Exploring the Terminology of Quality Coolers

Have you ever come across certain terms when shopping for high-quality coolers, but are unsure of what they mean? Let's de-mystify and gain a better understanding of these key terms.

What is Roto-Moulding? 

Hard-sided coolers from ARKTOS are made of rotationally moulded plastic. Designed to make exceptionally strong coolers and provide optimum performance.

The rotomoulding process ensures each part has a consistent wall thickness, free of imperfections, and ensures the coolers will hold up to the toughest abuse.  ARKTOS offers a 5 year warranty on all hard-sided coolers, due to the roto-moulding process used during manufacturing. 

The concept of rotational moulding is very simple. A plastic material, normally in powder form is placed into a hollow mould, made from cast aluminium or fabricated from sheet steel. The mould is closed and rotated slowly on two axis. The mould is then heated in an oven whilst rotating and the polymer gradually melts and ‘lays-up’ on the inside of the mould. Once the polymer powder has fully melted the mould is moved to a cooling station and cooled usually with air and sometimes a fine mist of water. As the mould cools the part solidifies. When the material has finally cooled sufficiently to release away from the mould surface the process is stopped and the product is taken out of the mould (de-moulded).

• Consistent wall thickness: the constant rotation of the mould coats the walls evenly during both the heating and cooling processes
• Double-wall construction: complex double-walled open containers can be produced without secondary processing
• High durability: parts are moulded as one solid piece, eliminating the need for joining techniques such as welding and joint fabrication which creates weak spots
• High stability: the moulding material isn’t exposed to external pressure, increasing its stability and reducing the risk of defects in the finished part
• High strength: roto-moulding creates thicker corners, reducing the risk of failure in these stress-concentration points
• Appearance: the soft metal used for the roto-mould tooling easily accommodates surface finishes such as fine-detail textures, logos, symbols, and lettering

What is P/U Injection? 

Insulating Coolers for Maximum Ice Retention: The Key to Keeping Things Cool

Insulation is essential for keeping things cool, but the challenge is where to put it. The best option is to tuck it between the cooler's sturdy plastic walls to create a barrier. So, how do we make those walls?

Coolers typically use various types of foam insulation. Cheaper hard coolers, for example, use extruded polystyrene (styrofoam), while premium hard coolers like ARKTOS use denser yet more effective polyurethane. Interestingly, cheaper coolers often lack insulation in the lids, leaving an air cavity. This is a weak point in the insulation, which makes overall performance less effective.

On the other hand, premium hard-sided coolers like ARKTOS use pressure-injected polyurethane foam. This foam is denser and contains more, smaller air bubbles than styrofoam. It is injected into a cooler mold including the lid, filling all gaps completely with up to two inches of insulation. Polyurethane sets hard, adding extra strength to the cooler, making it difficult to break.

The combination of superior insulation, rotomolding construction for thicker walls, and extra insulation overall, along with additional features like high-end silicone rubber gaskets and lid latches, enables these coolers to achieve high ice retention.

Image Source: https://huntingwaterfalls.com/why-are-cooler-lids-hollow/