1. Lashing Tools and Materials
Due to swaying and impacts during transportation, cargo can sometimes loosen after being lashed. Therefore, it is essential to tighten the lashings fully during packing and to use elastic materials whenever possible. When lashing, the packaging strength must be considered, and to avoid concentrated loads at the cargo edges, the corners of the cargo packaging should be protected with padding to prevent damage. Common lashing tools and materials include the following.
1. Steel Wire Rope
Practical experience has shown that steel wire rope is the safest rigging for lashing heavy cargo. When tightening, a turnbuckle is typically installed in the middle of the wire rope to make it easier to tighten. The ends of the wire rope are either secured with pressure plates or fixed with hooks and rings. The pressure plates and hooks/rings must match the diameter of the wire rope.
2. Fiber Rope
This is suitable for lashing lighter cargo. For lashing cargo that cannot be sufficiently tightened by manual force, such as automobiles, the rolling hitch lashing method can be used.
3. Steel Strapping
Recently, there has been a growing tendency to replace steel wire rope with steel strapping. While steel strapping has a certain degree of strength, it has low elasticity and tends to slip once the sealer is released. Therefore, it must be fully tightened before using the sealer to fix it. Specialized tools are used for tightening and sealing steel strapping.
4. Nylon Webbing
Nylon webbing has high elasticity and is a good lashing material, but its cost is high. Most lashing nylon webbing is approximately 77mm (3in) wide, has hooks at both ends, and a buckle in the middle for adjusting length, making it a reusable specialized strap. A type of nylon webbing used on flat rack containers is the M-type nylon webbing, which has hooks at both ends for latching onto shackles. There are several types of hooks, and the center of the strap uses a ratchet buckle, characterized by its difficulty to loosen once engaged and its ease of operation. This M-type nylon webbing is suitable for lashing heavy cargo.
2. Lashing Rings (Eyebolts)
Lashing rings are lashing devices temporarily installed on the container floor. The tensile strength of a lashing ring is generally 1.2 x 9.8 x 10³ N. During installation, ensure the direction of the lashing line/sling is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the lashing ring. If the direction of the lashing line is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, its strength will significantly decrease.
3. Nets
Wrapping cargo with nets is also an effective securing method. Nets are generally used on flat rack containers; this method is also sometimes used to secure cargo near the door inside refrigerated containers.
4. Dunnage (Buffers/Cushioning Materials)
When cargo with different packaging forms is mixed in a container, gaps will occur everywhere; these gaps are the cause of cargo movement. In some cases, movement cannot be prevented by lashing methods, requiring dunnage/buffers. Dunnage can both prevent cargo movement and absorb impact. Common dunnage used as filler includes Excelsior bags, Styrofoam, and inflatable dunnage bags. 1. Excelsior Bags This is the simplest dunnage, made by filling bags with wood shavings. It is readily available and inexpensive. Its disadvantages are insufficient elasticity and poor compression resistance. 2. Styrofoam (Foamed Polystyrene/Polystyrene Foam) Its characteristics include being lightweight, easily cut to the required size, and providing a certain cushioning effect. 3. Inflatable Dunnage Bags When in use, uninflated bags are first inserted into the gaps around the cargo. Air is pumped in using an air pump for vehicle brakes to inflate the bags. Besides securing the cargo, they also serve as buffers. They are safe to use and simple to operate. Commonly used inflatable dunnage bags include the following two types.
(1) Synthetic Rubber Inflatable Dunnage Bag Its compression resistance is 1 x 9.8 N/cm². On a surface plane of 1300mm x 2000mm, its effective thickness is about 350mm. Sometimes two are needed in a 20 ft container. The disadvantage is its high cost; the current situation makes recycling difficult, so it has not been widely used. However, when the cargo value is high, they are a very effective securing tool.
(2) Disposable Inflatable Dunnage Bags These are bags made from airtight polyethylene (PE) or Kraft paper through special processing, offsetting the high cost disadvantage of the synthetic rubber type. Their compression resistance is within 0.5 x 9.8 N/cm², and they can withstand a load of about 3 x 9.8 x 1000 N. Common specifications for disposable inflatable dunnage bags are 500mm x 1000mm, with a maximum thickness of 300mm. Due to their low cost, they can be disposed of after a single use.
5. Other Tools and Materials
Besides the above-mentioned dunnage tools and materials, used tires, used pallets, and fillers made from wooden frames can also be used to secure cargo. If a container is consistently fully loaded with cargo of the same shape and size, a permanent gap exists between the container wall and the cargo. A wooden frame matching the size and shape of this gap can be pre-made; once the cargo is loaded, the frame can be fitted into the gap. This is an effective method of securing cargo that saves both labor and materials.
Zhuhai Bofeng Logistics, Domestic Container Shipping, Welcome to Inquire and Book Space: 13075678958 Manager Huang
Bofeng Logistics specializes in providing domestic container shipping (mainland China), international shipping (FCL/LCL), Hong Kong/Macao logistics dedicated lines, as well as trucking, customs declaration, warehousing, and other one-stop logistics services. Contact number: 130-7567-8958 (Manager Huang), call now for a customized quote!
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