Thermal pallet covers and insulated blankets are the choice of protection for controlled ambient pharmaceutical shipments. This is a brief overview of frequently asked questions.

1.
In
association
with:
Frequently
Asked
Questions
(FAQ)
Using
Thermal
Covers
&
Blankets
in
the
Pharmaceutical
Supply
Chain
Version:
003/2012
Author:
Peter
Lockett
©
2012
TP3
Global
Ltd

2. P a g e
|
2
©
2012
TP3
Global
Ltd
Thermal
Cover
FAQ
Thermal
covers,
blankets,
shrouds
and
quilts…
What’s
the
difference?
• Covers:
Thin
(usually
single
layer)
and
low
cost
designed
for
single
trip
use.
Primarily
a
reflective
material
protecting
against
direct
sunlight
during
temperature
spikes.
Usually
supplied
in
preformed
sizes.
• Blankets:
Thicker
(usually
multi
layer
with
a
layer
of
insulation)
and
more
expensive
designed
with
more
durability
for
repeat
use
and
closed
loop
operations.
Should
provide
higher
protection
against
convection
temperature
threat
(see
‘Temperature
Threats’
below).
Usually
supplied
in
preformed
sizes.
• Shroud:
A
single
rectangular
piece
or
layered
piece
of
materials
designed
to
lie
over
the
goods
to
be
protected.
• Quilt:
Similar
to
blanket
apart
from
the
design
of
stitching,
which
is
formed
in
a
diamond
criss-­‐cross
shape
to
ensure
that
there
is
not
insulation
slippage
within
the
enclosure.
Cover
Blanket
Shroud
Quilt
Temperature
Control
vs.
Temperature
Protection
–
What’s
the
difference?
• Typically,
thermal
covers
etc.
do
not
‘hold’
temperature
between
limits.
This
is
in
contrast
to
TCP
(Temperature
Controlled
Packaging)
that
utilises
insulating
and
phase
change
materials
to
hold
temperature
for
a
validated
duration
(e.g.
72hrs).
For
this
reason,
thermal
covers
would
be
considered
as
‘temperature
protection’
rather
than
‘temperature
control’
packaging.
TP3
Global
Ltd.
Tel
+44
(0)845
519
1374
Malvern
House,
New
Road,
Solihull,
office@tp3global.com
West
Midlands,
B91
3DL,
United
Kingdom
www.tp3global.com

3. P a g e
|
3
©
2012
TP3
Global
Ltd
What
is
the
performance
expectation
of
thermal
covers
/
blankets
etc?
• Thermal
covers
will
generally
allow
passage
of
temperature
exchange
as
soon
as
there
is
a
difference
between
the
inside
and
outside
temperatures.
• The
rate
of
change
will
depend
on
many
variables
so
it’s
very
difficult
to
predict
the
performance.
These
variables
include:
o Size
of
load
mass
(the
larger
the
load
mass,
the
slower
the
temperature
change
e.g.
an
air
cargo
PMC
pallet
will
have
better
thermal
performance
than
a
Euro
skid
pallet).
o How
condensed
the
load
mass
is
(a
barrel
of
liquid
will
keep
better
temperature
than
a
pallet
of
small
bottles
of
liquid
with
lots
of
packaging
between)
o The
type
of
load
mass
(liquid,
powder
and
solids
will
react
differently).
o Type
and
design
of
packaging
(bottles
of
liquid
in
shrink
wrap
packs
will
be
more
exposed
than
well
packaged
liquid
protected
by
polystyrene
and
cardboard)
o The
balance
between
ambient
air
temperature
and
direct
sunlight
(pallets
exposed
to
similar
levels
of
sunlight
can
perform
quite
differently
if
the
ambient
temperatures
vary.
• Generally,
the
larger
the
temperature
differences
between
the
pallet
load
and
ambient,
the
quicker
the
rate
of
thermal
change.
• A
pallet
exposed
to
harsh
sunlight
in
Dubai
may
rise
5-­‐10C
even
when
protected
by
a
cover
or
blanket.
In
European
sunlight
the
same
pallet
may
only
rise
by
3-­‐6C
in
the
first
hour.
• In
each
additional
hour,
the
temperature
will
rise
less
than
the
previous.
Do
covers/blankets
work
the
same
in
cold
weather?
• They
will
certainly
slow
down
the
temperature
exchange
in
cold
weather,
often
better
than
in
hot
conditions.
In
chamber
testing
and
live
trails,
we
see
that
it
takes
longer
for
the
freight
temperature
to
come
down
than
it
did
to
rise!
What
are
thermal
covers
and
blankets
best
suited
for?
• It
comes
down
to
COST!
• When
the
majority
of
a
transit
route
is
within
safe
operating
temperatures,
companies
are
obviously
reluctant
to
spend
more
than
necessary
on
thermal
protection.
• The
irritation
is
when
there
are
a
couple
of
very
short
temperature
spikes
during
the
supply
chain
that
can
threaten
the
freight.
This
is
normally
during
loading
and
off-­‐loading
from
aircraft,
or
during
cross-­‐
docking
etc.
• These
durations
can
be
quite
short
(no
more
than
a
few
hours)
and
can
be
protected
against
with
cost
effective
thermal
covers.
• Typically,
the
nature
of
the
protection
lends
itself
well
to
ambient
pharmaceuticals
that
have
wide
temperature
limits
proved
through
stability
data.
Examples:
o 2-­‐25C
where
the
goods
don’t
start
too
close
to
the
temperature
limits
(e.g.
don’t
expect
goods
at
22C
to
keep
under
25C
when
exposed
to
4hrs
of
tarmac
time
in
Dubai
–
if
they
come
out
of
the
aircraft
at
5-­‐10C,
they
may
stand
a
chance)
o 15-­‐25C
where
the
ambient
isn’t
too
aggressive
(note
that
there
is
often
a
desire
to
protect
between
15-­‐25C
due
to
‘storage’
rules,
but
these
can
sometimes
be
waivered
during
transit,
allowing
temporary
wider
tolerances)
o 2-­‐40C
is
the
most
common
tolerance
with
normal
ambient
goods,
and
should
be
ideal
for
thermal
cover
protection.
o 2-­‐8C
for
VERY
short
durations
of
exposure,
defiantly
less
than
1
hr
–
less
than
20
minutes
if
harsh
ambient
environment.
TP3
Global
Ltd.
Tel
+44
(0)845
519
1374
Malvern
House,
New
Road,
Solihull,
office@tp3global.com
West
Midlands,
B91
3DL,
United
Kingdom
www.tp3global.com

