There is no doubt that we here at Flintham Cabins love shipping containers – and we have a lot to say about them! However, something we haven’t touched on is how they are actually made. We use them every day, to transport thousands of goods and yet the process of creating these mammoth steel containers has remained a mystery. Fear not, that is about to change.

So, just how are these amazing containers made?

Rising Importance

Shipping containers have made international trade much easier in recent years. Large quantities of (almost) anything you can imagine is routinely shipped around the world. Now, you can order something from America and expect it on your doorstep in a week and not the months of waiting that it used to take.

The production of steel containers to accommodate this volume of international shipping.

Methodology

Containers are primarily made of materials such as steel, aluminium or even a type of reinforced polymers. The process of creating a shipping container begins with a huge roll of steel. This is unrolled at the site of container creation and subsequently cut into several pieces. Then they are sanded in order to remove rust, dust, and other such imperfections.

You know that iconic corrugated look that all steel containers have? This is done in order to strengthen the container, making it much more durable and allowing them to be stacked as they are. The roof and floor are mad separately, but the precision of the process allows all pieces – floor, walls, and ceiling – to be bound together easily.

The doors are also made separately, these are installed connected to the floor frame before the walls are even installed. This is to ensure the rest of the container is not made and the doors do not fit at the end. Once everything is welded together, the container is painted and primed to ensure that it will not rust. Rubber is installed around the door to ensure that the container remains waterproof.

Once all elements are finally completed the last stage is testing. This is to ensure that it is both strong and waterproof. If it passes, it is only rarely that they do not, then it is sent out into the wide, wide, world to transport goods.

An interesting process! Make sure you stay tuned as we will be sure to provide more interesting facts about shipping containers soon. In the meantime, if you are a shipping business interested in our shipping container services, get in touch!