It’s all over the news; the constant threat of increased fuel prices. Why is America so sensitive to the price of oil? Because at the end of the day, the prices we pay at the pump are dependent upon the price of a barrel of oil.
Enter the middle-east, a volatile combination of nations, religions and tribes, some of which sit on top of the world’s largest reserves of crude oil. Some nations, like Iran, neighbor the waterways that control the movement of this crude oil. The political volatility results in a risk that the supply of crude oil may be interrupted or, worse yet, cut off. This risk has an effect on the price of a barrel of oil, wherein when tensions are high the price is raised to counter the risk of a cutoff or reduction in supply. The reverse is true when tensions are low.
So how does this apply to insulation, and how does this apply to the packaging world?
One word: fluffiness.
Yes, fluffiness.
Fluffiness is how one may describe the pillow they sleep on, and perhaps the insulation in their attic. But why is it important?
In the world of insulation, R-Value is king. R value is the measure of resistance to temperature change that is provided by a certain insulation product; be it fiberglass, Styrofoam, reflective Mylar, bubble foil, or any combination of the above.
The fact is, however, that with fibrous or matter-based insulators, R-value is directly proportional to thickness i.e. the thicker the insulation, the higher the insulation value, and therefore the greater the resistance to temperature change when used as a barrier.
In the packaging world, insulation materials are used broadly to produce insulated containers that protect their contents from temperature change. Styrofoam containers, which are ubiquitous in this industry, provide good performance while remaining relatively low cost. There are other insulation materials as well, such as those created using recycled denims and fabrics. Although these products are useful, they have one downfall; they are very bulky. When large amounts of these products are produced, they take up a great amount of space relative to their weight.
Why is this important?
Any company that wants to buy insulated packaging needs someone to ship it to them, and in the shipping world, two words are important: size and weight.
The bulkier the product, the more space it takes inside a truck and the more it costs to ship.
As fuel prices go up, these costs become even more pronounced. To stay competitive, companies that purchase insulation begin to seek options that help them reduce the cost of transport. One way of reducing shipping cost is to reduce bulk.
Our solution
Insulated Products Corp. has answered the call of reduced cost of transport by creating insulated packaging products that behaves the opposite of how insulation normally does; at least while it is stored and shipped.
We have found a way to take away the “fluff” associated with high-performance insulators. This was done by developing a patented process wherein the panels of insulation are compressed in a vacuum pouch so that the panels will remain compact during storage and transport.
Our insulated products are shipped compressed for space-savings and reduced transportation costs.
By doing this, IPC’s panels occupy 75-80% less space than before they are compressed. Furthermore, when compared to polystyrene coolers, IPC’s PopupLiner box liners occupy an eight of the space of equivalent sized containers.
PopupLiner is produced using a combination of two forms of high-performance insulators: high-performance polyurethane foam wrapped in a reflective Mylar sleeve. This insulator-sleeve combination can be used to produce an insulated liner for a box or turned into a insulated pouch.
Using IPC’s products, companies shipping perishable foods or pharmaceuticals are able to enjoy reduced transport costs for their insulation products in addition to reduced space requirements for their storage. This translates into a large financial savings.
Additionally, IPC’s compact products are easier to move around within the work space; for example when moving storage into work areas.