4. P a g e
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4
©
2012
TP3
Global
Ltd
How
do
you
assess
if
covers
or
blankets
will
provide
sufficient
protection?
• It’s
a
case
for
balance
between
cost
and
performance.
The
goods
should
be
shipped
with
the
best
performing
protection
affordable.
The
reason
thermal
covers
are
even
a
consideration
is
because
there
is
no
or
very
little
budget.
• Ideally,
each
route
should
be
assessed
and
managed
accordingly
and
given
a
risk
profile
depending
on
the
season.
• We
would
recommend
live
trials
carried
out
by
a
professional
quality
assurance
manager
to
assess
performance.
o WARNING:
Trials
carried
out
by
untrained
or
inexperienced
personnel
can
result
in
data
that
has
little
or
no
value.
We
have
witnessed
staff
testing:
 A
pallet
load
of
wooden
pallets
 A
PMC
load
of
PMC
pallets
 All
temperature
monitors
on
the
outside
and
none
on
the
inside
of
the
cover
 All
temperature
monitors
on
the
inside
and
none
on
the
outside
 Temperature
monitors
not
switched
on
or
just
lost.
Are
thermal
covers
easy
to
fit
and
remove?
• Yes,
they
usually
come
preformed
and
fit
over
the
pallet
like
a
hat,
then
sealed
into
place
using
tape.
This
should
take
no
more
than
a
few
minutes.
Removal
should
be
just
as
quick.
• The
only
exception
to
this
may
be
the
rolls
of
silver
backed
bubble
wrap
often
used.
This
can
take
two
people
up
to
20
minutes
if
not
using
the
preformed
solution.
What
difference
does
a
thermal
base
make?
• If
operationally
possible,
adding
a
thermal
base
on
the
pallet
before
loading
the
freight
will
provide
approximately
10%
improvement
on
thermal
performance.
• Having
the
load
fully
enclosed
will
have
the
following
benefits:
o Reduce
ambient
air
exchange
(convection)
temperature
threat
o Reduce
influx
of
rising
air
from
hot
airfield
tarmac
o Create
a
sealed
unit
to
prevent
contamination
What
if
a
thermal
base
can’t
be
fitted?
• When
freight
comes
out
of
manufacturing
fully
palletised
there
is
often
no
opportunity
to
fit
a
thermal
base.
The
only
option
is
to
‘double
pallet’
using
a
second
pallet
fitted
with
a
thermal
base
on
top.
Will
adding
a
second
cover
double
the
performance?
• No,
but
it
will
improve
performance
quite
considerably
by
an
estimated
40-­‐60%
depending
on
various
conditions.
• A
third
cover
would
only
add
around
5-­‐15%
performance.
Will
using
gel
packs
or
phase
change
materials
help
performance?
• Potentially
yes,
live
testing
would
provide
an
indication
of
how
much.
The
main
considerations
would
be
practicality,
operational
and
cost.
A
layer
of
gel
packs
could
be
placed
on
top
of
the
product,
under
the
cover,
therefore
providing
an
additional
barrier
to
direct
sunlight.
• If
using
reusable
thermal
blankets,
pockets
can
be
stitched
in
to
hold
the
gel
packs
on
the
side
panels.
TP3
Global
Ltd.
Tel
+44
(0)845
519
1374
Malvern
House,
New
Road,
Solihull,
office@tp3global.com
West
Midlands,
B91
3DL,
United
Kingdom
www.tp3global.com

