Monday, September 9, 2013

The Development Of Nitrogen Purged Shipping Containers

By Helene Norris


The interconnected series of roads we know as the interstate system was designed with military goods in mind, and there was even a requirement that for every five miles of surface, one mile must be straight, for emergency aircraft use. But the added benefit of this complex of asphalt surfaces was the explosion of trucking, now a critical part of national logistics. Taking the system to the next level required the invention of Nitrogen Purged Shipping Containers.

The notion that what is actually just a big box could play such an important role in daily life is hard to imagine. Without it, however, the luxury of having a distribution system that keeps stores from main to San Diego stocked with all the things people want would not be possible. The key to success was simplicity in design and standardization above all.

The industrial military complex came together to develop a device that would allow for the movement of material either on land or sea. Despite the faster and perhaps more exotic aura of air transportation, more than 95 percent of things are moved on the surface of the earth, even in wartime. What was needed was a standardized vessel in which things could be packed and then fitted onto trucks, trains or ships interchangeably.

They were large, but manageable, and capable of handling automobiles as well as any other material the retail or industrial sectors might need. If larger items needed to be shipped, devices that were double or triple the length or height could do the trick. Another requirement is that the be capable of stable stacking up to seven high, to accommodate movement in large ocean going vessels.

Protection of the assets was a primary driver for the development of these transportation storage units. The time it takes to get from origin to the trans-load facility and then on to the destination is measured in weeks, sometimes months. For the duration, the cargo needed to have physical protection from the elements as well as from people and equipment.

There are often cases wherein dangerous liquids have to moved, for construction and other industrial purposes, requiring specialized care. The most common types of needs are the petroleum we use in the millions of gallons daily across the globe. Since the majority of it is produced far from where it is used, developing a safe means to get it from production facility to user was essential.

The control of the atmosphere within the vessels also had the advantage of making very volatile liquids far less dangerous. Without this ability, it would not be possible to move these materials along with other products. It allows for the near elimination of the probability of explosions, when monitored carefully.

The development of nitrogen purged shipping containers took an already efficient system to a level which allows for the life we live today. Products and materials move smoothly from the factories where they are built or developed to the end user distribution point smoothly. Whether it is across the state, nation or an ocean, the global logistics system can handle it.




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