Active Pallet Solutions

Anticipating growth in global temperature-controlled shipments of pallet-sized consignments, Envirotainer (Lagga Marma, Sweden) is increasing its fleet of RKN e1 containers. Meeting shipment auditing regulations and customers’ concerns for end-to-end shipment quality assurance are other priorities, company executives said at a press event in Newark, NJ.

Envirotainer is emphasizing the training and qualification of airline and freight forwarder ground handlers. “The most common question we get from pharmaceutical companies is, ‘Who is the best airline and the best forwarder to use.’ Our brand is associated with the people that support the product. We have put in place a training program so customers can be assured that handlers in our maintenance and service network will understand how to use our product,” said Ulf Uby, vice president, sales.

An Arthur D. Little study commissioned by the company projects 10–11% annual temperature-sensitive airfreight growth for five years out. Quality was cited by 80% of those surveyed as the most important buying criteria, with quality issues driven by a stricter regulatory environment. The other 20% cited cost as the key driver.

Envirotainer’s business has shifted to 80% in healthcare, as its share of the active and passive refrigerated shipment market has grown from 4 to 15%. Global and regional airline partners—none of which have more than 20% of the shipper’s business—support a 50-hub network spanning 30 countries.

“We see the growth occurring in the 2°–8°C segment, as well as demand for shipments in the 20°C [or higher] range. We are seeing enormous demand for (four-pallet capacity) LD9 containers for bigger consignments throughout the world,” spurred by consolidation of manufacturing sites, Uby said.

The company’s RKN e1 uses compressor cooling and electrical heating for maintaining stable temperature profiles, holding temperatures for 98 hours without recharging. The firm is upgrading its fleet of dry ice–based T2 containers so that 30% will be units with heating and cooling capacity in five years. The RKN e1 fleet will heve increased to 100 units by October. Envirotainer is offering a new heating and cooling shipper—the RAP e2—with an insulative capacity increase of 20–30% over the e1, Uby said.

The company has launched the 21 CFR Part 11–compliant RAPID temperature-monitoring and reporting solution with a new software release. Monitor readings are downloaded to a PC for tracking ambient and container temperatures, and the occurrence and time of events such as open container doors, and when batteries go out.

Uby said the company expects to shortly gain FAA certification for U.S. airlines to carry the RKN e1. The unit is certified outside the United States and carried by airline partners such as Swiss WorldCargo, KLM Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo, and Austrian Airlines.

AcuTemp (Dayton, OH) is pursuing FAA certification for its RKN Thermal Pallet Shipper that is licensed for marketing to AmSafe Bridport, said AmSafe Bridport’s Steven Boyd.

The shipper employs condenser cooling, a battery-operated heater, and high-performance insulation for holding set temperatures for extended periods through hot and cold ambient conditions. The unit limits temperature drift from 4°C and 22°C set points to ±2°C, and runs 90+ hours in refrigeration mode on the battery.