Think inside the box
August 1st 2005

Softbox Systems and SCA Packaging have developed an innovative solution for bulk shipping temperature controlled goods without external refrigeration. Brendan Coyne reports Acollaboration between Softbox Systems and SCA Packaging is enabling DHL to improve its temperature sensitive products service to the life science and pharmaceutical sector – and could also bring substantial cost savings to the food and drinks sector.

Their Temperature Controlled Pallet Shipper (TCPS) is just that: a palletised solution for transporting temperature controlled goods. Efficient insulation and pre-frozen gel packs maintain a stable internal temperature of between 2-8 degrees for five days – removing the need for external refrigeration. Externally this is combined with heavy duty corrugated board and pallet assembly. While it can be refurbished and re-used, Softbox and SCA say it is economical enough to use once – offering an alternative to Envirotainers supplied on a rental basis by the logistics sector.

Softbox has an ongoing partnership with DHL World Medical Express, developing temperature controlled solutions. As some of DHL’s customers wished to move bulk product on a pallet, it made sense to develop a container to facilitate it, according to Softbox Operations Director, Mark Hammond. The requirement was to deliver two unit sizes based on a Euro pallet – a ‘standard’ version and a maximum height unit designed to fit inside an aircraft container.

DHL has traditionally used smaller systems from Softbox: “Variations on a theme,” says Hammond, using either stand alone low density Polyethylene or combined with protective outer corrugated cartons, supplied as a collaboration between SCA Pro Vision and SCA's Conventional Division.

“But this was an undertaking to determine the maximum system size, given the temperature window, the maximum size of a Euro pallet and the height allowable within a container.” External considerations Externally, to create a version so large, Hammond says heavy duty corrugated was a natural choice – as the TCPS would have to stand up to the demands placed on it by the rigours of the transport network, and also because DHL had requested the boxes should be stackable and collapsible.

Softbox therefore contacted SCA Industrial at Hinckley. “We asked if they would like to work with us and told them the requirements – an outer sleeve and a corrugated pallet assembly to overcome the regulations concerning importing/exporting wooden pallets and protect the insulation and cooling media inside,” explains Hammond. SCA Industrial agreed and began work on the outerbox and pallet – a lightweight STAX all-fibreboard pallet suitable for airfreight.

Internal issues The problem with temperature controlled containers is that the larger they are, the harder it is to maintain requisite stable temperatures over long periods of time.

“With such a large pack out, the product space is completely surrounded by cooling media and we had to overcome the problem of overdoing the cooling media (as product closest to the edge would become too cold),” Hammond explains. “However, once we found a mix that worked, we achieved a product which would work for 120 hours, improving on DHL’s desire for a 96 hour solution.” Hammond says the product has been extensively trialled both in house – against data mined over many years of temperature profiling by sending loggers through DHL’s various road, air and sea networks – and successfully completed live tests at the beginning of August. With exclusivity agreements for the life sciences sector, DHL announced the product to its customers in Miami in May.

Softbox and SCA, however are now rolling out the TCPS directly to sectors such as the food and beverage industries.

According to Hammond, it is generating increasing interest, helped by its winning a Gold Award at this year’s Starpack awards.

“We’ve had a lot of enquiries: Britvic- Schweppes were looking at using it as a sample and batch shipper rather than refrigerated trucks, and more recently a major enquiry from a firm importing 747 loads of exotic fruit from South Africa and South America,” says Hammond. “We have even had an enquiry from a company that wanted to shift fresh custard – with a tap at the bottom of the box – so it’s just a case of finding the right system with the right packout and the right price.” Price Softbox and SCA are now trailing different pack specifications in order to create a lower cost solution for such industries, which are unlikely to shift goods as expensive as the £1million-per-pack pharmaceutical sector.

“Price is always an issue,” says Martyn Reader, market manager at SCA’s Industrial Division. “And the acid test for any new product is how well it sells in the market.

Although early days, it is generating a lot of interest.” But Reader believes that the SCA/Softbox direct sales channel – where the product isn’t sold as part of a logistics company’s service offering – will help drive its uptake in other industries, particularly food and beverages.

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