Producer of thermo logistic solutions for

temperature controlled AIR - ROAD - SEA transport

Pharmaceuticals - Healthcare - Perishables - Food - Chemicals

If we talk about passive cooling in a cold chain or temperature controlled supply chain, we mean that temperature sensitive products as food, pharmaceuticals or chemicals are protected with insulation materials to protect the temperature of the products against unwanted external or outer temperatures. It is therefore the insulation quality which determines the temperature preservation or the temperature result of the products during the total transport. Next to the insulation quality there are a number of items which also determine the temperature result. All these items are:

All these items determine the temperature result. As soon as one of these items or parameters changes, the temperature result changes. This explains the reason why it is very difficult to almost impossible to predict a certain temperature result in a certain transport situation. The challenge becomes even bigger when different types of products are transported or shipped in the same passive cooling system or packaging.

If we calculate the possible temperature result of a certain transport situation we use the formulas from the thermo dynamics combined with the formulas in the building industry which results in a certain outcome in which the thermal energy, thermal resistance and thermal heat transfer is studied and calculated where also the potential cold bridges of the packaging are implemented combined with the three major heat transfer items being heat radiation, convection and conduction and all this in combination with the cooling or heating law of Newton. This is not a one page calculation, we can assure you. The problem with the theoretical calculation is often the missing information on the heat capacity of the temperature sensitive products which needs to be implemented in the formulas of the thermo dynamics. This heat capacity is only known for a few basic elements as water or metal and is not a factor which is commonly used. Therefore this heat capacity is mostly not known which makes it difficult to theoretically determine or to calculate the temperature result of a certain product in a certain transport situation.

A theoretical study which we most use is the reversed calculation of the thermal resistance of the insulation material. This means that we start with a test, according the temperature sensitive products and the transport situation, with a standard insulation material which has a certain insulation quality. This test is done with the products and according to the transport situations which results in a certain outcome. Next the customer states what the requirements need to be after which we calculate what the heat resistance of the insulation materials needs to be to ensure the required temperature result. If we place this reversed calculation in an example we would see the following:

In the graphic above an example of reversed calculations is shown. A certain product (X) with temperature (T) is insulated in a certain insulation material which as a certain insulation quality (U or R). This insulated solution is next placed in a certain environment (C) during a certain time (t). Together with the products a temperature measuring is done on different times (T1-9 and t1-9). This results in a certain curve (A). Next the customer states or requires a certain temperature (TW) at time point (tw). To get this result the insulation quality needs to be adapted which we than calculated theoretically.

As soon as the thermal resistance factor of the required insulation quality is determined, we produce the insulation material tailor made according to these requirements. Next we make the required protocols on how the insulation materials should be used and how the packaging should be done in order to achieve the best and most ideal temperature preservations.

When the required temperatures of the temperature sensitive products or the external temperatures or the transport situation in general has extreme conditions, it can happen that just insulating the temperature sensitive products or goods does not create the required or requested outcome or temperature result so extra cooling techniques need to be applied. Also it can happen that due to loading spaces and volumes the insulation quality has to be taken to a minimal so again additional cooling techniques need to be applied in order to achieve the required temperature result. If passive cooling is used, the following cooling techniques can be applied:

The Temax insulation can be produced for single use or multiple use applications. The Temax insulation is already successfully in use for the transport and distribution of temperature controlled food products, pharmaceuticals and chemicals in which chilled or cooled, frozen or deep frozen, and ambient temperature products are protected from unwanted external outer temperatures. The Temax insulation is flexible, has a high insulation quality which can be produced tailor made, is water resistant and is recyclable, even partial biologic degradable.

Krautz-Temax as the developer and producer of the Temax insulation material offers also studies on the insulation technology and quality as the logistic processes to close the cold chain or temperature controlled supply chain. We have several protocols on how pallets or boxes should be wrapped and packed in order to prevent cold bridges and result in a optimal temperature preservation and temperature protection. See also cold chain implementation plan

The Temax insulation material is already in use at some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies, food and chemical companies, freight forwarders and transport companies, airliners and shippers etc... This in road transport, air cargo and sea freight as single use or multiple use applications.