Temperature-Controlled Thermal Container – Quick Packout

By employing sleeves containing phase-change material, Minnesota Thermal Science increases thermal protection by at least 15%. Packing shippers with temperature-control devices and insulation materials consistently and quickly can be a challenge. To offer a time-saving solution, Minnesota Thermal Science (MTS; www.credothermal.com) has devised the Credo Thermal Isolation Sleeve (TIS)™ consisting of a flexible plastic material containing liquid 4°C PCM (Phase Change Material). The system can be used immediately, eliminating the need for warming the company’s Thermal Isolation Chamber (TIC) panels to a minimum safe operating temperature in order to prevent cold shock when the product is loaded.

“The Credo TIS is designed to simplify pack out each time, year round, with no difference between summer or winter. Users can pack out immediately, speeding up their operations. Two sleeves isolate the payload from the frozen TIC panels, reducing the risk of low temperature excursions while enabling the TIC panels to be loaded immediately from freezer into the insulation set. During pack out, users place one conditioned sleeve into the payload space creating a ‘U’ shape form covering the bottom of the TIC panel and two of the adjacent side walls. After the user places the payload on top of the first TIS, he or she places the second TIS over the top of the payload and remaining sides to form an upside-down ‘U’ shape covering. The user then places the top TIC panel onto the TIC assembly and completes the rest of the assembly.

When used in this manner, the TIS sleeve increases the Credo TIC’s®  overall thermal performance while extending the Credo® shipper temperature control duration by 15 to 20%. The Credo TIS is in final testing with some of MTS’s major clients, Lawler adds.