Lower room temperatures create a larger difference between the inside and outside. More insulation is normally needed to limit heat gain and surface condensation.
In short: Frostbox typically offers 80 or 100 mm panels for chillers and 100 or 120 mm for freezers. The final choice depends on the whole project.
Panel thickness should reflect:
- target product and air temperature;
- highest expected ambient temperature;
- humidity and solar exposure;
- floor construction and ground conditions;
- door traffic and opening size;
- energy and condensation requirements.
A generic chart is a starting point, not a specification. A room in a cool warehouse may not need the same build-up as an identical room beside a hot kitchen.
Temperatures below the standard freezer range require specialist assessment of panels, floor, door heaters, vapour control and refrigeration equipment.
Target temperature drives the minimum thickness
The target temperature sets the minimum insulation thickness. Colder rooms and hotter surroundings need a thicker core to keep transmission load under control.
| Application | Target temperature | Minimum panel | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool / chill room | +2 °C to +8 °C | 80 mm | Dairy, produce, beverages |
| Meat / fish chiller | 0 °C to +4 °C | 100 mm | Fresh meat, fish, low-temp processing |
| Freezer | −18 °C to −22 °C | 100 mm (step up to 120 mm in hot ambients or to cut running cost) | Frozen goods, ice cream |
| Deep freeze | −25 °C to −40 °C | 150–200 mm (industry guideline — outside the Frostbox range; Frostbox freezing rooms are rated −18 to −22 °C) | Long-term frozen storage, blast freezing |
A practical chilled-storage target is ≤ 5 °C — a widely used best-practice figure, with national rules varying rather than a single EU hard number — while the frozen-food benchmark of −18 °C is a firm, internationally consistent line. Hot ambient conditions push you up a step: where summer temperatures regularly exceed 35 °C, add roughly 20 mm to the minimums above.
Frostbox standard range
Frostbox standard range: The Frostbox/MTH Algor catalogue is built around 80 mm and 100 mm for chill/cold rooms and 100 and 120 mm for freezing rooms. 60, 150 and 200 mm thicknesses appear in generic industry tables but are not Frostbox/Algor product options. The without-floor option is offered for the Cold Room 80 mm configuration only.
To match a configuration to your application, see Choosing the right cold room. For why thickness translates directly into thermal resistance, see How insulated panels keep heat out.
Related articles
- How Cold Rooms Work
- How insulated panels keep heat out
- Cold room heat load explained
- Choosing the right cold room
- Panel specifications
Recommendations reflect the MTH Algor panel system supplied by Frostbox. For help matching panel thickness to your application, contact [email protected].
