News / Innovative BLOK-BEAM empty box handling could save shipping industry billions

A new system to improve productivity in empty container handling at quaysides is set to be unveiled in Shanghai this month – its architects claiming it could save the shipping industry billions of dollars a year.

The BLOK-BEAM system (pictured above) is able to handle six empty containers together during loading and unloading operations at container terminal quaysides.

A pair of steel beams connect the six empty containers to form a single block, which can be lifted as one unit. BLOK-BEAM was developed after following significant increases in container crane ...