Dow Polyurethanes, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, in cooperation with Cannon SpA, announced that PASCAL™ Polyurethane Insulation Technology for household refrigerators and freezers is now available to retrofit to existing production lines. “We’ve listened to our customers and created a solution so they can use PASCAL Technology by upgrading their production lines, but not having to build a brand new line, to meet consumer demand for energy efficient refrigerators,” said Mark Bassett, global vice president for Dow Polyurethanes. “With the ability to retrofit PASCAL to existing production systems, manufacturers benefit from increased production efficiency and consumers benefit from refrigerators with higher energy efficiency.”
Launched in 2011 and available to manufacturers as a complete production line for household refrigerators, PASCAL is a polyurethane foam insulation technology that improves energy efficiency in refrigerators and freezers by up to 10%. The technology also significantly decreases fill time and enables manufacturers to reach up to 50% higher productivity rates, while continuing to provide thermal conductivity and adhesion at typical industry applied density, two qualities unique to polyurethane insulation. PASCAL Retrofit incorporates vacuum equipment from Cannon SpA during the insulation process to bypass the deficiencies of standard insulation. The vacuum, paired with a hydrocarbon blowing agent, allows PASCAL polyurethane foam to fit into the small spaces traditional insulation might miss, especially in modern designs, and also mold to the contours of the appliance, reducing the amount of energy lost during consumer use. “The ability to retrofit PASCAL Technology to existing production lines demonstrates our commitment to recognizing and meeting our customer’s needs,” said Bassett. “Those interested in retrofitting PASCAL Technology to their existing systems will benefit from PASCAL’s cost savings and energy efficiency with a lower cost investment.”