energy efficient operation.
Every real commercial refrigeration project has on site variables. What makes a successful installation stand out is how quickly those variables are resolved.
This Salt River walk in freezer installation had three notable challenges.
1) Sliding Door Manufacturing Fault
The first challenge involved the initial sliding door supplied for installation.
The door was manufactured slightly smaller than required because it was originally designed around a permanently fixed loading ramp concept.
In reality, POPCO only uses the ramp during loading periods, and the ramp is removed after use.
This meant the original door dimensions did not support the best thermal seal and operational flow for the site.
The issue was immediately escalated, and the manufacturing team replaced the door without delay.
This fast turnaround prevented project delays and allowed the installation schedule to remain on track.
2) Ramp Modification for Heavy Ice Cream Loads
Once the door issue was corrected, the ramp became the next technical challenge.
The workshop team immediately redesigned the ramp length to better suit the available space and the actual loading workflow.
Key improvements included:
This practical workshop intervention improved both safety and operational efficiency for POPCO’s team.
The final ramp design now supports easy movement of stock without permanently occupying valuable entrance space.
3) Sliding Door Seal and Mechanism Fine Tuning
The most technician intensive stage involved achieving perfect sliding door sealing.
At freezer temperatures of -25°C, even minor sealing inconsistencies can lead to:
The technicians worked tirelessly on:
This precision work ensured the final sliding door system achieved smooth motion and excellent thermal sealing.
This was one of the most important factors in the long term efficiency of the freezer room.
The second week focused on system testing, pull down verification, and operational handover.
This stage included:
The most important success metric was system stability under real operating conditions.
The freezer consistently maintained -25°C room temperature while demonstrating smooth refrigeration recovery after access cycles.
Defrost performance was equally stable, ensuring the evaporator remained efficient without unnecessary ice build up.
Real Time WiFi Temperature Monitoring for Product Protection
Because ice cream quality depends heavily on consistent storage conditions, the final system was integrated with real time WiFi temperature monitoring.
This allows POPCO to:
For delicate frozen dessert products, this level of monitoring significantly improves operational confidence.
It also adds an extra layer of product assurance that many standard freezer rooms do not include.
The POPCO pull down walk in freezer installation delivered excellent results.
Key Success Outcomes
Most importantly, the refrigeration system is operating smoothly, efficiently, and without glitches, exactly as required for a product as delicate as ice cream.
Why This Case Study Matters for Commercial Freezer Installations in Cape Town
This Salt River installation highlights the difference between standard cold room fitting and true commercial freezer engineering built around product sensitivity.
For frozen desserts, dairy products, and delicate low temperature inventory, correct pull down performance is what protects product integrity.
This project highlights the importance of correct refrigeration capacity, on-site problem solving, precise door alignment, temperature-matched insulation, efficient loading design, real-time monitoring, and strong technical leadership. Led by Shaun Cutter, it demonstrates how real-world expertise delivers systems that perform well beyond installation.
Glotech Group specialises in commercial cold rooms and walk-in freezer installations across Cape Town and South Africa, delivering precision-engineered refrigeration solutions that ensure product quality, operational efficiency, and long-term reliability. With over 15 years of industry experience, we provide full-service solutions including installation, repairs, servicing, and preventive maintenance for businesses that rely on temperature-controlled storage. Our expertise covers a wide range of systems such as freezer rooms, blast freezers, chiller rooms, dual-temperature storage, underbar refrigeration, pharmaceutical cold rooms, and custom industrial setups, all designed around specific product requirements, room conditions, and energy performance.
We serve diverse industries including food production, hospitality, retail, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and logistics, supporting the safe storage of products like frozen foods, dairy, seafood, medicines, flowers, and beverages. Our systems incorporate advanced technologies such as energy-efficient refrigerants, WiFi temperature monitoring, and high-performance insulated panel structures. Every installation is tailored to optimise performance, reduce downtime, and improve energy efficiency. Whether you need a restaurant cold room, a pharmaceutical freezer, or a large-scale industrial refrigeration system, Glotech Group delivers reliable, high-performance solutions built for real-world demands.
This makes the POPCO Salt River freezer installation a strong example of the level of technical precision, fast problem solving, and long term refrigeration reliability that defines every Glotech Group project.
067 153 8332
info@glotechgroup.co.za
We design and install reliable cold room solutions tailored to your business needs. Ensure efficient storage, consistent temperatures, and long-term performance.
Need a quote for your refrigeration or insulated panel project? Send us your details and we’ll be in touch shortly.