South Africa – Shanghai Metal Corporation

Use of Solar mirrors to Melt Metal, an efficient metal processing Method

As manufacturing plants are being under pressure to reduce their energy spending, many countries and companies are trying to make progress in innovating. some researchers from Germany and South Africa have proposed a technique to reduce the emission in metal processing factories. and will use South Africa’s large aluminium processing industry as a test bed.

In addition to powering electricity-generating turbines , the large mirrors can also melt metals thanks to their ability to concentrate solar rays. The process helps reducing carbon footprint of the metal processing industry.

The preliminary concept is going to be tested first in Germany at the Aerospace Centre’s (DLR) by the Institute of Solar Research in Julich before launching it in South Africa.

According to these researchers, solar mirrors would focus sun rays reaching 700°C to a rotary solar kiln which will be able to melt aluminum ore but also recycled aluminum objects. In addition the research team will develop a logistics plan to transport the molten aluminium from the central solar melting plant to the production facilities where liquid metal will be processed.

“The aim of the project is to develop an energy and cost effective method that can be implemented across a variety of system sizes, depending on the requirements,” said Martina Neises-von Puttkamer, project manager at DLR.

South Africa is a particularly interesting place to start the project because the country’s metal processing facilities rely mostly on electric energy coming from coal-fired power plants which brought them to become the 15th largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. Also Metal processing is the country’s largest industry.

source: eandt.theiet.org

Shanghai Metal Corporation is specialized in manufacturing a wide variety of metal products and understand the importance of a green environment and efficient manufacturing. For more information, you can visit the company’s website or contact us for any inquiry.

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Houria // SMC Editor

The Many Architectural Applications of Shipping Containers vol.5

Our fifth chapter on shipping containers’ architectural applications will discuss examples of how and why they are an excellent choice for creating affordable and sustainable schools and student homes. It might be that even this generation of students will get familiar at least one of them.

Using shipping containers as temporal school houses has at least two rationales. The first reason is that especially old wooden school buildings are likely to have mold issues that may cause severe health risks. For example an article of a Finnish science magazine Tiede states that every second school in Finland has mold issues (source). Students are therefore either forced to stay in their mold school or move to another school. Container schools could be installed in relatively short time and with relatively low costs.

The second reason can be studied from Samsung. In 2012, the South Korean electronics chaebol established a shipping container school in the South African village of Phomolong as a part of its corporate-social responsibility program. The school offers its 21 students premium education facilities with solar powered electricity system and notebooks, an Internet connection and Samsung Galaxy tablets. (source)

The lack of affordable student homes creates another application for shipping containers. For instance in Finland there is a high demand for student homes as the number of available apartments in student villages is getting lower. Students are now forced to pay a very high monthly rent. Some students have to pay even over 800 euros of monthly rent. According to a survey conducted by the Finnish periodical Iltalehti, 40 percent of the thousand respondents said that their funds are really low due to expensive rents. They are now designing economical student homes, made of containers.

Harri Nordling, a Finnish container home designer, has designed beautiful container student homes. The container homes can also be expanded to multi-storeyed blocks of flats. This sort of solution has already been applied in Sweden. Container homes are easy to build. They are also low-cost and environmentally friendly.

So many deficits in housing can nowadays be solved with shipping containers. Therefore we offer a large variety of shipping containers in Shanghai Metal Corporation. We also offer prefabricated container building solutions. Please visit our web pages for detailed descriptions. Check also our social media sites.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Tiede magazine, Cnet, The Volt Report,Arch Daily, Wintech Modular Buildings, Lion Containers, Design Boom, Iltalehti.fi, Hansacontainers.com

Continue to chapter 6.

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Using pipes for creating a spectacular culinary experience

There are many restaurants in the world which are good, interesting, serving nice food, having brilliant staff or location. If you want to set up your own business, open your restaurant and be successful you’d better be different. Offer something different so people can enjoy a wonderful atmosphere while eating, as did one restaurant in South London and a coffee shop in Cape Town.

Bangalore Express Restaurant

This Indian restaurant located in South London with design studio Outline matched pipes and fittings together which is nowadays one of the hottest industrial trends for restaurant design scene. Arrangement of pipes, fitting ladders and focal boxes created each space into a separate area but it still maintains the cohesion throughout the restaurant. The eye of customers naturally follow the pattern from one side to the other. This would never be accomplished with wood. Pipes can easily create ladders and handrails. All the Outline team had to do was insert fitting into each pipe section and then secure those pieces into wall. Pipes and fittings stand up the hustle bustle of hospitality industry without any problem. Although it looks dangerous, waitresses can relax and smile, they are secured by almost indestructible pipe.

