Background
Phononic is known for their proprietary solid-state cooling technology. Among other products, they offer a “Cold Tote“, an extremely portable, battery-powered, actively-cooled container for critical contents like pharmaceuticals or biological samples.
Like most battery-powered devices, the Cold Tote must eventually be recharged. The charging dock, or “tray” is more sophisticated than one might think.
Challenges
The charging docks are physically large, so Porticos designed them to nest together for more efficient shipment and storage. They also needed to be able to be attached securely to wire-rack shelving, which Porticos engineers addressed by designing some clever features that were then molded to the dock base.
The charging docks also work at high power, generating enough heat that they require active ventilation. To address this issue, Porticos engineers designed and built ventilation into the Cold Tote device.
Critically important for the project was a low budget for tooling costs. Porticos achieved that by designing a monolithic, thermoformed superstructure that incorporates all the necessary features. This solution involved a lot of collaboration with the manufacturer to push, but not exceed, their production capabilities.
Outcome
Porticos was able to deliver charging docks that integrated all of the desired functionality into a highly manufacturable device. The structural thermoform is strong, stiff, tough, lightweight, and cost-effective. The charging dock is now available in the Phononic product line.
