flat packing

what took so long?

"shipping containers revolutionized commerce and the transportation of goods, and almost singlehandedly made globalism possible through a dramatic reduction in shipping costs, time and losses. but they are not problem-free; unless trade is balanced they tend to pile up at one end of the line. they are expensive to move when empty, particularly on trucks, where it costs the same to move an empty one as a full one."



cargoshell, a dutch manufacture, has engineered a new shipping container that folds down to one forth the size of conventional containers. it is made of composite materials, making it lighter than its precursor.

the use of composite materials also offers other added features including;

- the composite walls act as an insulator, eliminating condensation.
- it is low maintenance; the composites don't corrode.
- gps can be built into the container because the composite, unlike steel, does not block the signal.
- steel containers need a lot of paint, with a lot of toxic rust inhibitors that are pollutants; the composites need no paint.
- to top it all off, they even have float bags built in so that if they go over the side of the ship (not an uncommon event) they will float, and can be traced back by the built-in gps system quickly.

check out the full story via gizmag