Phononic Unveils Actively Cooled Tote for Cold Chain Delivery
Cooling technology company Phononic is introducing a new solution for the portable cooling and freezing of perishable goods. The new Intelligent Actively-Cooled Tote was designed as a cold chain solution in the swiftly growing e-commerce sector.
The tote and its supporting platform can be incorporated into a grocery’s or service’s last-mile operations to ensure the quality and freshness of frozen and refrigerated foods. The solution also aligns with accelerating demand for sustainability in the cold chain: Phononic’s solid-state technology, which uses only carbon dioxide and water, does not rely on Global Warming Potential refrigerants and can save energy by cooling or freezing only the number of orders needed based on demand. The non-toxic, non-flammable tote also eliminates the need for dry ice, gel packs or ice blocks.
Technology is built into the solution as well. The totes use wireless contact charging and are WiFi and Internet of Things ready and can provide real-time insights into the cold chain automation process.
“Across industries, our solid-state solutions are delivering cold chain performance and sustainability that compressor-based systems or other thermoelectric approaches simply cannot match,” explained Dana Krug, SVP of cold chain fulfillment for Durham, N.C.-based Phononic. “That kind of positive environmental impact will be critical for climate control as this sector scales globally – and we know that our customers are focused on it.”
According to company information, Phononic is already working with three of the top 10 food retailers in the United States and several automation partners for micro fulfillment.
