Tharsus Provides Food for Thought in New Pallet Design

Online, July 14, 2011 (Newswire.com) - biofresh, a Newcastle University spin-out business, approached Tharsus to improve and manufacture their smart pallet; an innovative product that extends the storage life of perishable foodstuffs throughout the supply chain by using non-harmful ozone.

biofresh asked Tharsus to develop a more robust, professional looking product that was designed with easy manufacture and serviceability in mind, and also to provide a full 'white label' product fulfilment solution.

A more rugged design was required due to damage caused in transit in ports around the world and the high costs of repairing the pallets.

Tharsus redesigned the pallet using modular construction principals so that they can be easily reconfigured and components can be quickly replaced if necessary. Plastic was incorporated with the more traditional steel construction, which is not only more robust but aesthetically had a more modern look.

Tharsus chief executive Brian Palmer said: "We were really excited to work with biofresh on developing their smart pallet design. It is a technically excellent product, but required a design review process to make it more commercially viable.

"Spoilage costs the food industry billions every year so to be able to improve a product that combats this problem on a worldwide scale, was a great project for our engineering team.

"We maintained the dimensions of the pallet so the product still fitted in physically with the current logistical journey, but subdivided the system into modules, to simplify the replacement of damaged parts; reducing the cost of ownership.

"Because of our unique facilities at Tharsus we were able to manage the entire project right through from initial concept work, detail design using CAD, prototyping and supply chain to completion of the final assembly and shipping processes.

"Our team is very proud of the finished biofresh smart pallet which is now ready to enter mass manufacture."

biofresh director Jonathan Caisley said: "Tharsus was able to create a flexible new design that not only accommodates the unique technological features of our pallet, but even enhances them.

"The new design also allows for customisable battery life, dependant on the length of journey. The batteries are housed in a separate compartment as part of Tharsus' modular construction, making adjustments quick and simple.

"The reduction in wastage the new designed pallet will provide means more use of sea transportation instead of air - saving money and lowering environmental impact.

"A large amount of money will be saved as the new-design smart pallet is cheap and simple to reproduce and can be returned back to the UK for repair if necessary, which is a much more cost effective method of maintenance.

"We are very excited to get the product out in use as soon as possible as we expect to see a strong uptake."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Formed in 1964 by two ex-Reyrolle employees following a football pools win, North East born and bred Tharsus has transformed itself from a sheet metal fabricator to a highly specialised designer and manufacturer of complex electro-mechanical products.

It employs 100 people across its headquarters at Hebburn and its Blyth plant, with plans to open a neighbouring plant in Blyth later this year.

biofresh, a spin out company from Newcastle University, based on the biology department campus, is the market leader in ethical fresh food storage. Using state of the art atmosphere control systems biofresh has improved the quality and marketability of fresh produce worldwide.

biofresh's unique ozone technology has been researched by senior lecturers at Newcastle University for over ten years, as part of a research and development project in the school of biology.

The ozone management systems generate and control ozone at levels which sanitise the storage environment, prevent microbial spoilage and maintain fresh produce quality more effectively than 'traditional' chemical-based methods.