5. P a g e
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5
©
2012
TP3
Global
Ltd
When
is
the
best
time
to
fit
thermal
covers
during
the
shipping
process?
• Covers
should
be
fitted
at
the
point
where
the
freight
is
at
the
correct
temperature.
The
covers
should
also
be
at
the
same
temperature.
• Fitting
warm
covers
outside
of
the
controlled
temperature
area
will
have
the
effect
of
warming
up
the
freight
(like
a
coat),
so
should
be
avoided.
Additional
Notes
Operational
Warning
• Ground
handling
teams
can
confuse
thermal
covers
for
permanent
protection
and
decide
to
leave
pallets
on
the
tarmac
thinking
it’s
protected.
Ensure
that
your
ground
handling
colleagues
give
priority
to
temperature
sensitive
freight
whether
it’s
covered
or
not.
The
Shippers
Dilemma
re
Cost
vs.
Quality
• Understandably,
there
is
resistance
for
shippers
to
pay
any
additional
costs
for
ambient
goods
that
have
historically
been
sent
through
standard
freight
lanes.
With
more
ambient
goods
being
shipped
with
temperature
limits,
it’s
a
risk
to
allow
sensitive
freight
to
be
exposed
to
delays
on
the
tarmac.
If
there
is
a
requirement
for
temperature
control,
there
is
naturally
a
cost
to
providing
this
protection,
whether
it’s
through
priority
service,
or
thermal
protection,
or
both.
Temperature
Threats
• Conduction:
Heat
transferred
between
touching
bodies
e.g.
hot
air
cargo
lift
staging.
• Convection:
Heat
transferred
due
to
transfer
of
air
molecules
e.g.
warm
ambient
air
plus
hot
air
rising
off
ramp
tarmac.
• Radiation/Sunlight:
Visual
light
(almost
half)
and
Infra
Red
(almost
half)
make
up
most
of
the
high
levels
of
threat.
Infra
Red
(IR)
is
particularly
harsh,
so
specialist
materials
designed
to
reflect
the
IR
are
good
at
reducing
temperatures
by
around
10%
without
insulation.
Ultra
Violet
is
only
approximately
7%
of
the
sunlight
spectrum.
Conduction,
Convection
&
Radiation
Direct
Sunlight
Spectrum
TP3
Global
Ltd.
Tel
+44
(0)845
519
1374
Malvern
House,
New
Road,
Solihull,
office@tp3global.com
West
Midlands,
B91
3DL,
United
Kingdom
www.tp3global.com

6. P a g e
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6
©
2012
TP3
Global
Ltd
TP3
Global
Product
Range
Silv erskin ™
Silv erskin ™
Silv erBubble ™
PP100
PH300
PB500
Image
Suitability
Superlight,
low
cost
More
robust
and
heavier
Thicker,
insulating
silver
backed
material
for
light
material
Ideal
for
ambient
bubble
wrap
for
additional
pharmaceuticals
&
general
pharmaceuticals
&
higher
protection
–
ideal
for
LTL
(truck
perishables
value
perishables
based
logistics)
Durability
Single
use
/
trip
Single
trip
but
fairly
robust
Single
use
/
trip
unless
return
so
reuse
a
possibility
logistics
feasible
Thickness
~0.7mm
~1.0mm
~7.0mm
Weight
(g/m2)
115g/m2
172g/m2
150g/m2
Material
Type
Reinforced
nitrocellulose
Multi
layer
laminate
with
Nitrocellulose
coated
aluminum
multi-­‐layer
coated
foil
reflective
metal
foil
outer
foil
(both
sides)
double
layer
laminate
skin
bubble
wrap
Waterproof
Yes
Yes
Yes
Reflectivity
Over
95%
97%
(ASTM
E
408)
Over
95%
U
Value
n/a
(single
skin)
n/a
(single
skin)
0.170m2K/W
Please
request
thermal
performance
data
from
office@tp3global.com
TP3
Global
Ltd.
Tel
+44
(0)845
519
1374
Malvern
House,
New
Road,
Solihull,
office@tp3global.com
West
Midlands,
B91
3DL,
United
Kingdom
www.tp3global.com