Temperature controlled packaging (also recognized as “chilled packaging”, or “cold chain logistics”) is applied to package items that are needed to maintain within a certain temperature range. Food or medical products in particular need specific temperature control and consideration to maintain their quality and condition. An example of this might include biopharmaceutical trial, that involves transporting delicate biologics between different laboratories, manufacturers, and designated spaces for human trials. Whether this transportation network is local, national, or international, the same set of principles apply: biologic payload should be moved throughout this connected network without significant changes in temperature.
The mortar and brick links in these networks (laboratory, manufacturing facilities, healthcare units) needed to be supported by transport links (couriers, cargo planes, haulage, etc.), all of which should be equipped to carry related hardware such as freezers and other cooling systems, to ensure your goods stays within its specific temperature range. The combination of these mortar and bricks, transport network, and keeping goods at specific temperatures represents a working cold chain.
To successfully link cold chain infrastructure together, we need to use high-quality, compatible temperature-controlled packaging solutions which are in correct size and suitable for specific temperature range and time of your shipment. Temperature controlled packaging solutions market provides various packaging solutions to opt from for your products. Before helping you in choosing the right solution for your products, let’s take a look at how does temperature-controlled packaging works.
How does temperature-controlled packaging work?
There are two major ways to transport temperature-controlled items: active provision and passive provision of temperature control. Passive temperature-controlled packaging consists of three major components: outer packaging, insulation, phase change material. Below is the detailed description:
· Outer packaging: Outer packaging ensures that your package has a rigid outer surface to sustain long international transportation without losing its shape owing to impact or weather conditions. It plays a key role in maintaining your payload at its specific temperature.
Generally, temperature-controlled packaging solutions in the market come in two types of outer packaging: corrugated cardboard or fluted polypropylene. Corrugated cardboard is suitable for single-use packaging because it can provide all the protection needed from external elements but be slowly disposed of after receiving shipment. Fluted polypropylene has extra benefits of being fire resistant, water resistant, and provides more rigid packaging than cardboard. It is best suited for use in multiple products.
· Insulation: Insulation is the first layer of protection against thermal conductivity. The goal of insulated packaging is to reduce the transfer of heat and cold from the products to the surrounding environment. The two major types of insulated packaging in temperature-controlled packaging: foam-based insulations, vacuum insulation panels (VIPs). Foam-based insulation is generally molded assemblies with lid and base elements, while VIP are assembled in the form of cuboid from sets of one to six panels. Form-based insulation is produced from plastic based raw materials, and air is trapped in these boards to form insulation. VIPs use rigid core materials of fiberglass and fumed silica, that is vacuum sealed in an air-tight bag to remove air.
· Phase change material (PCM): Phase change material is used to create a second layer of thermal protection for the protection of your payload. Firstly, let us understand what does the phase change means. Materials generally exist in three major states: solid, liquid, gas. To change the state, material needs to release or absorb energy from the environment. Phase change materials in temperature-controlled packaging help in maintaining specific temperatures by changing phases whenever required due to changes in weather conditions.
There are various types of PCMs available in the temperature-controlled packaging solutions market: organic, eutectic, and inorganic. These types come from different sources like petroleum, water, salt solutions, fatty acids, and others, with different thermal properties. By matching the melting point of the PCM to the specific temperature of the cargo, there is a high thermal stability in packaging which results in better protection to products in transit.
Choosing best solution:
To understand which temperature-controlled packaging solution is best for use in your payload is complicated. Various types of payloads require temperature specifications during transit; blood, tissue, pharma, biopharma products reagents, enzymes, and many other products need to be kept in cold packages to retain efficiency.
Below we have discussed some of the major considerations when choosing temperature-controlled packaging solution.
· Payload volume: The major point we need to consider while choosing packaging solution is payload volume. You can use small temperature-controlled solution in general payloads. However, if you are moving bulk quantities of pharma products you may need larger, pallet-size, or multiple solutions.
· Duration: Duration is related to the number of hours a packaging will protect your payload at specific temperature. Solutions should be selected by considering external thermal environment, distance, and medium of transport (road, sea, air). You need to opt for a solution that will provide proper temperature requirements as long as you need it.
· Temperature range: Prior to purchasing temperature-controlled packaging solution, you should consider the temperature range your goods required to maintain efficiency. Whether it’s -70 degrees C or 60 degrees C, you will need your solution to come with suitable phase change material.
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