Students at Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, New York were shocked to learn how common lithium-ion battery fires are during a presentation by Rodger Mort, chief operating officer of Packaging and Crating Technologies (PACT®) on January 4, 2024. The Watertown, Conn. manufacturer also announced a contest that challenges the high schoolers to come up with a creative name for the latest addition to its fire-suppressant product line.
“After describing our company’s new TR SleeveTM battery envelope to my son, he mentioned it to his economics teacher, Mr. Torgersen, who invited us to speak to the class,” explains Michael Jackson, partner at PACT®, LLC. “As an entrepreneur himself, Mr. Torgersen asked if we would host a competition for the students to engage in the process of an actual product creation.”
The company’s leaders will select the winning name on January 22, 2024. The winner will also receive a prize of $100 gift certificate.
For inspiration, Mort explained how PACT® Thermo ShieldTM prevents thermal runaway, a phenomenon in which the lithium-ion cell enters an uncontrollable, self-heating state caused by extremely high temperatures, shaking or puncturing. The lightweight, paper material with a moisture vapor application lines the envelope to contain this type of fire.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety, lithium-ion batteries have caused 25,000 fires in the last five years. PACT offers American-made solutions to safely transport and recycle lithium batteries that are used to power e-bikes, scooters and hand-held electronics.
“The students were completely engaged throughout the entire presentation and asked great questions, like are their laptop batteries safe when they are banged around in their backpacks, how we came up with the idea of the product line and basic battery safety,” said Mort. “We are excited to read the submissions and look forward to crowning the winner.”
For more information about PACT® and its innovative product line or to see a live demo, visit: https://www.pactthermoshield.com/.
ABOUT PACT®, LLC
PACT®, LLC is a global leader in manufacturing sustainable, packaging products for the commercial, industrial and military industries. With more than 25 years of experience, the family business was founded by three green packaging professionals and continues to embrace a green future by designing cost-effective, patented, crating solutions like LiftVans and PleatWrap, as well as custom packaging for the aerospace, medical, electronics, tooling, machinery, furniture, fine art and automotive sectors. The company’s newest innovation is PACT® Thermo Shield TM, a sustainable, paper-based packaging material that suppresses and controls lithium-ion battery fires by mitigating thermal runaway.
The company is a member of the Commercial Relocation Network, the Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Materials and the International Association of Movers. It is also a preferred vendor for the US Department of Defense and has been awarded a special permit from the US Department of Transportation for the shipping of lithium-ion batteries, as well as passed the proposed SAE-G-27 test standard. For a full list PACT®’s sustainable packaging solutions, visit www.pactww.com.
PHOTO: On January 4, 2024, Roger Mort, chief operating officer at Packaging And Crating Technologies (PACT) in Watertown, Conn., announced a contest to name the company’s new envelope that controls dangerous lithium battery fires at Warwick Valley Central School in Warwick, NY. The winning student submission will be selected on January 22, 2024.