European cold chain logistics industry was worth 66 billion euros in 2020 and is projected to reach over 110 billion by 2025. With well over a million transport refrigeration units operating across Europe this market is of high value but is also vulnerable to losses through breaches and temperature changes. Utilizing the required solutions to provide the correct level of security is also a harder task due to the environmental conditions these seals will be exposed to in transit or storage. This is because extreme temperatures can have adverse effects on not only the integrity of security solutions leading to easy breaks, but also effect their identification and tamper evident properties making shipments vulnerable to thefts.
To combat these issues, you first need to pick the correct security seal for the application that meets the requirements for safe usage. Secondly you need to consider the material your seal is made from as this can hold the key to the seal being able to operate effectively in this extreme environment.
Cold Weather PP VS PP for Cold Chain Logistics
For specialized applications such as cold storage there are specialized solutions that offer the same quality security even in extreme conditions.
Polypropylene (PP)
This material is the most widely used material as it can perform in the widest variety of environments because of its balanced reaction to temperature and heat balance. With the addition of high resistance to a variety of chemical solvents as well as acids and alkalis this material is ideal for a wide range of applications from food packaging, textiles, laboratory equipment, automotive components and transparent films. This material is available for all our plastic security seals whether their fixed length or pull tight.
However, this seal can be affected by extreme temperatures especially those associated with cold storage, becoming brittle and dramatically reducing the seals impact resistance.
Cold weather Polypropylene (PP) for Specialized Cold Chain Logistics Security
Cold weather PP represents the improved version of the standard material that features higher impact resistance maintaining the same resistance for temperatures down to -20 degrees. Additionally, this material features low chances of warpage and high stiffness that makes this material ideal for more extreme environments. Cold weather PP is also FDA approved for securing food items that are a common goods traveling through the cold chain logistics network.
Providing seals in cold weather PP allows the same security value in a wider range of temperatures without having to dramatically change the solutions needed. Cold weather PP is available for all of our plastic seal range if ordered in advance.
