Loop Cooling Chamber
Haagen Dazs was joining the Loop platform with a revolutionary new package, but the platform didn’t have a shipping container that was able to handle frozen items.
Many coolers exist, but none for shipping ice cream in unrefrigerated trucks over a day and a half, pushing the need for a custom cooler.
The question then became, how do you create a cooler that can keep ice cream below 18F for 36 hours and protect a high-value product?
Prototyping to Define Problems
Rapid Testing to Prove Effectiveness
Asset protection was a major factor to keep in mind. Keeping the cold plates embedded and covered was one of the key functionalities to test during prototyping phases, especially when co-packing and cleaning were considered.
Early models were tested with XPS foam models so they could be cut on site and immediately piloted. This also allowed rapid iteration of various internal coverings in-house. The insulation value of the test foam was ultimately very closed to the foam used in the final product.
With these rapid prototypes we were able to get very close to the required delivery temperature and time allowance, giving us a chance to ship and test the system with cold delivery.
Final Details
Designed for Space
The cooling chamber was ultimately made from expanded PP (XPP) for durability and later recyclability and was designed to fit into a Loop tote and leave enough room for other products. This was critical as there was very little chilled or frozen items to start with on the platform so other items needed to be shipped alongside frozen items to keep the price density per tote high.
Integrated messaging on the top faces the customer immediately.
During the pilot, clear messaging on cooling plates was enough to prevent theft and easy access made packing much easier so plates were left open.
Small hand grabs at the base were invisible to the customer, but incredibly helpful for co-packing staff.