Truth Cafe

This coffee shop in Cape Town, South Africa, was designed by Heldane Martin and it is really hard to pass it up. He wanted to make coffee machines and coffee roasters look similar to Victorian futuristic fantasy style, what an interesting idea! Truth coffee wished not only to roast best coffee but also offered a perfectly executed space. Everywhere you look you can see steam pipes, vintage decoration and what’s more restrooms have exposed copper pipes, old mirrors and Victorian tap levers.

We do care about modern trends in Shanghai Metal Corporation and offer our clients the best steel and metal products, also pipe bending machine, if this article gave you a business idea. Visit our website to learn more or send us inquiry, our professional English speaking staff will gladly help you. You could also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LindkedIn. Download our new application by scanning QR code below.

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

You can read more articles written by this author here.

Original pictures and websites : simplifiedbuilding.com, boredpanda.com, thisiscolossal.com, googleimages,

Afghanistan’s Future Is Built on Skateboards and Containers

As we’ve already covered in our blogs, shipping containers can be used to build high-end homes, hotels, villas, restaurants you name it. Due to their low prices, shipping containers are especially good for low income areas. They have even built a shipping container skate park in Afganistan.

The mega shipping container skate park will be built by an international NGO Skateistan that uses skateboarding as a tool for youth outreach in both Afghanistan and Cambodia. The most recent skate park in Mazar-e-Sharif is an educational safe have for children.The 6000 square meter educational and sport complex was built out of repurposed shipping containers and other locally sourced materials to host 1,000 local children on a weekly basis.

Afghanistan’s skate park is not actually one of its kind in developing container-based education in developing countries. For example Apple‘s rival the Korean electronics chaebol Samsung has also used shipping containers to build schools in South Africa. In Indonesia they have even build shipping container libraries.

It is yet unfold whether the skate park grows the future’s Tony Hawks or even enhances Afganistan’s economy but for the well-being and sophistication of local children the shipping container skate park is in a big role.

Shipping containers are a superior tool for businesses to actualize their corporate social responsibility programs as well as to spread culture and a high level of sophistication to developing countries. In general, we do not have many tools for helping the ones in need but shipping containers are a practical solution.

If you are planning to use shipping containers, please contact us in Shanghai Metal Corporation. We ship standardized shipping containers worldwide and compile prefabricated container buildings for customers needs. For detailed specifications, please visit our website. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Inhabitat, Skateistan

Copper doesn’t just make cents

The surge in copper prices has recently lead to thefts of this red metal all over the world. Gutter, cables, coils or pipes have been ripped off buildings and they are sold on the black markets. These thieves are only interested in financial gain but architects are using copper more and more, not for just practical purposes but also for its aesthetic allure. Let’s have a look!

Happo Museum – Tshwane, South Africa

Hapo Museum (hapo = hope or dream in the Khoi language) was designed by GAPP, Mashabane Rose Architects and MMA to showcase over 3 billions years of history in South Africa. The building complex is clad with copper panels which are meant to age naturally. “With walls and roof all clad in copper sheeting, the outcrop will rust to green and merge with the natural landscape.” state the architects.

Fujitsubo Beauty Parlor – Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo’s trendy Omotesando district has an incredible parlor Fujitsubo (“barnacle” in Japenese) Beauty Parlor. Japenese Archivision Hirotani Studio built it with a great example of copper cladding continuously from rooftop to the ground. It is bright and reflective and supposed to age incrementally to degrees dependent on amounts of sunlight and rain received at different areas of the structure.

fujitsubo01 — Fujitsubo Beauty Parlor, Japan

The Rock at Wellington International Airport – Wellington, New Zealand

This “Rock” was designed by Studio Pacific Architecture. They wanted to combine functionality and capacity that should become a memorable visitor experience at the airpoirt. The rock’s folded copper-clad walls are intended to invoke the character of Wellington’s South Coast area.

The-Rock-CD-Pictures-001-584x271 — Wellington’s Rock, New Zealand

There are even more copper buildings like Villa ArenA Woonmall Restaurant – Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Schloss Grafenegg Concert Hall – Grafenegg Castle, Austria, Svalbard Science Centre – Longyearbyen, Norway and others.

villa arena amsterdam — Villa Arena, Netherlands

austria — Schloss Grafenegg Concert Hall, Austria

norway — Svalbard Science Centre, Norway

You can find more about copper products on Shanghai Metal Corporation’s website or send us inquiry. Our English speaking personnel will gladly help you with any problems. We will be happy if you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LindkedIn. You could also download our new application by scanning QR code below.

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

You can find more articles written by this author here.

