1. Why should the frozen CoolPacs not be placed next to the product load?
2. Why do we need to condition the CoolPacs at factory ambient temperature?
3. How are the temperature profiles used in the qualification created?
4. What are the differences in the styles of CoolPacs you offer?
5. Why shouldn’t I have my insulated shipping system placed in the fridge?
6. Is it ever sensible to put my +2°C to +8°C insulated shipping system in a fridge?
7. Why do I always seem to have moisture on the CoolPacs?
8. If I put dry ice into a shipper, will it burst as the dry ice sublimes?
9. Why do my temperature recorders always alarm at the start of shipping?
10. Why do my temperature recorders always alarm at the end of shipping?
11. Do you take your used packaging back?
12. How do I safely dispose of any packaging you have supplied after use?
13. Why don’t you put an inner (or core) carton in every design?
14. Do I need to use an outer carton for my temperature controlled packaging?
15. Where is the best location for a temperature monitor in my shipment?
16. Why does the monitored temperature fluctuate more than is seen in the qualification?
17. Do you suggest any label text to alert the receiving site that the shipment is of temperature sensitive product?
18. Why should I use temperature controlled packaging for shipping ‘Temperate’ product?
1. Why should the frozen CoolPacs not be placed next to the product load?
The liquid within a standard CoolPac changes phase from a solid to a liquid at approximately 0°C, during this change, the CoolPac is able to absorb large amounts of heat energy. If the CoolPac at 0°C or less is in direct contact with the product, then there is a risk that the product may fall below +2°C.
Back to top
2. Why do we need to condition the CoolPacs at factory ambient temperature?
To ensure that the CoolPac is completely frozen, the temperature to which it is conditioned must be below its point of phase change. At the point of removal from the freezer, it can become necessary to allow the CoolPac to warm slightly at factory ambient, bringing it closer to its point of phase change, as this will lessen the impact of its introduction into the control temperature package. This conditioning period prevents the product falling below +2°C.
Back to top
3. How are the temperature profiles used in the qualification created?
SCA Cool Logistics are happy to use customer-specified ambient profiles when qualifying your packaging. Alternatively, we can suggest profiles. We have over 3 years running trials with various companies, where the temperature of the TCP experienced during transit is logged. From this data, we are able to develop profiles to suit your requirements.
Back to top
4. What are the differences in the styles of CoolPacs you offer?
There are two key differences in the styles of CoolPacs we offer. The first difference is simply a packaging material change and this could be from a very flexible gel-filled bag, to a rigid bottle pack presentation. The second difference would reference the coolant material contained within the pack and at what temperature it would change phase.
Back to top
5. Why shouldn’t I have my insulated shipping system placed in the fridge?
Control temperature packaging is designed to maintain product temperature at a given range of ambient or external temperatures. If a pack designed to maintain product at +2°C to +8°C for European Summer shipments is placed in a +2°C to +8°C fridge and not the expected +25°C warehouse, the deltaT will be considerably reduced. This reduction in the pack's ambient temperature can cause the product to go below the specified minimum temperature. Temperature controlled packaging can be designed to be placed into a fridge or coldstore if required, although this will affect other logistical parameters.
Back to top
6. Is it ever sensible to put my +2°C to +8°C insulated shipping system in a fridge?
Yes. If you have a high understanding of your transportation route, you may be able to gauge at what point the frozen mass within the system has been fully depleted. At this point, placing the system into the fridge will prevent any temperature excursions. It is however, advised that laboratory qualification testing is undertaken prior to this, so as to fully understand the rate of exhaustion in varying temperatures. If there is a possibility of the system being placed into a +5°C environment during transportation, then this period can be developed into the test ambient temperature and the system can be developed accordingly.
Back to top
7. Why do I always seem to have moisture on the CoolPacs?
If using a frozen CoolPac within a control temperature package, it is often noted that at the end of the shipping process there may be some moisture on the CoolPacs. This moisture is simply condensation that has occurred due to the warmer air within the system, coming into contact with the colder surface of the CoolPac and so some of the water vapour contained within the warm air has been released as the air temperature falls.
Back to top
8. If I put dry ice into a shipper, will it burst as the dry ice sublimes?
Although during sublimation dry ice expands by approximately 800 times from its pelletised format into a gas, TCP containers do not provide an air-tight seal to their contents and so the gas is free to escape without the issue of explosion. Dry ice should never be loaded into a 6.2 dangerous goods secondary pack.
Back to top
9. Why do my temperature recorders always alarm at the start of shipping?
Best practice is to treat your temperature recorder as you treat your product. The excursions that you see will most likely occur whilst being transferred from desk drawer into control temperature package, where they would have stabilised at a comfortable office temperature, rather than a product one. Storing the temperature recorder within a +5°C environment prior to use and adding a 30 minute start-up delay would remove the high temperature excursions.
Back to top
10. Why do my temperature recorders always alarm at the end of shipping?
An alarm at the end of shipping could simply be that the temperature monitor was removed from the system, but was not immediately stopped and so began measuring external temperature prior to download.
Back to top
11. Do you take your used packaging back?
Yes. SCA Cool Logistics has the facilities to offer a disposal program. If you would like more information regarding this, please contact us.
Back to top
12. How do I safely dispose of any packaging you have supplied after use?
Please see our 'Recyling' page for more information.
Back to top
13. Why don’t you put an inner (or core) carton in every design?
The benefits of an inner carton are simply that they offer a portable payload space that can be filled and loaded into the temperature controlled package at the very last moment. This is often handy if multiples of small products are being shipped in one package and many customers would rather supply their own and have the system developed around these. However, the inner carton can take up space. As it offers no real thermal benefit, it is a component that can be omitted in favour of cost saving. Also, many customers consistently pack their own bulk packs into our shippers, so they have a core pack already.
Back to top
14. Do I need to use an outer carton for my temperature controlled packaging?
No. The outer carton simply acts as a layer of protection for your insulated container, working simply as both a device to enable reuse and to maintain good product presentation at delivery. Knocks to the carton will not affect performance, but will defend against the performance-reducing chips that can be knocked off an insulated container.
Back to top
15. Where is the best location for a temperature monitor in my shipment?
In the product specified location. A temperature controlled package, although designed to maintain product temperature between specified thresholds, may utilise components whose temperatures sit outside of the product temperature range and so by measuring these points, you are not gaining data from a useful location.
Back to top
16. Why does the monitored temperature fluctuate more than is seen in the qualification?
The temperature monitoring devices used at SCA Cool Logistics connect directly to the product. When making real shipment, this type of probing becomes unrealistic due to the high level of product tampering that would be needed. These real shipment monitors simply measure the air surrounding the product and as air is more susceptible to temperature change, due to its lower thermal mass, its changes look more dramatic when compared to actual product reading.
Back to top
17. Do you suggest any label text to alert the receiving site that the shipment is of temperature sensitive product?
This is a long-standing point of debate and in our experience, no one particular phrasing is any better than the other. The best method is to disassociate the temperature controlled package from the product inside, whilst mentioning the temperature of the contained product and asking that it be removed and then placed within a controlled temperature environment upon final receipt. Commonly used is, ‘Upon receipt remove product and place in a +2°C to +8°C store’.
Back to top
18. Why should I use temperature controlled packaging for shipping ‘Temperate’ product?
What is Temperate? Our research into this leads us to believe that it is most commonly +15°C to +25°C or +2°C to +25°C. Much debate occurs over this issue and one thing that is certain, is that your product will need to be kept out of some temperature environments. If these environments are seen during your shipment, the need to use a control temperature package is created.
Back to top