BULK CONTAINERS FOR EFFICIENT HANDLING OF BULK MATERIALS ON SITE AND IN SHIPS
Bulk containers have transformed the handling of bulk materials, providing cost and time savings. They eliminate the need for manual labour and multiple handling steps, streamlining the process. These containers also enhance safety by preventing material shifting or mixing during shipping, ensuring cargo integrity. Let us study the practical applications and advantages of utilizing bulk containers.
Bulk containers are sealed and tracked throughout the entire process, ensuring security and accountability. The system eliminates the problem of dust and material loss, maintaining the integrity of the goods being transported. The containers serve multiple purposes, functioning as both bulk storage units, transportation vessels, and loading tools. This versatility allows for efficient handling of various commodities with minimal manpower requirements. The system maximizes the payload on trucks and rail, resulting in reduced capital costs on fleet management. By eliminating the need for open stockpiles, the system also eliminates rehandling at intermodal facilities, improving efficiency. Another advantage is the relatively short setup time of six months, enabling a faster route to market. Moreover, the system is designed to be movable, expandable, and adaptable to contingencies, ensuring flexibility in its application. It can seamlessly integrate into any type of port facility and logistics process, making it a versatile solution for handling bulk materials.
The process begins at the mine site where the product is loaded and then sampled in the usual way. The containers, which can hold about 30 tons each, are sealed to secure the contents. The samples are graded and entered into a computer system. To keep track of them, RFID tags are attached to the containers, allowing them to be easily located and grouped by grade at the port. The containers are then transported to the port by road or rail and stored there. Using a simple algorithm, a report is generated from the database to determine the precise mix of the ship's hold. At the port, the containers are stacked according to their grades, waiting for the arrival of the bulk ship. When the ship arrives, the product is unloaded into the ship's hold in the predetermined sequence, maintaining the required mix using a layered system. Once loaded, the bulk ship sets sail with the blended product, while the containers are returned to the mine site to begin the cycle anew.
Benefits of Bulk Containers
Streamlined Loading Process
Bulk containers streamline loading for tipper trucks, offering efficiency. They fit precisely into these specialized machines, allowing direct loading at the source and eliminating intermediate handling.
Reduced Manual Labor
Manual labour is often associated with risks, including injuries and productivity limitations. Bulk containers reduce the reliance on manual labour by enabling mechanized loading and unloading processes. Workers can operate tipper trucks and other machinery to load and unload materials, reducing physical strain and improving overall safety.
Minimized Material Loss and Contamination
Traditional bulk material handling causes loss from spillage, dust, and contamination. Bulk containers secure transport, minimizing risks of loss, dust, and contamination. They maintain material integrity, reducing cleanup and replenishment needs.
Efficient Transportation
Bulk containers are designed to optimize transportation logistics. They can be easily stacked, allowing for efficient use of available space during transit. Standardized container sizes also enable compatibility with various transport modes, such as trucks, trains, and ships. This standardized approach streamlines logistics, simplifies material tracking, and minimizes handling during transportation.
Time and Cost Savings
One of the key advantages of bulk containers is the significant time and cost savings they offer. By eliminating intermediate handling steps, reducing material loss, and enabling efficient transportation, bulk containers streamline the overall supply chain process. This leads to reduced labour requirements, lower equipment maintenance costs, and faster turnaround times, ultimately translating into cost savings for businesses.
Maritime Transportation
Specialized Bulk Containers evenly distribute weight, enhancing ship stability in rough seas. Their use improves operational efficiency, safety, and protects against moisture and contaminants, preserving quality and reducing spoilage risks.
Practical Applications of Bulk Containers
Mining Industry
Bulk containers are widely used in the mining industry for the transportation of coal, ore, and other minerals. They enable efficient loading and unloading at mining sites, ensuring the timely delivery of materials to processing plants or export terminals. By loading materials directly into containers at mining sites, companies can expedite the transportation process, ensuring a constant supply of materials to processing plants or export terminals.
Construction Sites
Construction projects often require the transportation of bulk materials such as sand, gravel, and cement. Bulk containers facilitate the efficient handling and transportation of these materials, enabling construction sites to maintain a steady supply of resources. By optimizing material flow and reducing handling steps, construction projects can maintain a steady supply of resources, reduce project delays, and enhance productivity.
Agricultural Sector
In the agricultural sector, bulk containers are utilized for transporting crops, grains, and fertilizers. The containers protect the integrity of agricultural products during transit, reducing spoilage and ensuring that high-quality produce reaches the market. The efficient handling of bulk materials in agriculture helps farmers and distributors maintain profitability and meet consumer demands.
In India, VS&B Containers is the exclusive agent for ISG Intermodal Solutions Group Australia, Specializing in promotion of Containerised Bulk Handling Systems (CBH).
VS&B Containers offers a wide variety of containers, encompassing both newly built and used, and custom-built units that can be directly shipped from our manufacturing facilities to your preferred destinations across the world. We also operate a lease fleet of over 30,000 containers for both international leasing and domestic leasing (within India). If you have container requirements, do drop us an email at enquiry@vsnb.com and a member of our team will reach out to assist you.
Furthermore, iInterchange Systems (A VS&B group company) provides state-of-the-art software solutions tailored specifically to meet the needs of container shipping and logistics enterprises. Do visit www.iinterchange.com or drop us an email at sales@iinterchange.com for more details.
