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Retail & Commercial • Refrigeration Monitoring

Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions

Transforming Retail Equipment Management with Cellular IoT

Emerson

Project Overview

Integration
Emerson Site Supervisor
Sites Deployed
200+ retail locations
Equipment Types
Walk-in coolers, freezers, RTUs
Target Markets
Grocery, C-Store, QSR
200+
Retail Locations
45%
Downtime Reduction
24/7
Remote Monitoring
$0
Spoilage Claims (Q4)

!The Challenge

Emerson's Site Supervisor is a leading facility management platform used by grocery chains, convenience stores, and quick-service restaurants to monitor refrigeration and HVAC systems. However, many retail customers—particularly smaller chains and franchises—struggled to integrate their existing equipment with the platform due to networking constraints.

The core problems:

  • Store network restrictions: IT policies blocked external connections from refrigeration controllers
  • Legacy equipment: Older Copeland Scroll compressors and E2 controllers lacked native IP connectivity
  • Installation costs: Running Ethernet to walk-in coolers cost $2,000-5,000 per location
  • Compliance gaps: HACCP temperature logging was manual and error-prone
  • Delayed alerts: Temperature excursions often discovered hours after they began
$42K
Avg spoilage cost per incident
3.2 hrs
Avg detection delay
68%
Sites without monitoring

The Solution

Emerson partnered with MachineCDN to create a cellular bypass solution that connects legacy refrigeration equipment directly to Site Supervisor without touching store networks. Using Teltonika RUT241 compact gateways with integrated 4G/LTE modems, each location streams temperature and equipment data over cellular, completely independent of store IT infrastructure.

Per-Location Configuration

Hardware Stack
  • • Teltonika RUT241 gateway
  • • RS485 to Modbus converter
  • • 4x PT1000 RTD temp sensors
  • • Door contact sensors (dry)
  • • DIN rail power supply 24VDC
  • • IP66 enclosure (outdoor)
Monitored Points
  • • Walk-in cooler air temp
  • • Walk-in freezer air temp
  • • Reach-in case temps (4-8 units)
  • • Compressor run status
  • • Defrost cycle timing
  • • Door open/close events
Integration Points
  • • Site Supervisor API (REST)
  • • HACCP report generation
  • • Email/SMS/push alerts
  • • Work order auto-creation
  • • Historical trend export
  • • Multi-site dashboard

FDA/HACCP Compliant Alert Thresholds

Walk-in Cooler
Target: 34°F - 40°F
>41°F for 15 min = Warning, >45°F = Critical
Walk-in Freezer
Target: -10°F to 0°F
>5°F for 15 min = Warning, >10°F = Critical
Reach-in Cases
Target: 35°F - 38°F
>40°F for 10 min = Warning
Prep Tables
Target: 38°F - 40°F
>41°F for 10 min = Warning

Typical Installation (2 hours)

1
Mount Gateway
15 min
Install RUT241 in equipment room, connect 24VDC power and cellular antenna
2
Wire Sensors
30 min
Connect PT1000 probes to walk-in cooler/freezer, route cables through conduit
3
Modbus Setup
15 min
Connect RS485 to existing E2 controller or Copeland Scroll digital interface
4
Cloud Config
30 min
Gateway auto-provisions to MachineCDN, configure alert thresholds in portal
5
Verify & Train
15 min
Confirm data flow to Site Supervisor, train store manager on mobile app

Measured Results (12-month period)

Operational Improvements

Sites with real-time monitoring32% → 100%
Avg alert response time3.2 hrs → 18 min
Equipment downtime-45%
HACCP compliance rate100%

Financial Impact

Spoilage incidents (annual)23 → 2
Spoilage cost avoided$882,000
Service call reduction-30%
Energy savings (compressor opt.)$156,000
"The MachineCDN solution solved our biggest barrier to Site Supervisor adoption: getting data out of stores without fighting with store IT. The cellular bypass is brilliant—we install in 2 hours, and the store manager starts getting alerts on their phone the same day. One regional grocery chain went from zero visibility to 100% coverage in 6 weeks."
SK
Sarah Kim
Product Manager, Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions

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