Case study | October 2016, issue 1

How InsulCap® Prevents Temperature Excursions Of Top 5 Pharmaceutical Goods

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The Laboratory Test

The following test was set up to see how Wilpak Group’s Insulcap® thermal covers can prevent the goods of a top 5 pharmaceutical company from experiencing temperature excursions during air freight.

The scenario was designed by a leading global logistics company to set a benchmark for what could be achieved using Insulcap® to protect these pharmaceutical goods as they travel around the world through summer and winter conditions in the one journey.

Requirements:

  • 15ml vials of liquid medication, boxed and palletised (Load is approximately 1 m3)
  • Goods to be transported by air freight
  • Journey is approximately 77 hours – Melbourne to Chicago (via Hong Kong)
  • The temperature of the insulated goods must not exceed 30°C or drop below 0°C

Specific Challenges:

  • Environment – exposure to extreme high and/or low temperatures may cause product excursions

Insulcap®

Solution Scoped

InsulCap® thermal blanket (pallet cover), with InsulBase thermal pallet liner;

  • Option 1 – InsulPlatinum® maximum performance thermal barrier material (double foil)
  • Option 2 – InsulGold® high performance thermal barrier material (single foil)
InsulCap thermal protective cover over pallet for air freight of temperature sensitive goods

InsulPlatinum®​

Specially designed foil bubble wrap for air freight used to make Insulcap

InsulGold®​

Plane on tarmac being loaded for air freight with insulcap thermal pallet covers

Results delivered

Outcome Achieved

InsulCap® solutions of two material types demonstrated temperature profiles that were well within the required temperature range, with the product temperature inside the system not exceeding 30°C or dropping below 0°C.

When exposed to a maximum environment temperature of 34.5 ⁰C for 5 hours;

  • the InsulCap® constructed from InsulPlatinum® material controlled the internal product temperature to a maximum of 24.5 ⁰C.
  • the InsulCap® constructed from InsulGold® material controlled the internal product temperature to a maximum of 27.5 ⁰C.

When exposed to a minimum environment temperature of -7 ⁰C for 4 hours;

  • the InsulCap® constructed from InsulPlatinum® material controlling the internal product temperature to a minimum of 7.0 ⁰C.
  • the InsulCap® constructed from InsulGold® material controlled the internal product temperature to a minimum of 5.0 ⁰C.

Performance Measure Data:

InsulPlatinum® Maximum temperature of 24.5º C – Minimum temperature of 7.0º C

Graph of InsulCap's temperature protection of pharmaceutical goods in transport

InsulGold® Maximum temperature of 27.5º C – Minimum temperature of 4.5º C

Graph of InsulCap's temperature protection for cold chain supply