Boosting Air-flow And Ventilation With Spacers
How ventilation spacers work, Why spacers at all, and how these boost air-flow between stacked layers
The overall purpose of using spacers between stacked layers is to enable ventilation between these. This is to allow air-flow also through the center of the stacked layers where the air otherwise would have limited contact, but also to facilitate better airflow in the compartment.
Generally spacers have two main functions;
- Allowing air-flow to the center of your stacked layers and thereby ventilating also these.
- Facilitating the best possible air-flow in the entire compartment in which you store, transport or process your product. This is achieved by ensuring that the air-stream is not blocked after the first few palletstack but is guided through the spacers thereby reaching als the pallets at the far end with highest possible velocity.
High airflow throughout the entire compartment is extremely important for the overall efficiency of your process as the total, overall process after all is determined by the “last sheep in the flock”.
If the velocity of the air stream has dropped considerably after the first few pallets (which is not unusual) it’s easy to imagine how much “energy” there is left for ventilating the stacked layers at the far end of the compartment.
Accordingly, it is important for the efficiency of a spacer that air is not confined within the spacer in between the stacked layers but that the spacer is designed in a way that allows high air exchange.
At VentiTeq we believe in a 50 mm high, open profile spacer design – simply because this has proven its superior efficiency.
High air velocity across the product and maximum contact between the air stream and the stacked layers are both essential for high efficiency.
Air-Flow, support and handling
Functionality vs. efficiency
As for most product categories also Air-Flow spacers come in a variety of designs. As such it is not always easy to weigh the differences between these and determine which ones are best suited for your operation.
Functionality is as important as efficiency. After all – if the benefits do not exceed the drawbacks you would probably not use spacers at all. Amongst others functionality is determined by factors such as:
- Support of the stacked boxes
- Stackability
- Rigidness
- Easy to clean
- Anti-slip surface
- Handling, manually or automated/Robot
- Weight
- Cost and life-time
- Storage, when not in use
There are big differences in operations and processes and as such the way spacers are applied. Therefore the importance of the above features varies and the efficiency of the spacer and the above features must be prioritized, evaluated and rated individually when investing in spacers.
Why Ventilation spacers at all, How they work and how they boost air-flow?
Because the overall purpose of using spacers between stacked layers is to enable ventilation between these. This is to allow air-flow also through the center of the stacked layers where the air otherwise would have limited contact.
How do the VentiTeq spacers stand out?
Feedback from a wide range of companies indicate that VentiTeq spacers outperform other alternatives – simply because the unique design facilitates a high airflow and the best support of the box layers.
Compared to cheaper alternatives, the improved ventilation, easier handling and daily savings with VentiTeq spaces quickly outweigh the small additional costs making this investment profitable year after year.
Our air-flow spacers are made from recycled High-Density Polyethylene. This makes them withstand temperatures between -50°C and +90°C and also resistant to acids and chemicals. All together ensuring a long lifespan.
Can ventilation spacers also improve your set-up?
Throughout the years we have helped numerous companies in streamlining their processes with stacked product layers.
Are you also facing challenges due to non-uniform properties or other inappropriateness due to insufficient ventilation between stacked layers?
Feel free to contact us and we will do our best to objectively share our many years of experience – of course without any obligations for you.
