How Quisquater improved its working environment with a combined dehumidification and “invisible door” solution

Moisture and ice were threatening the work environment in freezer room

In response to growing demand, Quisquater decided to expand its business with additional freezer capacity. However, the high humidity in the area surrounding the new freezer room created several challenges. Ice and snow formed on the floor of the freezer cell, the shelves where the fish and seafood were stored, and on the products themselves. This created potential risks in terms of work safety, hygiene and cross-contamination. On top of the challenges in the cold store itself, the installation of the new freezing unit also resulted in a significant drop in temperature from +10ºC to -2ºC in the adjacent production area. This drop was caused by the fact that the door between the freezer room and the production zone was almost constantly open when order pickers were preparing orders. The cold air flowed out of the freezer cell and made it difficult for workers to work safely and efficiently. This led to a noticeable increase in sick days, as staff were more susceptible to viruses and colds. “You arrived at work early in the morning and as soon as you walked in you felt the cold air flow. This was not very pleasant to work in,” explains Ben de Mesmaecker, a Quisquater employee.

A safer and more comfortable working environment at Quisquater thanks to Munters’ total solution

Quisquater wanted to find a solution to create a safer and more comfortable working environment for employees both inside and outside the freezing room. Munters was chosen because of our expertise and high-quality dehumidification equipment, which could effectively address the moisture problems in and around the freezer room. The combination of the dehumidifiers and the invisible door solution was exactly what was needed to solve the temperature problem in the production area. The entire installation was completed in less than two weeks, without any interruption to business operations. For the invisible door solution, Munters partnered with Masterveil, a Belgian company that we have previously worked with successfully on several similar projects. The invisible door is an innovative solution that creates a thermal separation to keep the cold air in the freezer and the warm air in the adjacent production area. As a result, the evaporators on both sides do not have to work so hard, which results in significant energy savings. “Immediately after the installation of Munters’ total solution, we noticed a huge difference. The ice and snow in the freezer disappeared like snow in the sun. And the temperature in the production area rose from -2ºC to the desired +10ºC. We thus created a more pleasant, safer and hygienic working environment for both our products and our employees, resulting in increased motivation and fewer sick days. Our staff greatly appreciates that,” explains Quisquater Managing Director Maxim Seghers. The combination of dehumidifiers and invisible door solution creates a safe working environment at Quisquater The solution at Quisquater consists of:

• Munters IceDry 1400
• Munters ML1100 dehumidifier
• Masterveil Airstop solution

The Munters IceDry 1400 is specially developed for installation in freezing rooms and offers two key advantages. By lowering the dew point it prevents water vapor from migrating into the freezing cell and turning into ice and snow. Additionally, the IceDry will sublimate all the snow and ice already present, resulting in a safer and more efficient working environment.

The Munters ML1100 controls moisture in the production area adjacent to the freezer by quickly lowering the dew point after each cleaning with water. Drying after cleaning dramatically reduces the moisture load to the freezer, and the dry air also provides a much more manageable germ count and improved hygiene housekeeping in the production area itself.

Masterveil's invisible door solution provides better thermal shielding between the freezer and the production zone as it reduces heat losses by up to 70%. It increases comfort and contributes to moisture control between zones.