Credits : weburbanist.com, inhabitat.com, copperinvestingnews.com, archdaily.com, googleimages

Coca Cola Saves Lives with Shipping Containers!

One of the world’s most valuable brands Coca-Cola is utilizing shipping containers in its corporate social responsibility program in developing countries within the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP) category. Together with Deka R&D and other major investors including UPS and IBM, the beverage company is installing container kiosks that will provide drinkable water for three billion people in the world that suffer from the lack of it.

These Ekocenters are to provide purified water for communities that have a limited access to safe drinking water. The modularly designed kiosk is made out of a 20 ft shipping container. The container is empowered with Slingshot technology that is responsible for the purification of water.

The kiosk is also meant to generate entrepreneurship in developing countries, especially among women. Along with these kiosks Coca-Cola has also launched their 5by20 program that aims to generate 5 million women entrepreneurs by the year 2020.

As discussed in our previous article about container shops, setting a container kiosk is a considerable business also in developed countries. Coca-Cola has redeveloped the concept and is now using the Ekocenters for offering locally tailored mix of products, services and resources that also include sustainable energy, wireless communications, refrigerated vaccination storage, health education, and other functionality to jump-start entrepreneurship opportunities and community development.

This CSR project begun in 2013 as Coca-Cola set up its first Ekocenter in South Africa. The company aims to install 1,500 to 2,000 Ekocenters by 2015 in Africa, Asia and the Latin and North America.

As shipping containers gain more ways of use, we in Shanghai Metal Corporation are also becoming happier in offering our international customers high-quality standardized shipping containers. For details about our large variety of products, please visit our website or just send us an inquiry and our English speaking staff will contact you. Meanwhile please remember to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Company Press Release, Food and Beverage News, Designboom, 3BL Media, Expok News

Studying in shipping containers

Nowadays shipping containers are becoming more and more popular. Container restaurants, shipping container bars, shipping container clinics or shipping container dream houses. Basically, a shipping container is made out of steel and it is a type of storage box used to load heavy equipment, dry goods for shipping purposes. But is it possible to study in a shipping container as well?

container-classroom-9 — A container’s classroom

In rolling hills of Durbanville wine alley, on the outskirts of Cape Town in South Africa, the region known for its poverty, finally found sponsors, three South African companies, Woolworths, Safmarine and AfriSam and a shipping recycled container was converted into a independent classroom. Kids at age 5-6 could start studying.

container-classroom-12 — A concept diagram

It started as an annual competition called “Making the difference through design”. The competitors tried to find a way how a recycled container can be adapted to help under-resourced schools.

container-classroom-2 — Colorful windows

This container serves as a classroom in the morning and as a library in the afternoon. The container is sheltered from direct sunlight by a big roof while the gap reduces heat gain. This horizontal solar shade is the most radical addition to the container. There are colorful windows located on each side of the container to achieve a cross ventilation. Stepped seating offers children to have their lunch there and socialize. It is also an amphitheater for school assemblies.

A large area around the classroom was transformed into a vegetable garden where children can grow plants and have fresh vegetables as a part of school’s feeding program.

As we see containers are not only economical but also very practical. Shanghai Metal Corporation is the leading manufacturer and supplier of shipping containers so please feel free to visit our website or send us inquiry. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LindkedIn. if you have smart phone or tablet, download our brand new application by scanning QR code. Our English speaking staff will be more than glad to help you and answer your questions.

Silvia M.//SMC Editor

Credit and pictures: wisegeek.com, wikipedia.com, archdaily.com, gizmag.com, google images, pinterest

Can You Guess What’s Wrong In This Picture?

The photograph series “For What It’s Worth” by photographer and artist Dillon Marsh is at the very least surreal. By combining photographic precision and computer-generated imagery Marsh produces illogical images as an attempt to provide a graphic visualization of the quantity of copper extracted from the Blue Mine in Springbok, situated 550 km north of Cape Town.

Blue Mine, Springbok (1852 to 1912) 3,535 tonnes of copper extracted

The blue in ‘Blue Mine’ is in reference to the color of rocks in the mine as a result of copper coming into contact with oxygen in the air. Back to the mid-19th century copper was the primarily driving force behind the establishment of relatively remote area of the country such as Springbok, Okiep and Nababeep as formal towns. Following operations that began in 1852, the Blue Mine is recorded as the first commercial mining endeavour in South Africa. South Africa hasn’t been so commercial before, and with the discovery of copper deposits the town became a centre for mining prospectors with movement of people coming to Springbok also attracted by its near and steady supply of drinkable water.

