Isotec's holding time cannot be reduced to one number without reviewing preparation and route conditions together. GEBHARDT states that the cold chain can be protected for up to 24 hours under suitable conditions; that is not a guarantee for every load or route. This page separates the preparation steps from the inputs used for assessment.
Five factors that set the time
- The goods and their temperature at the moment the lid closes
- Container and load preparation: empty volume, loading temperature and the goods' thermal mass are considered together
- Whether pre-cooling was done
- How often and how long the lid is opened along the way
- Route duration and ambient temperature
An hour figure without these inputs is not route validation. The product, route, stops, ambient and equipment details from the needs form feed a free thermal analysis; it is a configuration assessment, not a route test or a binding guarantee for every trip.
The system has three layers
Insulation limits heat exchange; eutectic plates in the rails under the lid draw heat as they melt; preparation brings the container, plates and goods into suitable conditions before loading. Container conditioning, pre-cooling the goods and freezing the plates are separate operations.
If the container or goods are loaded without suitable preparation, stored plate capacity can be spent on the preparation load. Check container conditioning, cold loading of the goods and full plate freezing separately.
How pre-cooling is done
- Bring the container and goods to the target conditions in your product procedure; time and temperature depend on the equipment, goods and loading plan.
- Confirm the fresh or frozen regime against the product specification; record the product's permitted upper and lower limits in the loading plan instead of assuming a universal target.
- Prepare the plates separately from the container. The freezer must be at least 5 °C below the plate's melting point; leave air gaps and do not use a plate before it is solid throughout.
- Load under the planned temperature conditions, keep the lid closed as far as practical, and record container, goods and plate preparation separately before departure.
The 24 hours in GEBHARDT's plate table are freezing time. For example, item 6081958 melts at -18 °C and has a listed preparation condition of -23 °C for 24 hours. These are not the cargo's shipping conditions; check that the plate is fully solidified. Isotec's up-to-24-hour temperature protection is described in the separate TBX brochure. The two durations are not interchangeable.
Why the number of lid openings matters
Opening the vehicle door and opening a TBX lid are separate events. Record which container is opened and for how long at each stop. An open lid exposes the interior to outside air conditions; the effect depends on temperature difference, duration and remaining load. Equal stop counts do not mean equal opening times.
Route assessment: thermal pre-analysis
Download the Aris Makina needs-analysis form (Turkish). It collects product and route inputs for a free thermal assessment with GEBHARDT. The calculation is a starting point for plate selection and a route trial; it does not replace temperature measurements on the actual trip. Its inputs are:
- The goods and the regime (fresh or frozen, target temperature)
- Route duration and number of stops
- Daily number of lid openings
- Fill level and the chosen size
- Ambient conditions
How to read the 24-hour statement
The GEBHARDT sentence describes a capability: in a properly set-up system the cold chain can stay unbroken for up to 24 hours. Reading it as a commitment valid for every trip would be wrong. The needs-form pre-assessment helps select the configuration for your route; the temperature record documents what happened on the trip.
