Client: Hultsteins

Written by: Rob White

Hulsteins needed a control system for their multi-zone refrigerated lorries – vital for preventing foodstuffs from spoiling, energy efficiency and maintaining air conditioning.

Frustrated by an out of date, overly expensive and difficult to maintain control system – we designed a modular control system with a small, simple to use HMI to control the fridge and individual parts that are easy to replace with wiring kept to a minimum.

A simple web interface through a wifi access point on the fridge grants access to anyone with a web browser and login details and enables them to configure the fridge remotely.

Symbolic buttons and minimal text make it suitable for international use. Control of multiple clutches, solenoids and pressure sensors is achieved using custom machined enclosures and PCBs.

Our experience in control systems with a variety of sensors and high power output requirements meant we could design the custom hardware required with guaranteed reliability. Our expertise in CAN communications enabled us to provide additional data to our customer by connecting to the vehicle CAN Bus.