Nababeep South Mine, Nababeep (1882 to 2000) 302,791.65 tonnes of copper extracted

By 2007, however, most of these mines had run their course and production had stopped almost completely. As an attempted to represent the uncertain future for the towns and people of the region, Marsh placed impressive copper spheres in the arid scene of what once served as copper mine. “Whether they are active or long dormant, mines speak of a combination of sacrifice and gain”, describes Marsh. He also adds “their features are crude, unsightly scars on the landscape – unlikely feats of hard labor and specialized engineering, constructed to extract value from the earth but also exacting a price”.

Jubilee Mine, Concordia (1971 to 1973) 6,500 tonnes of copper extracted

Mash’s intention is “to create a kind of visualization of the merits and shortfalls of mining in South Africa, an industry that has shaped the history and economy of the country so radically”. On the one hand, the development of the mines around Okiep contributed significantly to the demise of copper mining in south-west of England. On the other hand technology and skill were still transferred from these mines to other parts of the world. Unesco classifies the principle value of the copper mine site of Springbok an extension of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape in the UK, for instance, also sharing a close association with other mining landscape in Australia, Brazil, India and Mexico.

Tweefontein Mine, Concordia (1887 to 1904) 38,747.7 tonnes of copper extracted

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide range of metals such as copper, widely used in varying artifacts. To find out more, please visit our Website, WordPress, LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code. Moreover, we sell directly from Alibaba , EC21 ,Tradekey or directly at sales@shanghaimetal.com.

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Source and picture credit: springbokinfo.co.za, designboom.com, visualnews.com, ignant.de, whc.unesco.org, dillonmarsh.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

An Antarctic Prefab Shows the True Potential of Shipping Containers

India’s National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research is situated in northeast Antarctica. The Bharati Indian Polar Station is built on an 27,000 square feet area out of 134 shipping containers. The research center’s residential quarters shows almost everything that can be built out of shipping containers including an hotel of 24 single and double bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, library, fitness room, offices, a lounge and an operational theater.

There are at least two reasons why the research complex was built by using shipping containers. First, according to the Antarctic Treaty System, all the construction in the Antarctica should not leave any trace to the environment. Shipping containers make it possible to dissassemble and remove the building without causing any environmental impact.

Second, due to shipping containers’ physical properties and their durability, they are an excellent building material for extreme weather conditions. Shipping containers are designed to be shipped even in a rough weather in the world’s seas. Therefore they can even handle the wind gusts of 200 mph and the temperatures of -40 C of the Antarctica.

The shipping container complex was prefabricated in Germany and shipped to Antwerp and Cape Town. In Antarctica the research center was able to be assembled quickly. The facade of the center was designed to forestall the buildups of snow drifts.

Thanks to the German company Bof Architekten, the center can accommodate 47 researchers during summers and 24 during winters. The energy of the center is provided by a Combined Heat and Power Unit (CHP) which is powered by stockpiles of kerosene. There are actually a total of three CHP units on site, so as to ensure that an untimely mechanical failure does not leave the residents in dire straits.

Shipping containers and shipping container architecture are one of Shanghai Metal Corporation‘s largest businesses. Our containers are built to last according to international standards. In order to learn more about our products and services, please visit our websites on containers and container projects. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Try also scanning our QR code with your smart phone, tablet or phablet.

#BuildingValueAcrossTheGlobe

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Gizmag, Bof Architekten, Inhabitat

Better Education Obtained in Container Schools

Today shipping containers are used to build apartments, hotels, stores and saunas to name but a few. But why does it make sense to build schools out of containers?

The first reason is that especially old wooden school buildings are likely to have mold issues that may cause severe health risks. For example an article of a Finnish science magazine Tiede states that every second school in Finland has mold issues (source). Students are therefore either forced to stay in their mold school or move to another school. Container schools could be installed in relatively short time and with relatively low costs.

In Orange County California, creative architects had an over three months projects of expanding the Waldorf School in Costa Mesa by using shipping containers. It took 99 days to build four buildings out of 32 shipping containers. The eco-friendly construction project cost two million US dollars which was estimated of being 10-20 percent cheaper than an “old-school” building project. Also it would have most likely taken more time than 99 days to finish by using other material than shipping containers.

There are many types of internationally standardized shipping containers. Some have an open top and some can be opened from the sides. Thereby it gives designers limitless opportunities to develop mobile education facilities. In order to solve mold related problems or take education to less developed areas, governments, nonprofit organizations and companies’ CSR managers should look for containerized education solutions.

Shanghai Metal Corporation is a proud provider of shipping containers. Our wide variety of container products can be seen in our website http://www.smccontainer.com. We hope that you also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also try our new mobile application by scanning the QR code below.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Tiede magazine, Cnet, The Volt Report, Arch Daily, Wintech Modular Buildings, Lion Containers, Design Boom