4 Innovative Materials On The Boxman Studios Production Line

How do we make shipping container buildings stronger, lighter, and safer? How do we cut, weld, and transform their steel walls faster and more efficiently? Our people are always looking for answers to these questions, and experimenting with innovative methods and materials to incorporate into production.

Here’s a look at three building materials that we’re excited to be pioneering use of in our shop. These materials are either brand new to the commercial market, or are not-yet-widely available. Working with these materials allows us to provide our clients with unprecedented building capabilities.

1. Honeycomb Aluminum Laminated Material

This material is made of two very thin sheets of aluminum with a layer of honeycomb plastic between them. The honeycomb design, taken straight from nature, creates a super lightweight material that is stronger than any plywood at just one-third the weight. It is as easy to work with as wood or metal, requires the same tools, and cuts the overall weight of containers and the various elements within them.

2. VHB Tape

Double-sided, 600 pounds-per-square inch VHB tape has made itself indispensable. In many cases, it is a viable alternative to hardware and welds at a fraction of the weight. But is tape as good as screws and rivets? No. It’s actually better. Instead of joining materials at a single point, this tape spreads the stress across the entire length of the seam – which ultimately reduces the load. It’s a new way to “weld.”

3. Velcro

Also super-sized for the job, our Velcro has a strength of 400 psi, where typical hook-and-latch tape holds about 87.5 psi. Velcro is, believe it or not, an exciting area for us! German engineers recently developed steel “Velcro” that can support up to 35 metric tons and withstand extreme conditions.*

4. Low VOC Paint

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are commonly used in paints, varnishes, waxes, cleaners, and other products, and are emitted as gases. Over time, exposure to VOCs can cause any number of health concerns, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, nausea, and damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system.

Typical paint contains over 10,000 chemicals, 300 of which are toxins, and 150 of which have been linked to cancer. We use low VOC paint to reduce the risk to our staff, our customer’s end-users, and to the environment while providing the same level of performance and appearance.

Materials and technology are advancing all the time and changing how we do things on the Boxman Studios production line. We always strive to be leaner and meaner so that our products are completed faster, more efficiently, with higher quality, and even more outstanding results.