WB Industries’ collaboration with a customer to create a new kind of shipping container demonstrates the innovation that our team can bring to any challenge.
The customer needed to solve a problem.
They needed assistance in the design and production of a shipping container that would safety transport a new, very large commercial aircraft part. The current method being used for shipping came with a price, namely cost, scheduling issues and logistical disadvantages.
Crates were previously required to be constructed for each shipment only to be scrapped upon delivery. Furthermore, current crates exceeded maximum department of transportation height requirement, requiring more hoops to jump through.
They were looking for a solution that wouldn’t exceed the height limit and was structurally sound enough to handle the rigors of shipment over the road.
The part would be loaded in a way that required very large doors that opened completely. It would also need to adhere to a very strict weight requirement not to exceed 5,000 pounds.
With the Challenge understood, the WB Industries team got to work
The team at WB Industries worked with the customer to refine the initial concept to include a hybrid aluminum and steel design. Aluminum would satisfy weight restrictions while the steel would provide strength.
The team offered alternate barn door-style doors with rubber seals as opposed to roll-up doors. This was done to save critical space and improve weather resistance.
We proposed fiberglass reinforced panels for the walls, doors and roof.
Then came the finishing touches: A slope to the roof to enhance rain runoff, support cables for the doors to minimize undesired bowing, a highly specialized part holding cart, and a loading ramp with configurable casters to allow a single forklift to move the container along the ground.
The Finished product was a great success as the container met every requirement the customer put forth. After numerous failed attempts at working with other fabricators to meet this challenge, the customer was thrilled that our innovative team could get the job done in such an efficient and effective way.
