Cannon Afros has developed new equipment to manufacture formable, extra-wide PUR-based VIPs, proving the project to be a success. - April 23, 2024
April 23, 2024
Cannon Afros, part of the Cannon Group, is the world’s leading supplier of dosing systems, mixing equipment, processing technologies and expertise for the thermal insulation of domestic and commercial refrigerators using polyurethane (PUR) resin-based formulations.
The aim of the LIFE VICORPAN Project is the development of energy-efficient and recyclable Vacuum-improved Insulation by CORe shaped PANels and it is going to bring significant improvements in the energy consumption of refrigerators, freezers and cooling cabinets used in supermarkets, stores, restaurants with a direct sales function.
The project is led by Cannon Afros, with co-funding from the European Union’s LIFE program (LIFE20 CCM/IT001644), in close cooperation with partners BASF Polyurethanes bringing knowledgeable insulation chemistry for open cell foam-based vacuum insulation panel (VIP) solutions, and EPTA, a multinational industrial Group specialized and leader in commercial refrigeration and who will integrate the new VIP panels into its products.
VIPs with an open-cell polyurethane core have a lower density, greater flexibility and are much lighter than traditional glass-fibre based VIPs. The improved VICORPAN design can now provide up to 17% lower heat transmission in commercial refrigerators and freezers compared with conventional PUR foam insulation.
The initiative has a high potential to reduce CO2 emissions of commercial refrigerators, contributing an essential percentage of the total energy consumption related to cold chain cycles. The project responds to policy goals related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, and recyclability, as well as the technical development of refrigerating appliances for domestic and commercial use.
The project encompasses panel assembly in refrigerator prototypes produced in Italy and France by the project partner EPTA, as well as testing their operational use and energy efficiency, thereby helping manufacturers meet higher categories of energy efficiency labelling in Europe. First introduced for selected household appliances in 1994 and subsequently expanded in 2004, the EU energy label has been a key driver for helping consumers to choose products which are more and more energy efficient. The EU Energy Labelling (EU) 2019/2018 and Ecodesign (EU) 2019/2024 regulations, that establish the regulatory requirements for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function (i.e for commercial refrigerators), came into force in March 2021 and are giving a strong drive towards their efficiency. Both regulations are indirectly intended to promote innovation among manufacturers, to reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of refrigeration equipment.
Cannon Group is exhibiting at UTECH Europe 2024 in Maastricht, The Netherlands, (April 23-25), Booth F14.
On Wednesday April 24, Simone Bechi from Cannon Afros will deliver a presentation entitled: “Enhancing efficiency and sustainability in commercial refrigeration: the LIFE20 VICORPAN Project” in Auditorium 2, 12:45pm – 1:00pm.
