The process of cold chain logistics is a long, intricate process of coordination that is impressive for just how reliable it is the majority of the time. Regardless of whether a temperature-sensitive product is coming on a ship from China across the Suez Canal or being delivered by plane and then delivery van direct to a consumer’s home, products that need to maintain their temperature are kept that way and handed off from one “link” to the next with little trouble. However, that’s not to say that the cold chain logistics system works perfectly all the time. And when it doesn’t, that can put shipments in peril. Insulation, such as thermal quilt insulation, can be a vital form of auxiliary protection when this happens, and here’s why.
Active Systems Need Power
Under typical freight transportation circumstances, temperature-sensitive products will be transported with active environmental systems. This means, such as in the case of a “reefer” container or tractor-trailer, that a refrigeration unit relying on a supply of electricity is present. Just like with regular consumer or commercial fridges, these reefer units consume energy to keep temperatures at the specified, optimal level for the intended cargo.
As long as these units receive power, the products are safe. Of course, things can go wrong with hardware, but the real danger comes when products are removed from these stable environments and are awaiting transition to the next stage of the journey. Unfortunately, these products aren’t always placed in similar environments that also have active temperature maintenance systems.
Insulation Works When Nothing Else Does
Thermal quilt insulation and other forms of passive protection become essential during these periods of transition. Thermal quilt insulation is, by design, a passive form of temperature maintenance. This means that rather than cooling the air through an energy-intensive refrigeration process, insulation maintains temperature by preventing leakage.
Under normal circumstances, products naturally move to room temperature as a result of being hotter or colder than the environment. That differential is lost as the excess heat or cool “bleeds off” into the environment. However, with products such as thermal quilt insulation, chilled air, for example, is packed with a product, and the thermal quilt prevents that cool air from leaving while at the same time preventing warm air from seeping in.
As a result, internal temperatures can be maintained for hours or even days, with a minimal change in the optimal temperature, despite lacking active temperature maintenance. If you’re shipping temperature-sensitive products and want more protection, contact Protek Cargo with your needs and get a quote.
