Oyster Cooler unlocks a breakthrough with Speira’s VERSA 8006 aluminium solution

Ian Sandmæl, co-founder and product designer at Oyster Performance Cooler, aimed to create a modern cool box using sustainable and recyclable materials like aluminium. He prioritised ensuring the box was lightweight and provided significantly better insulation, which is when the Oyster Tempo Cooler was developed featuring Speira’s VERSA 8006 aluminium solution.

Touted as the world's first performance cooler, the VERSA 8006 aluminium solution played a decisive factor in its production. He identified vacuum insulation technology as the key to achieving superior cooling performance. However, developing and producing a vacuum-insulated cool box for food and drinks presented several practical challenges.Only aluminium possessed the necessary properties to meet these demands.

After six years of dedicated development, Oyster unlocked a breakthrough with its aluminium cooler, striking an ideal harmony between space, weight, robustness, and thermal efficiency. Speira has consistently delivered top-quality rolled aluminium of the VERSA 8006 material type for the Oyster Tempo Cooler.

About the cooler

With its sleek, bare aluminium surface, the Oyster Tempo Cooler boasts a visually modern design while also excelling in durability and robustness. Whether in daily use or during travel, it can endure minor dents and scratches without compromising its functionality.

Moreover, its design facilitates easy replacement and repair of each part. Even at the end of its lifecycle, aluminium remains a valuable raw material, underscoring its sustainability. Unlike plastic, aluminium offers high recyclability, as it can be melted down and reintroduced into the production cycle. The Oyster Tempo Cooler stands as the pioneering example of a fully recyclable cooler, marking a significant step forward in sustainability efforts.

The storage tray and lid form a hermetically sealed vacuum chamber, with the aluminium shell acting as an impenetrable barrier that protects against gas penetration, permanently maintaining the vacuum. Aluminum is one of the few materials that can ensure this level of protection.

Using aluminium also allows for a reduction in wall thickness, resulting in a more space-efficient design. This makes the aluminium cool box cool down faster and stay cold longer, offering more storage space for drinks and food. The Oyster cooler can transport up to 36 beverage cans, maximising utility.

Involvement of Speira

Speira was involved from the early development phase, bringing its extensive material expertise to support Oyster. Together, they tested various alloys and deep-drawing processes to find the optimal material solution for the cool box. They determined that the insulation system should be made from a 1 mm thick aluminium sheet to achieve vacuum insulation in a square shape.

After numerous tests and simulations, the VERSA 8006 aluminium solution was selected. This alloy can withstand the compression and expansion forces encountered during deep drawing. Additionally, it ensures the correct geometry and provides the necessary strength to prevent breakage under vacuum pressure.

Aside from the exceptional deep drawing capabilities of VERSA 8006, aluminium boasts remarkable thermal properties and acts as an impenetrable barrier. Its high thermal conductivity ensures swift and uniform temperature distribution across the cooler's inner walls. This eliminates the necessity for substantial amounts of loose ice cubes, distinguishing it from plastic coolers.