For First Time Clients:
When banana or other individual fruit volumes meet or exceed a minimum of 60 pallets (3 shipping containers) per week – or on those (rare) occasions when supply chain factors dictate the need to control the ripening process at lower volumes.

For Clients Handling 60+ Pallets Per Week:
Anytime business circumstances call for increased control over fruit quality and ripening costs.

60 pallets per week (three truckloads) provides a good minimum volume for a successful and profitable multi-room ripening program using industry-standard shipping protocols.

BANANAS
To operate a successful banana ripening program, a single ripening room is not enough (see chart below*). To ship 10 pallets at the same color 6-7 days a week requires a minimum of (3) 20 pallet capacity rooms with dual-temperature zones, processing 60 pallets per week.

A Typical 5/6-Day Banana Program using 3 Dual-Temp, 20 Pallet Rooms, Shipping 10 Pallets Daily
*Chart for illustration purposes only. Ripening/shipping cycles can vary widely.

In the above example, Room 1 is gassing today and Room 2 was gassed two days ago. Dual-temp zones enable 10 pallets from Room 3 to ship today and 10 pallets tomorrow, both at the same color. Therefore, to ship 10 pallets of ripened fruit 6-7 days per week, 3 dual-temp rooms would be the minimum number required.

For banana volumes from 60 to 140 pallets per week, we recommend (1) 20 pallet capacity room for every 20 pallets of additional weekly volume. For volumes exceeding 140+ pallets per week we recommend (1) 40 or 42 pallet capacity room for every 40 pallets of additional weekly volume.

AVOCADOS, PEARS AND STONE FRUIT

For these types of fruit, which can be ripened, held in cold storage and shipped out over a period of days, a single ripening room working in concert with proper cold storage is sufficient for a simplified, low-volume program, although a second backup room is always highly recommended. Additional rooms as needed based on volume and shipping schedule.

Ripening room capacities are typically based on volumes of 20 pallets (one shipping container) or 40 pallets (two shipping containers) with 2 or 3 levels (tiers).

The most common TarpLess^® ripening room configurations:

Other popular TarpLess^® ripening room configurations include*:

Two-tier
40 pallet: 2 wide x 2 high x 10 deep; 12’w x 19’ h x 42’d
[3657.6mm x 5791.2mm x 12801.6mm]

Three-tier
24 pallet: 2 wide x 3 high x 4 deep; 12’w x 27’ h x 18’d
[3657.6mm x 8229.6mm x 5486.4mm]

60 pallet: 2 wide x 3 high x 10 deep; 12’w x 27’ h x 42’d
[3657.6mm x 8229.6mm x 12801.6mm]

*Custom sizes and pallet configurations are available. Each installation is custom designed and installed from the ground up to maximize ripening capacity using the minimum amount of available space.

Dual-temperature zones are a popular TarpLess^® ripening room option, allowing bananas to be ripened to 2 different color stages in the same room at the same time. This provides unique flexibility to:

• Ship at two different colors on the same day
• Ship at the same color on two consecutive days
• Ripen half of the room while leaving the other half empty

In dual-temp double-wide rooms, the right and left sides of the room are independent temperature zones (see illustration above). In dual-temp single-wide rooms they are split between the front and rear of the room. The maximum temperature differential between the two temperature zones is 3-4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Most TarpLess^® ripening rooms are designed specifically for bananas. There are also rooms for avocados, pears and stone fruit as well as multi-fruit rooms that allow you to ripen bananas, avocados and other fruit separately*.

*Due to differences in ripening requirements, only one type of fruit can be ripened in the same room at the same time.

Ripening rooms are a major infrastructure investment. Multi-room projects typically range in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. That why every TarpLess^® room installation is designed to meet your needs in the quickest and most cost-efficient way possible while providing the fastest return-on-investment, often in 2 years or less.

Thermal Tech never compromises on quality simply to lower costs. That’s why thousands of TarpLess^® ripening rooms 10 to 20+ years old are still in operation today. Delivering unbeatable performance and profit for more leading retailers, wholesalers and growers than any other system.

The installation of new TarpLess^® ripening rooms, combined with Thermal Tech’s in-depth training in proper room operation, ripening practices and procedures, typically results in an immediate 5% to 15% increase in sales due to improved fruit quality.

Increases far in excess of 15% have occurred over time.

Typical project lead time is 12 to 14 weeks to get equipment on site. Once construction begins, it takes approximately 1 week per room plus 1 additional week for startup and training.

For example: a 2-room project will take approximately 3 weeks; 2 weeks for construction and 1 week for startup and training. A typical 10 room project will take approximately 11 weeks, 10 weeks for construction and 1 week for startup and training.

By carefully following the cleaning and maintenance protocols provided by Thermal Technologies, TarpLess^® ripening rooms should continue to turn out consistently beautiful, high-quality fruit for 15 to 20 years. With proper cleaning and maintenance along with technology and component upgrades, rooms often last much longer.

Thermal Tech is firmly committed to 100% customer satisfaction with every TarpLess^® ripening room installation.

Extensive, in-person training during start-up ensures you get the best ripening results starting day one. After installation, we’re here for you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the life of your rooms to ensure they continue to deliver the superior performance for which they’re designed. This dedication has made Thermal Tech number one in quality, dependability and service for over 30 years.

If you’re ready to give your customers the beautiful, high-quality fruit today’s market demands, please fill out and submit the Expedited Response Form to begin the TarpLess^® ripening room quotation process. This form ensures the fastest and most efficient response.

Thank you! We look forward to working with you.

All forms are reviewed in the order received. Please note: we are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries, so the sooner you submit the form and the more thoroughly you answer the questions, the sooner and more accurately we will be able to address your needs.