The isothermal booth is an integral part of transport when transporting various perishable products, frozen semi-finished products, goods from the pharmaceutical industry by trucks or light vehicles. Also, flower products are transported in such vans.
Design of vans
Modern models, which are equipped with modern trucks, have fairly thick walls. They perfectly maintain the desired temperature. A thick galvanized steel profile is used as the inner lining. This profile is quite rigid and of high quality, it does not oxidize and withstands chemical attack very well. However, in addition to the profile, plastic or stainless steel can be used as a skin.
Frameless van
In European countries, the isothermal booth is made using a special, frameless technology. A special, pre-bent profile is used. It is lighter than the conventional profile by more than 30%. Although the weight of the van is quite light, but all the connections are enoughdurable. Galvanized metal is used as fasteners. Solid metal skids are used as a mounting base, which are fixed to the car frame along the entire length.
Insulated booth made of sandwich panels
These vans are mostly used with additional refrigeration equipment. Polyurethane foam is used here as an insulating material. It is pumped under pressure between the inner and outer panels. This allows you to repeatedly increase the characteristics of the booth, and also provides high strength and reliability of the entire structure.
With the help of special formulas, the thickness of the body wall can be calculated so that the temperature is maintained during the entire trip. Such preservation is especially important for the transportation of medicines and perishable foodstuffs. Here you need to maintain it close to zero degrees. An isothermal booth is a thermos that reliably keeps the temperature.
Produce such bodies for popular brands of truck chassis. These are Mercedes, Gazelle, Kamaz, MAZ, GAZ and other cars. But most of these vans are created under the "Gazelle".
Production steps
Production of isothermal booths that could keep the temperature well is carried out at various enterprises using international standards and European technologies. High-quality heat-insulating materials are also used.
To make a good booth that can confidently keep the set temperature, you must firstcheck sandwich panels for compliance with quality. This is done in production using ultrasonic technology. So it turns out to find defects and voids in this material. In production, in the factory, they still perform multiple calculations in laboratories.
Van floor
In addition to wall cladding, special attention is paid to the floor of the body. Often it must be wooden. Further, according to the technology, the floor will be covered with a special additional material, and then covered with a galvanized steel sheet on top. The sheet will fit perfectly to the floor and thus protect it from water and other negative influences.
Roof
Galvanized sheet is also great for building a roof. It is securely riveted to the body walls so that there is not a single hole.
Doorway
In order to seal this part of the van as much as possible, a special rubber seal is used, made according to a special formula. This rubber is polyurethane rubber. The material perfectly retains its flexibility characteristics and is not afraid of sudden changes in temperature.
To finally seal the van, use a special tape sealant and silicone. This is how the isothermal booth, installed on the Gazelle, is sealed.
Van DIY
Without owning European technologies and materials, you can also make something similar. Let's try to insulate the car body.
Today there are many companies that offer insulation services. Asmaterials, extruded polystyrene foam in slabs is offered. It's great for interior cladding.
Since this material has a straight edge, this allows for the tightest fit of the sheets to each other during the laying process. Plates measuring 2500 mm long and 600 mm wide. The process of warming will reduce temperature leaks to a minimum, and in the future such an isothermal booth, assembled with your own hands, can work as a refrigerator.
Selection of insulation materials
In order for the work to be carried out with maximum efficiency, it is worth carefully choosing the right insulation. You can try the product from the Stirofom company.
For industrial products that have average temperatures, IBF 250A can be applied inside. The average thickness should be chosen no more than 4 cm. If the van is made of solid metal, then the requirements are more serious. Here you need a thicker material. The thickness must be at least 50mm.
DIY van
Our country is a country of unique opportunities. Our people do not use European developments and do not ask for help and advice from specialists. It is worth considering such developments in order to understand whether it is possible to make this product with your own hands or not.
Often, foam was used to make an isothermal booth. It was fixed completely by hand, and then upholstered with a galvanized sheet. Designalso provides special pipes. With the help of these pipes, the cold leaves the van body faster.
Owners are very unhappy with this fact, as even with the refrigerator constantly running, there is no stable cold air in the van.
Disadvantages of such a system
It is difficult to keep the temperature lower than -10 degrees. Condensation constantly forms in the body, which leads to the destruction of metal surfaces. It is necessary to constantly repair isothermal booths and paint them from the inside. A doorway made of ferrous metal alloys will not last long. It would be better to use stainless steel.
Such a booth can only lead to damaged nerves, cargo, wasted money.
As needed
It should be done as they do in Europe or in our country, but according to their technologies. You can look at the isothermal booths (see photo below) to see the difference.
For greater efficiency, plastic sheets are used, and the space between the sheets is filled with liquid polyurethane foam. In our country, it is much cheaper and easier to buy a ready-made van, which is already insulated with sandwich panels.
However, everything is not easy here either. Ordering insulation directly from a car dealer is one thing. If a private manufacturer, who has nothing to do with cars, is engaged in the process of insulation, it is completely different. It can be quite difficult to determine if everything is correct here.done.
Two options
As already mentioned, you can insulate the van with a special plate. Since the frame is quite dense, and the dimensions of the body of the same Gazelle are standard, there is no need to cut the insulation. To prevent the so-called cold bridges, the seams between the plates should be filled with sealant. Laminated plywood, various types of plastic or stainless steel can be used as the material for the inner lining. The selection and use of them largely depend on what you have to carry in this homemade isothermal van.
Working on the second option is much easier. But the prices for materials are slightly higher. So, polyurethane foam will be used as an insulating element. It can be bought at any stores. The inside of the van should be evenly coated with this material. That's all. Anything is suitable for plating on top.
That's all you need to make an insulated van (or thermal booth).
