Shipping Container construction Process

Shipping container construction begins with the wall panels. Large steel sheets are cut down into sheets, which are sand-blasted and primed to remove dust and other contaminates. They are then corrugated, which actually adds strength to walls and gives shipping containers their wave like texture. The corrugated sheets are welded to the tubular frame.

Floor frame assembly primarily consists of two longer I-beams aid out perpendicular to each other. Smaller I-beams are then welded in between the longer I-beams to create a slab-like base. Once the welding is complete, the floor frame is sanded with a flap disc angle grinder to remove any rough welding joints. The flooring is Marine grade pressure treated with FDA approved chemicals to include pesticides and anti-decomposing agents to ensure safety and longevity of the wood floors.

Now that the sides of the container are made, the front and back of the container are constructed. Like the side walls, the doors are mainly made out of corrugated steel. Once the corrugated steel has been cut to size, it is encased in square steel tubing. The doors are installed on the floor frame, followed by the wall panels. Then the corner posts, walls and door are welded in place and the roof panel is assembled and attached.

The box is almost completed. Cranes are used to lift the door frames so they can be positioned on top of the floor frame and welded into place. The wall panels are lifted and welded next, and the roof panel is welded in place last.

With the carcass of the shipping container now built, it needs primed and painted to provide protection from harsh environments. Priming (undercoating) is the first layer of paint to be sprayed on the container. This ensures that additional layers of paint stick better to the container, and also provides an additional layer of protection for the container.After the primer dries, the container is spray painted several times. Multiple layers of paint ensure the container is protected against the harsh elements of sea travel such as salt and water.The flooring panels are varnished to prevent water and pest damage to the wood, and the floor is installed in the frame. Finally, the door is fitted with rubber seals and the bottom of the container is waterproofed.

Now, the wooden flooring needs to be fit on top of the floor frame. Six plywood panels are used to floor the container. The pressure-treated panels are placed inside the container and screwed into the steel floor beams.

The shipping containers are now ready for company decals and logos. They also need labels with unique identification codes that can be used to identify the container from anywhere in the world. The identification code has 11 alphanumeric characters each of which corresponds to a meaning. The first three letters are used to identify the owner of the container. The fourth character is a Product Group Code, which can either be U, J or Z.
U = Shipping container
J = Any piece of equipment than can be attached to a shipping container- i.e. a power unit
Z = Trailer used to transport a shipping container
The fifth through 10th characters make up a serial number that is assigned by the container’s owner. This serial number is used by the specified container’s owner to identify the container. The final character is known as a Check Digit. It’s used to verify the previous 10 characters.
Once the container has been labelled, the door handles and locking mechanism are attached. A rubber seal is then wrapped around the doors to make sure they are water-tight.

The final step in the shipping container manufacturing process is the spraying of the container’s underside with a waterproof sealant. If no defects or leaks are found, the container is now complete and can be transported to its intended location.