Why Choose EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) for Your Perishable Shipping
We'd like to tell you about EPS - Expanded Polystyrene Foam, as we are proud to be the maker of the Legendary LoBoy EPS Foam Cooler and diverse line of Insulated Cold-Chain Foam Shipping Boxes & Containers. One of the fundamental business philosophies we believe in is doing positive things for our community, employees, and environment.
With a proven track record that includes billions of insulated packages sent all over the world decade after decade, EPS Foam is the number one, most relied-upon tool for shipping perishable products by mail or delivery carrier.
EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) Foam – commonly (but inaccurately) referred to by the public as ‘Styrofoam’ - is the centerpiece and most popular method for small, medium, and large-sized businesses as an insulated shipping solution. Five big reasons for its overwhelming success are:
- Proven Technology – hundreds of millions of satisfactory perishable shipments over the past few decades provide inarguable proof of its effectiveness, usefulness, and unmatched market success as the number one insulated shipping tool for perishables worldwide.
- Lower Costs - it is far less expensive than other thermal solutions, EPS Foam’s space-age material components are less expensive to manufacture which means lower purchasing costs, lower cost per package, and higher profit margins per sale. These lower costs are not just about profit but help businesses stay competitive in markets where margins are already tight, to begin with, and expenses can eat away at their ability to deliver top-quality service that builds a loyal customer base.
- Lower Shipping Charges - reduces shipping costs thanks to its lightweight, which makes thermally protected packages less heavy at weighing time, resulting in a lower shipping price when optimally set up to balance maximum thermal protection against expected shipping time and expected external temperatures across plotted geographical zones.
- Superior Insulation – pound for pound, its superior insulating qualities versus other materials such as heavier hard plastics, metal containers, mylars, and other materials simply can’t be beaten, especially when considered in relation to its lower costs factored into the business equation. For example, EPS Foam Coolers do not have to be pre-cooled to prevent their transferring added heat to the items stored inside, unlike hard-shell plastic and metal containers, the surface of which can become so hot that they quickly begin to melt ice.
- Reusable, Recyclable Materials – With the right conditions and use, EPS Foam Coolers can be safely reused for years if no serious damage is done to the container. Even better, once an EPS Cooler reaches the end of its business or recreational use, there’s no difficulty in converting EPS Foam for making other valuable products such as architectural molding, hangers for clothes, pots for plants, children’s toys, hobby models, office supplies, aeration particles used in bags of fertilizer, and frames for photographs.
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) allows businesses to ship more, cheaper, with better insulation for the money, and, at the end of its useful life cycle, can be recycled into material for making other useful goods.
How EPS Foam Insulated Protection Works Against Unwanted Heat and Cold
The secret to EPS Foam’s superior thermal protection (when its lower costs are taken into consideration) lies in the advanced technology used to rework the base material during the manufacturing process.
Special heat and steam-infused manufacturing procedures help trap millions of tiny air bubbles that significantly interfere with any heat transmission once the material is prepared, formed, and shaped. Simply put, the air is a poor conductor of heat and is used to block its rapid transfer through the substance.
The steam-treated molecular bonds forge a low-conductivity insulating foam barrier that helps trap internal air to maintain desired temperature ranges in conjunction with any ‘cold engines’ such as Gel Ice Packs or Dry Ice.
That same thermal barrier keeps external temperatures (heat or cold) from being able to seep through to have a negative impact on internal cargo.
Not only will EPS Foam keep out the heat, but it also helps against excessive external cold, which is why companies that manufacture products like house paints use it in winter to prevent their shipped inventory from becoming stiff during parcel transit when it is very cold outdoors.
With the combination of a superior-grade EPS Foam Cooler, a reliable cooling source, and a properly sealed lid, the set-up makes for an airtight temperature containment box that can hold temperatures in the desired range and can protect perishables for upwards of several days if needed.
Helping the Environment - LoBoy's Recycling Program & Foam Cooler Reclamation
Fulfilling our commitment to a healthy environment means maintaining a clean, energy-efficient, and safe manufacturing operation. It also means insisting on a 100% EPS Foam Recycling Program. We strive to stay ahead of the curve on safety to benefit our employees while we are always mindful that we are a small part of a much larger surrounding community.
As you can see in the video provided, Magna Manufacturing employees care as much about the condition of their workplace as they care about the quality and reliability of the EPS Foam Products they help manufacture. As a result, Magna is a multi-year recipient of the prestigious Saving Energy Now Award presented by the U.S. Department of Energy for demonstrating “Exceptional Leadership in Industrial Energy Efficiency."
As an EPS Foam Manufacturer who cares about the environment, LoBoy & Magna Manufacturing is a "Green Company" maintaining a 100% EPS Foam Recycling Program on-site. LoBoy EPS Foam Coolers and EPS Foam Shipper Box Kits as well as our other EPS Foam Products are 100% Environmentally Friendly - For People Who Care About The Environment!
Expanded Polystyrene is easily recyclable for re-use (using the modern machinery at our facility) because of its very lightweight. However, it is not all that easy to collect in its original form because of the volume it can take up. So, we use a special process to render the larger EPS Foam material into a much denser, compact material that is ready to put to practical purposes. Once we break it up and change its size and density, it becomes a high-value commodity, and that means jobs in the community.
With the right equipment, there's no difficulty in converting EPS Foam Cooler scrap for use in other valuable products like Expanded Polystyrene insulation in the construction industry. Additional re-use applications include architectural molding, hangers for clothes, pots for plants, children's toys, hobby models, office supplies, aeration particles used in bags of fertilizer, and frames for photographs.
The Manufacturing Process of Expanded Polystyrene Foam Coolers
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is an amazing, space-age wonder of environmentally friendly science - a rigid closed-cell plastic foam resin made from Polystyrene derived from crude oil. EPS is Polystyrene Foam that uses a blowing agent in the expansion process (little beads are blown up like popcorn). During the material production process called "Polymerization", the polystyrene resin granules are impregnated with the blowing agent.
The EPS production process begins by pre-expanding the EPS bead. Expansion with steam will increase bead volume 40 - 50 times, depending on the required final density. Next, an aluminum mold is filled with expanded beads and heated with steam until they fuse together. The part is cooled with a vacuum and ejected from the mold.
Some Environmental Facts About EPS Foam (Expanded Polystyrene Foam Products)
- EPS is recyclable. Magna Manufacturing's 100% Recycle Policy demonstrates the harmonious environmental partnership possible when taking the initiative to make full use of existing Expanded Polystyrene materials.
- EPS does NOT contain Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) or formaldehyde.
- EPS does NOT contribute to the growth of mold or mildew.
- EPS is inert and stable.
- EPS does not produce methane gas or contaminating leachates.
- EPS manufacturing uses little energy.
- EPS products save resources by reducing energy consumption through insulation systems.
- EPS is able to withstand the abuse of temperature cycling, assuring long-term performance.