When you’re working with a temperature controlled supply chain, all of the items we’ll discuss here can be essentials. Most shippers won’t need all of them all the time, but each of them has a major role to play in keeping hundreds of thousands of supply chains moving every day.
1. Phase Change Gel Packs
Phase change materials, such as ice, dry ice, and refrigerant gel packs, are standard tools of temperature controlled logistics. Each has its advantages and drawbacks. Regular water ice is inexpensive used for packing some food items, but it melts quickly and becomes messy after melting.
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Another phase change material that’s often used in cold chain logistics is dry ice. This material, made from solidified carbon dioxide, is good at keeping items extremely cold, but it requires special handling procedures and can cause burns if not handled carefully.
Air Sea’s reusable cooling gel packs are a new step forward in temperature controlled packaging. These cooling packs are made with a non-toxic gel formula that’s much safer and easier to handle than dry ice, but provides comparable cooling power. Plus, as part of our line of eco-friendly packing materials, they’re recyclable and reusable.
2. Styrofoam Coolers
Styrofoam coolers are a time-tested and low-cost shipping material. They’re perfect for applications where you need the insulating power of a cooler in a durable but disposable format.
Air Sea styrofoam coolers are constructed with one-inch-thick styrofoam walls that provide great protection against scrapes and bumps, and the abundant space they offer makes them among the most cost-effective shipping materials. Many of our styrofoam coolers also come with a corrugated temperature controlled box that provides an extra layer of protection for your temperature sensitive goods.
3. Bio-Bottle
Temperature controlled shipping is a must-have for many types of scientific and medical specimens. Some of these specimens may also require UN Category A or B packaging if they are known or suspected to contain infectious pathogens.
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The Bio-Bottle packaging system is designed to address these needs and to give shippers a diagnostic and infectious packaging solution that they can be confident meets all regulations. Some models, like our Ultra-Freeze MAX Pack, can keep a specimen between -80 to -20ºC for up to 96 hours. (Don’t forget to purchase biohazard bags as well if your specimens require them.)
4. GPS Temperature Monitoring System
A GPS temperature monitoring system can help you keep tabs on your most important temperature sensitive goods. These unobtrusive waterproof thermometers can be placed in a cargo vehicle to provide constant monitoring of a shipment’s location and temperature.
Should your goods leave their safe temperature range, you’ll get an alert from the thermometer. GPS thermometers offer an ideal way to evaluate the capabilities of a new cold chain logistics partner, and they help keep consumers safe by flagging products that may be spoiled.
5. Temperature Control Stickers
Freight handlers need to be aware when they’re dealing with temperature sensitive goods, especially goods that are packaged with dry ice. That’s why it’s important to place temperature control warning stickers on temperature sensitive goods.
Air Sea offers durable peel-and-stick vinyl stickers with a variety of useful messages, including:
- Keep Frozen labels
- Keep Away from Heat labels
- IATA Time and Temperature Sensitive labels
- Refrigerate Upon Arrival labels
- Dry Ice warning labels
6. Insulating Materials
Temperature controlled packaging materials such as phase change packs are more effective when used alongside an insulating material. Some of the most popular choices include expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) (a cousin of Styrofoam that provides excellent insulation) and radiant barrier films. These materials help prevent heat transfer and keep cold goods cold.
7. Bucket and Drum Heaters
Sometimes, the goal is not to keep cargo cold, but to keep it warm. For these applications, the logistics industry relies on bucket and drum heaters. Air Sea Containers offers flexible heating jackets from leading brands like Powerblanket® and Intelliheat. These soft, flexible insulated heaters provide an even and consistent heat for containers of many different sizes, from five-gallon buckets to 275-gallon IBC totes.
Air Sea Containers has been helping our customers create temperature controlled packaging solutions for over 25 years. We’ll be glad to help you design yours—just call us at (866) 596-9448 or contact us online.
