Plug-n Cool performance Embraco

plug-n cool PERfoRmANCE

Embraco is a global leader in the design and manufacture of compressors and electronic controls for the refrigerator industry. The company is well-known as a pioneering product innovator. Philip Yorke reports on some of Embraco’s latest products and energy-saving solutions.

Embraco is a multinational company that is focused on delivering innovative solutions for refrigerators designed for commercial and domestic applications. The company was founded in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 1971, in order to supply products for the Brazilian refrigerator industry, which at the time relied entirely on imported compressors. Embraco expanded quickly thanks to its customer focus and innovative products and subsequently established modern production plants in Brazil, Italy, China, Slovakia, the USA, and Mexico and has also set up a sales office in Russia.

Today the company offers advanced refrigerator technologies for the household, and commercial segments, such as retail food outlets, restaurants and medical installations. Today Embraco produces more than 40 million compressors a year and employs over 10,000 people. The company distributes its products to more than 80 countries worldwide.

Super energy-saving

A recent addition to Embraco’s growing high-tech product portfolio is its ‘Plug n’ Cool’ high energy-efficiency system that was specifically designed for supermarkets. This complete refrigeration solution system enables a reduction in supermarket energy consumption by more than 35 per cent. The new solution provides better food preservation and cooling capacity with significantly lower energy consumption, as well as offering gains in internal space.

A leading independent supermarket group called the MIG Group, based in Brazil, recently replaced its refrigeration system in one of its many modern 1,600 square metre stores with the latest Embraco Plug n’ Cool solution, which is a sealed refrigeration unit focused on vertical coolers. Modular in design, the new equipment can be used in different store formats, from small family businesses to the largest wholesalers, thus increasing overall in-store design flexibility.

As ‘Plug n’ Cool’ is more compact than its competitors’ products and does not require a machine room, it can provide customers with significant display option gains. These can amount to over 20 per cent more space for product display and merchandising units. Another key advantage is the system’s sustainability appeal which uses R290 Propane natural gas refrigerant thus reducing CO2 emissions by 97 per cent during the product’s entire lifespan. Because it is a plug-in system, the installation time of the refrigeration cabinets is not only 70 per cent faster, but much easier to maintain and clean.

Showcasing efficiency

In February this year, Embraco showcased its latest cutting edge technologies at the REFRIGERA 2019 Trade Fair in Italy. Here the company was seen to be reinforcing its leadership position as one of the biggest players in the market. Offering an unrivalled range of refrigeration technologies Embraco offered an entirely new set of applications for the food retail, food service and merchandiser markets.

One of the company’s most advanced high-efficiency solutions can be found in its latest EM compressor brand, which was formerly known as the household family of products that has now successfully migrated to the commercial segment. The EM range is extensive and accommodates the most complete product portfolio utilising the natural refrigerant, R290. Also showcased was the latest FMF line-up for

light commercial applications that offered medium and low temperature reach-ins, as well as supermarket islands using the company’s ‘Fullmotion’ variable speed technology.

The new NJX and Scroll solutions also presented a complete lineup at the trade fair, thus expanding the range from 500w to 13kW with the new low-GWP refrigerants. Moreover, the company’s Scroll portfolio has also been expanded to include models with inverters, because its variable speed motors affords additional energy saving advantages.

Successful in the rest of the world and tailor-made for the European market, Plug n’ Cool is now experiencing a growing demand for its high energy efficiency and broad range of benefits on the European continent.

Integrated research

The on-going development of new technologies ensures that products manufactured by Embraco remain the top-performers in the refrigerator industry. To maintain a high level of investment in R&D the company invests more than 4 per cent of its revenues in its R&D Centres, which also have the support of 43 company labs located at its various plants worldwide. These state-of-the-art labs are equipped with cutting edge technology for research, measurement and diagnostics, as well as creating software for simulation and experimental projects.

Embraco currently holds a total of 1,277 patents and its team of 500 engineers and technicians work in an integrated manner to provide solutions for the top manufacturers of domestic and commercial refrigeration products worldwide. The company also has technical cooperation agreements with renowned university laboratories and research centres, thus forming a global network for innovation and the continuous improvement of its product portfolio.

Embraco not only supplies the latest generation of hermetic compressors and condensing units but it also teams up with its clients to develop ever more efficient refrigeration systems. n

For further details of Embraco’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.embraco.com