Innovation Required.
ColdCan™ was born with a single philosophy that continues to drive our company and our product development: "Let's make the very best of everything that we produce." Making the best of anything is a great aspiration, but execution can be a difficult prospect. We approach it from a basis of patience, and research. We then utilize the best talent, the best materials, the highest quality manufacturing processes/facilities, and perform rigorous R&D testing.
ColdCan™ products are constructed of several materials. The body of the Core is made from durable, BPA-free PolyPropylene (PP). “PolyPro” is a thermoplastic elastomer. It is extremely resistant to fatigue, corrosion and impact. It is also resistant to lower temperatures, which is important when you want to keep something COLD! PolyPro itself has a thermal conductivity of 0.1 - 0.22 k - W/(m.K). It is used to line the highest quality thermal insulating containers and coolers.
We considered many alternatives when selecting this material. We asked ourselves several questions:
- Is the material BPA-free?
- Is the material a good insulator?
- Is it resistant to impact?
- Will it perform in a broad range of temperatures?
- Can it be customized?
- Does the material create the feel we desire?
- Using it, can we deliver a product to our customers at a good value?
Unless the answer to these questions was a “YES” for all, we ruled it out as a contender. After ruling out Polycarbonate, Copolyester, ABS, and Nylon, we found PolyPro to be a great fit.
The second material we use in the Core is Cryogel. Cryogel is a relatively new material that is derived from a product of NASA technology, Aerogel. Silica Aerogel is the most insulative solid known to exist on the face of the earth. It is used in the heat/cold shielding on the Mars Rover and in NASA space suits. It has a thermal conductivity of 0.02 k - W/(m.K). Though Aerogel is extremely resistant to thermal transfer, it is also extremely brittle and difficult to work with. This is where Aspen Aerogel’s Cryogel comes into play. It provides the ColdCan™ with the insulation power of Aerogel, while giving us the ability to form it into the shapes our products require.
PolyPro is one material that can be fused using heat fusion. This is important because the ColdCan™ is made of several parts that must be sealed together to form one single part. Gluing parts together is the other option, but is not considered as durable or permanent as heat fusion. Since PolyPro has the ability to be joined using heat fusion, we utilize ultrasonic welding to join the various components of the ColdCan™. This process uses sound waves that create a melting point in the plastic. Using precise equipment, we bond the parts to achieve a perfect seal, permanently bonding the cryogel insulator inside the body of the container.
Finally we use a santoprene-type thermoplastic elastomer with a Shore A 70 durometer for our grip rings. The grip rings are an integral part of the ColdCan™ system (and the way our different products do/will connect with one another) we made it a priority to use an extremely durable, yet flexible compound. This compound is produced using PolyPro and a type of rubber.
The ColdCan™ Core utilizes all the technology and materials discussed above. In this, our initial product, we have developed what has been described as the World’s Finest Beverage Insulating & Containment System. It’s a system, because it allows you to perform more than one task. The ColdCan™ Core is built to expand. Our patent pending BevLoc™ system allows for the interconnection of various components in the system. The Core has a BevLoc™ seal on the top (open) end and on the bottom (closed) end. This allows you to connect the lid to the top, which seals an open (or unopened) beverage inside. If the beverage is open, it will prevent spilling and make the container watertight. When drinking from a beverage contained in the ColdCan™ Core, the cap is easily stowed on the bottom BevLoc™ seal.
More than a 12 ounce can
You might think that’s where the magic stops, but the Core is not a one trick pony! See, this is where the magic starts. Many people drink from cans that are 16 oz. The Core comes with the riser – an extension that allows you to convert the ColdCan™ for 16 ounce use. If you decide to go back to a 12 ounce beverage, you can easily pop the 16 onto the BevSeal™ on the bottom of the Core for convenient storage.
ColdCan™ is in the process of developing several new attachments, including one that will allow for bottles to fit the ColdCan™ Core, and one for dry storage. Like our Facebook page for updates about the latest attachments!