York thinks big with containers
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by John Darker
• A new automated plant at Northallerton for the production of York ISO containers has a production capacity of 11,680 units a year and this could be stepped up to 20,000 a year without difficulty. This was revealed last week during a Press visit to the new factory.
I was impressed with the quality control aspect with particular reference to material preparation, paint finishing and welding inspection. So confident is York of the durable qualities of its containers that a threeyear anti-corrosion guarantee is offered to customers provided the corrosion does not develop through impact, abrasion or acid damage.
Five standard container types are offered in steel or aluminium in the accepted 10, 20, 30 and 40ft lengths. Fully insulated and refrigerated reefer models, open tops, and side-loaders can be specified and stainless steel general-purpose tank versions in ISO module frames can be supplied.
ISO containers can be removed from a skeletal trailer without the need for crane facilities or straddle carriers in a new York system developed, I understand, for British Road Services, but available to other operators.
The trailer has a normal skeletal frame, with hydraulic lifting twistlocks fitted to the outriggers. These allow the container to be lifted hin. clear of the trailer. Stands are then fitted into the side openings of the container corner castings and the twistlocks are lowered. The trailer is then free to be removed, leaving the container supported in an elevated position.
On trailers designed to carry only one length of container the hydraulic equipment is fixed permanently into the sockets on the outriggers. On trailers designed to carry
containers of more than one length the hydraulic equipment is fitted into sockets to permit them to be moved from one set of outriggers to another. Thus, a trailer equipped to carry 20ft and 30ft containers, for example, would be fitted only with four hydraulic points for its eight outriggers.