Container Transport
Page 31
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AN ARPAX resin-bonded finish is applied to the ISO plywood-panelled containers produced by the Able Bodywork Co. Ltd., Firwood Works, Thicketwood Road, Bolton, Lancs., to increase the impact resistance as well as the strength of the panels and to reduce the fire risk. Supplied by W. and J. Leigh Ltd. Of Bolton, the finish has a high hardness value and is also resistant to weathering and abrasion.
The plywood employed for the panelling is to BS 1465.1455 specification and has WBP bonding. A standard type of ISO steel frame is used and in the case of a 20ft container the weight of the unit is about 37cwt, the average weight of a steel container being 2 tons. The cost of a 20ft container is E620, subject to discount, which is equivalent to the cost of a typical aluminium container. A test of the company's standard container was made some two years ago by the Ellis Research Laboratories at Allbury in Surrey.
It is emphasized by technicians of the company that plywood panelling can be much more easily repaired than steel or aluminium panelling and that a localized repair can normally be performed without removing a major part of the load. Plywood has a favourable "spring-back" characteristic which can facilitate repairs.