The products currently in use within the Airpak target markets are made from either polystyrene foam or cardboard, both of which have inherent disadvantages.
After significant market research the following advantages of the Airpak have been identified when compared to existing products in the marketplace.
Environment
Being manufactured from a polypropylene based material it is 100% recyclable.
Health
Airpak products are manufactured from polypropylene, which is completely non- toxic.
Strength
The product has a much higher resistance to impact-caused fracturing or splitting. This is particularly important in the prevention of leakage within the cargo compartment of a very expensive aircraft. It also assists in preventing the ingress of warmer air which will cause the complete loss of live products as well as rapid deterioration of any perishable item.
Memory
In addition to the strength of the material used, it also has an inbuilt memory which will allow the Airpak to return to its original shape in most cases of impact damage.
Reusability
The material used is both chemically inert as well as being impervious to water and most non-hazardous liquids. With suitable, simple cleaning methods the packages can be used many times over. This is not the case with polystyrene or paper based products particularly due to their absorbent properties.
Transport
A huge saving in transport costs is a major advantage of the Airpak products over its competitors, in particular the preformed polystyrene box. The Airpak in its pre-folded form is completely flat, enabling large numbers to be transported without taking up a great deal of transport space, providing a significant cost saving of up to 92% in some instances. This enables transport assets to be more effectively utilized, and also provides the added advantage of being able to cheaply transport used units for re-use or recycling.
An added benefit of the huge savings in transport costs for the seafood industry is that packing direct off vessels for the end user is practical, as the vehicles servicing the vessels have surplus space for packing material.
Storage
The same advantages as for transport. Large volume storage facilities are not required, which can represent a huge saving in capital cost, with the added advantage of no risk of water or insect damage while stored.
Weight
The per unit weight using our product is significantly less than an equivalent cardboard product.
Storage loss
Due to the non-absorbent properties of this product, the risk of deterioration by moisture whilst in storage, particularly on vessels that pack at sea, is eliminated.
