Carrier Transicold Approaches One Millionth Unit

At Intermodal Europe 2013, Carrier Transicold commemorated the 45th anniversary of the invention and production of its first “picture frame” container refrigeration system while looking ahead to its next milestone, the production of its one millionth unit. Carrier Transicold said it helps improve global transport and shipping temperature control with a line of equipment for refrigerated trucks, trailers and containers, and is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp.

Carrier’s original front-wall container refrigeration system was produced in 1968 and became the industry standard. With its flat, square frame, that first self-contained system fit compactly on the front wall of a corrugated steel insulated shipping box, giving rise to the nickname “picture frame” unit. The design quickly defined the shape of generations of marine refrigeration systems to come. It took Carrier 25 years to reach the 100,000-unit plateau. With steady growth in the container industry over the past 20 years, Carrier’s output increased tenfold, onto the present course to producing its one-millionth unit.

“We’re grateful for the continued support of our customers propelling us toward the one millionth unit milestone,” said David Appel, president, Carrier Transicold. “As the marine industry’s preferred brand for refrigeration, Carrier Transicold has maintained a leadership role over the years, helping move shippers toward more environmentally sustainable refrigerants and bringing further innovations in system efficiency and cargo protection along the way.”

The steady growth of Carrier’s container refrigeration business is virtually a mirror image of the rise in containerized refrigerated trade through the decades.

“Today, 52% of world seaborne trade is delivered efficiently and economically by container vessel, and 65% of refrigerated products are transported in containers, the systems,” Appel said. “On any given day, the value of cargo delivered by Carrier Transicold units alone is valued at $6 billion. Indeed, Carrier Transicold systems and our global service and support network play a significant role in ensuring the well-being of a growing global population, by providing the safe, reliable transport of produce, meat, seafood, vaccines and medicine from hemisphere to hemisphere, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.”

At Intermodal Europe, Carrier Transicold demonstrated that its innovative edge is as sharp as ever, showcasing a variety of new technologies designed to improve container shipping:

• NaturaLINE natural refrigerant container unit – Launching a new age of efficient and environmentally sustainable transport refrigeration, the world’s first natural refrigerant-based container system is now commercially available.

• XtendFRESH atmosphere control – This modular system simultaneously manages oxygen and carbon dioxide within a container to precise levels while also removing ethylene, helping control produce quality and prevent ripening before the cargo reaches its destination.

• QUEST II power saving mode – A refrigeration system control software, the QUEST II algorithm can reduce energy required to cool certain perishables by up to 65% while reducing ship emissions related to power generation.

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