Have you ever given any thought to how a shipping container is made? They key requirement is that these need to be incredibly durable. Destined for a life at sea, they have to be able to withstand extreme weather conditions. In addition, shipping containers need to be made to an international standard so that they can be transferred, stacked, and shipped with ease.
Shipping containers are made of corten steel, also known as ‘weathering steel’.
All our standard shipping containers are manufactured in a factory in China. The primary material used to produce shipping containers is corten steel, which comes in a huge roll.
The shipping container walls are cut from these rolls of corten steel. The wall sections are then sand blasted and primed. This is done to ensure all dust and any contaminates are thoroughly removed from the surface of the steel.
The next step is for the steel walls to be corrugated. This is very important because corrugation significantly increases the strength of the steel.
This is how a shipping container is made to be robust enough so that several containers can be stacked on top of each other.
After they have been corrugated, the wall panels are welded together. Square tubing is then welded to the tops of the container walls. The door is installed on the floor frame, followed by the walls and corner posts. All these components are welded in place. The roof panel is then assembled and welded to the top of the container. The whole structure is then primed and painted. This serves to add another layer of protection.
The next step is to install the floor. Floor panels are typically made from wood that has been treated with insecticide. These are varnished before being installed in the floor frame.
Lastly, to ensure the container is weather proof, the door is fitted with rubber seals, and the bottom of the container is waterproofed.
