Cooled ULDs under review
In a recent study, the Institute for Supply Chain Management of the Swiss University of St. Gall analysed the "performance of selected pharma airfreight ULDs in comparison." The study compared nine of the pharma airfreight ULDs currently at the top of the list in the European market.
Wolfgang Stölzle, professor of logistics management and director of the institute, described the core element of the analysis as "the ability to guarantee the seamless and appropriate handling of temperature-sensitive vaccines throughout the logistics chain."
The most inexpensive versions of the disposable ULDs can't maintain their cost advantage when measured against comprehensive economic efficiency and when taking into account direct logistics costs, costs for Capa cases (corrective and preventive actions with regard to temperature requirements) as well as the costs of total losses.
The study has identified unexpected quality problems as the most significant cost drivers, because the ULD has to be opened for control checks, or the contents can no longer be used.
The SkyCell 1500 ranks in first place with a failure rate of merely 0.1%. In the total account, it thus costs EUR 5,212. Closely behind is the Softbox of Silverpod Single at EUR 6,426.
The study tested the cooled ULDs Envirotainer RKN e1, CSafe RKN and Dokasch RKN (active ULDs), Taracell TC 920 PS and Silverpod Single (passive one-way ULDs), Tower Cold Chain Solutions KTM32, Crēdo Cargo and va-Q-tainer USx (passive one-way ULDs) and SkyCell 1500 (hybrid ULD).
The trial ran from October to November 2020. Hence, the analysis covers only pharma ULDs in the "controlled room temperature" and "cold" categories, since carriers had no data on transports requiring lower temperatures at the time of the study. (sh)