For businesses that ship temperature-sensitive products, cold chain logistics is a necessary part of the process, as any sustained variance from an ideal temperature may impact the quality or even safety of certain products, such as food, beverages, and medication. Fortunately, various methods are available to businesses to protect their products, with four main thermal protection solutions to choose from. These are the most common methods companies employ to serve their shipping needs.
Active Thermal Protection
One of the most intensive—but also most demanding—is the active thermal solution. One of the most common ways this technique is used is the utilization of refrigeration or “reefer” units. As the name suggests, active thermal protection is a technology that requires power to be utilized to cool the air down to the recommended shipping temperature. This power is provided either through electricity from batteries, a generator, or even fuel from a motor. The result, however, is that the space in which the products are placed is cooled.
Passive Thermal Protection
Another technique for shipping temperature-sensitive products is passive thermal protection. Here, layers of insulation preserve the initial optimal shipping temperature and prevent it from changing. Insulated box liners, thermal quilts, and other products are all examples of layers of insulation that maintain internal temperatures and prevent external temperatures from leaking in.
This is often a good solution for saving energy, and even without refrigeration, the shipping temperature can be maintained for hours, days, or even weeks.
Hybrid Thermal Protection
There are some circumstances where shipping temperature-sensitive products requires maximum protection, and hybrid thermal protection offers that by using both of the previous techniques. While passive temperature protection may seem unnecessary when active protection is present, some shipping situations make that impractical during vulnerable transition periods.
For example, if a plane is delayed, passive thermal protection retains shipping temperatures even hours after removal.
Sustainable Shipping Protection
A new development in shipping temperature-sensitive products is the use of sustainable materials. This is beneficial for a few reasons, such as keeping costs low. Sustainable passive protection, for example, means the insulation or liners are reusable, meaning that over time, rather than having to buy new protection, the same one is good for multiple uses.
Do What’s Right For You
Depending on the type of product you ship and the timelines you’re working with, you may find that active, passive, hybrid, or even sustainable shipping protection is the right solution. If you want to ensure that you get the right passive thermal protection for your needs, contact us and obtain a quote.
