WORLD – GEA Heat Exchangers have launched their GEA Küba gastro slim FM air coolers in an attempt to satisfy customers’ demands for extra-slim design and the use of natural refrigerants in addition to HFCs in cooling counters, food storage units, and cooling tables. The gastro slim FM is available as of today and has been designed to cater for the particular circumstances and strict regulations which govern the production and handling of foods and beverages.

In professional kitchens and dining areas various different climates and temperatures are needed for the stocking and refrigeration of foods and beverages. Bottles and kegs for example are usually stored in cooling counters at +6°C while cooking ingredients are generally stored at temperatures ranging from +2 C to – 20 C.

Storing food places high demands on refrigeration equipment due to the need for high ambient temperatures and the frequent changes in temperature caused by the opening and closing of cabinet doors. Efficient, reliable, and safe cooling demands efficient heat exchangers and a high quality forced supply of cold air in storage cabinets and cooling counters.

GEA claim that their gastro slim FM is the perfect solution for meeting the particular operating conditions encountered in cooling counters, food storage units, and cooling tables. The air coolers can either be side-mounted with a single sided air discharge or mounted behind a centre column with discharge to both sides. Due to its 75 mm installed width, the unit cooler can fit behind centre columns in almost all cooling counters. The gastro slim FM coolers are available with horizontal or vertical air discharge as required.

All versions of the coolers come equipped with an air straightener which should help to deliver uniform temperature distribution in cooling counters and also shorten cooling times. It is also possible to retrofit an electric defrost to the gastro slim cooler for use in applications which require temperatures as low as –30°C. The GEA Küba Green Line gastro slim FM has a hygienic powder coating outer finish which the company claims makes it suitable for use with sensitive as well as acidic products such as marinades and tropical fruits.

The gastro slim FM range of air coolers come in 3 model sizes, has a cooling duty ranging from 0,11 to 0,23 kW and holds air inlet temperatures between – 25 °C to +20 °C. The coolers have been designed to meet the various requirements of the developing CO2 system designs including transcritical, subcritical and standing pressures of up to 60Bar while they are also compatible with all widely used refrigerants.