Canadian point–of–purchase display cabinet maker MTL Cool manufactures only propane (R290) refrigerant products, and Mark Bedard, the company Co-Owner, noted that it provides the highest efficiencies.
With manufacturing facilities in Chambly, Quebec, and Plattsburg, New York, the manufacturer builds custom cabinets and produces a standard line of coolers and freezers for the Canadian and U.S. markets. The company launched its first propane-based cabinet in 2017.
MTL’s clients want open display cabinets to increase impulse purchases, and propane helps make the units as efficient as possible, Bedard told Marc Chasserot, ATMOsphere’s CEO and Founder, in a recent interview. ATMOsphere is the publisher of NaturalRefrigerants.com.
Without the need for tools or specific training, the filter, clipped on the front side of the condenser cabinet, can be removed and cleaned, with Bedard noting that accumulated dust affects performance. “For open case efficiency, the combination of propane refrigerant and the filter makes for a nice slick unit,” he said.
MTL manufactures its thermal panes for glass doors with an engineered bull nose to allow high content visibility. According to Bedard, the doors are argon-filled and UV-cured to reduce heat transmission through the glass.
All units are tested to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 72 standard for refrigerators and freezers. “However, we go beyond the standard,” Bedard said. “We like to think this is the best-protected machine in the market, with high-pressure controls and low-voltage monitors for cases powered by extension cords.”
Bedard noted that the company has started testing variable speed compressors, but it has not found them as reliable or technician-friendly as a dual circuit with smaller compressors. “We use a multistage unit that provides redundancy and allows us to keep tighter temperature control on the product,” he said.
Custom build: quick turnaround
MTL caters to store owners with specific needs or desires to efficiently use available space, with design and build services for tailor-made merchandisers.
“As a family-owned business, we pride ourselves on being nimble,” Bedard said. “Our experience allows us to talk to a customer, sort out what will work and quickly build a prototype.” He indicated that the turnaround time from the finished design to shipping a tailor-made prototype runs roughly two weeks.
Besides manufacturing thermal panes, MTL also produces its merchandiser panels from sheet metal using automated punching, bending and painting processes. According to Bedard, MTL charges each unit with a preset amount of propane in an explosion-proof enclosure and then seals it with an ultrasonic weld using a combination of pressure and heat.
With a 20-year manufacturing history, MTL said it has 50,000 refrigeration units operating in over 15,000 stores, with clients including dairy and plant-based yogurt producer DanoneWave, cereal brand giant General Mills, deli cheese and meat producer Kraft Heinz and the U.S. supermarket chain Kroger.
