1. www.boxjoin.com
News Release
Sliding Open Top Container Reveals Shipping Carriers Thinking
Monday 24 November 2008: A safer and more cost-effective design of open top container -
designated the “Sliding Open Top” - has been developed by Korean container specialists
BoxJoin Corporation. The 2nd design of the sliding device has been developed in 2013 by
CIMC Nantong factory to improve more stronger and smoothly operation.
The innovative design is being marketed internationally to container shipping lines, leasing
companies and intermodal operators by BoxJoin.
Open top containers are commonly used in the container shipping industry to transport
oversized cargo and cargo which cannot easily be loaded into standard 20ft or 40ft dry freight
containers through the doors. Instead of a normal container roof, an open top container is
fitted with a removable tarpaulin, supported by a series of roof bows. Major challenges for
container operators are how to easily open and close the roof, and how to avoid losing the
removable parts, (the tarpaulin and roof bows) once the cargo has been discharged from the
container.
BoxJoin’s concept is for the roof bows and tarpaulin to stay with the container. Instead of the
roof bows being secured by pins in the top rail (as on a standard open top), the roof bows on
the new Sliding Open Top have rollers at each end, which sit in a track on the inside of the
container’s top rail, running the whole length of the unit.
So, after the rope securing the tarpaulin to the container has been untied , the roof bows and
the tarpaulin together can now be pulled along the track either to the front or back of the
container, giving access for quick and easy loading and discharging of the cargo.
Alternatively, the roof bows can be pulled along the track after the tarpaulin has been pulled
back in the same way as on a normal open top
The roof bows are held an equal distance apart from each other by a simple cord. To pull the
roof bows backwards and forwards, a hand rope is attached at both sides of the first and last
roof bow ends. When the roof is closed, the hand ropes can be tied to the four corner posts’
inner lashing bars, to prevent the roof bows moving in transit.
2. If the roof bows have to be removed, they can easily be taken out of the track on the top rail
through a slot at each end of track and then stowed on the front wall of the container, behind a
simple securing bar that is installed in both inside front corner posts.
One of the main benefits of the system is that it avoids the need to remove the roof bows and
the tarpaulin during loading and discharge, so there is much less chance of them being lost or
damaged. In addition, there is no need for people to climb up onto the top rail to remove the
roof bows. Operations are therefore much safer, because the roof bows and tarpaulin together
can be pulled up and down the track either from inside the container or from alongside the
container with a rope. Trials have also shown that cargo loading and discharge is much
quicker than with a normal open top.
Compared to a normal open top design, the only real differences in the construction of the
Sliding Open Top are the roof bow ends and the track on the inside of the top rail. The cost of
a Sliding Open Top is about US$200 more than for a standard open top (for both 20ft and 40ft
containers) but this cost will easily be covered by the equipment’s reduced M&R costs and
faster turnround time.
According to the analysis of repair costs by a leading shipping line, the average annual repair
cost per 40ft open top unit is around USD750. Of this cost, the tarpaulin and roof bow repair
cost is about USD450, fully 60% of the total repair cost. BoxJoin believes that its new design
will lead to savings of approximately US$200 a year, so that the container will pay for itself
within the first year of operation.
The same analysis of repair costs reported that the cost of repairs to the top side rail repair is
less than 1% of the total repair cost. BoxJoin therefore does not expect customers to
experience any problems with top rail damage affecting the operation of the sliding roof
bows.
The Sliding Open Top is available for lease, lease purchase or purchase; it can be built by any
container manufacturer under a licence agreement negotiated with BoxJoin. The containers
can be purchased either directly from the manufacturer or through BoxJoin.
BoxJoin is offering a number of 20ft & 40ft Sliding Open Tops on trial.
Further information can be found on www.boxjoin.com
.
Note for editors
Three photos and captions are on the page below. For further details about this product, or to
arrange an interview, please contact: BJ CHUN, Managing Dir. Of BoxJoin Corp. on:
Tel + 82 (0) 10 -6364-1377 or bjchun@boxjoin.com
5. Each roof bow end is fitted with rollers so the roof bows can run along the
track on the inside of the top rail.
Photo C
6. The roof bows on the Sliding Open Top can be pulled along the track either to
the front or back of the container. The roof bows are held an equal distance
apart from each other by a simple cord.
7. The roof bows on the Sliding Open Top can be pulled along the track either to
the front or back of the container. The roof bows are held an equal distance
apart from each other by a simple cord.
