Thermal blanket keeps chilled food cold

Big C, a Thai chain of supercenters selling groceries and merchandise, wanted to improve transportation of chilled fresh-food containers to its stores. Refrigerated trucks use more fuel than regular truck transport and only carry cold merchandise. Big C approached AmSafe® Industries Inc., Phoenix, Ariz., to design a thermal blanket that could keep chilled food cold in a regular transport vehicle long enough to get it to market.

AmSafe developed a thermal blanket that protects sensitive cargo by shielding it from extreme weather and temperature fluctuations. The blanket maintains a consistent temperature in chilled fresh-food containers for up to eight hours in nonrefrigerated trucks, allowing Big C to combine loads and save on fuel costs. Thermal pallet covers and blankets, originally designed to maintain temperature stability of pharmaceuticals and medical perishables transported on airplanes, come in two pieces made of durable double layers of waterproof PVC fabric that fit together over the cargo.