Why do we recommend
the container clamp for
your container shelter?

12 July 24
TC606 - Onderdelen - china (9)

My name is Harrie Meeusen, and I have been working as an engineer at Kroftman for over 10 years. Since my colleagues and I design most of Kroftman's products ourselves, we know all the ins and outs. I would like to share this knowledge with you. In this blog, I will tell you more about a unique component of our container shelters that you won't find anywhere else. I’m talking about our special Kroftman container clamps. With these, you can attach a container shelter to two standard sea containers without damaging them. In this blog, I will cover the following topics:

1. What are the advantages of the Kroftman container clamps?
2. Can I always attach my container shelter using the container clamps?
3. What do the container clamps cost, and how many do I need?
4. What makes Kroftman’s container clamps different from those of competitors?
5. Special container clamps for higher wind loads.
6. Can I order additional container clamps?

 

1. What are the advantages of the Kroftman container clamps?

At Kroftman, we are continually working to improve our products and meet our customers' needs. Over 10 years ago, we didn’t have container clamps, and our customers had to weld the container shelter onto the containers. Not all of our customers had a welding machine. Moreover, it was a tricky job to weld the corner brackets onto the containers. So, we had to find another solution. We designed the container clamp ourselves, opting for a simple yet effective design that can be produced in large quantities with minimal materials. An affordable solution indeed. The fact that we are still using this container clamp after 10 years is proof of its success.

The benefits for you as a customer are:

  • Quick installation of your container shelter. With the container clamps, attaching your container shelter is done in no time. In our blog post “The 9 Most Common Installation Mistakes with a Container Shelter,” you can read what to watch out for when attaching the container clamps.
  • No damage to your containers. By securing your container shelter with the container clamps, you won't damage your containers. You won’t need to drill holes in the container for screws or weld brackets onto your container.
  • Easy disassembly. Just as easily as you attach the container clamps, you can remove them. This is handy if you move your container shelter frequently.
beugel open side container
2. Can I always attach my container shelter using the container clamps?

No, unfortunately not. You cannot use the container clamps (without limitation) on containers with edges that are too high or too low, open-side containers, or containers that are too close to each other. I will explain this further below.

2.1 Open-side containers
Due to the doors on the side of the container, the container edge is not suitable for placing container clamps. My colleagues and I have spoken to several customers who encountered this issue. We have now found a solution in the form of brackets. In the image below, you can see this bracket circled in yellow.

You weld the bracket to the container edge and then mount the base rail of the container shelter on it. This way, the doors can still be opened. If you want to place a container shelter on two open-side containers, please contact my sales colleagues and ask about this bracket. It is not currently available for order on the website.

 2.2 Containers with too low or too high edges.
I also frequently receive inquiries about using our container clamps on containers with edges lower than the required 50-80 mm height. If your container edge is lower than 50 mm and you still want to use the container clamps, please contact us. In consultation with you, my colleagues and I can determine whether a spacer block is an option. You can order this from Kroftman. Never mount a container clamp on a container edge lower than 50 mm without these blocks. You won't be able to secure the container shelter properly, risking it blowing away. For a container edge higher than 80 mm, there is unfortunately no way to use the container clamps. In that case, you can either weld the same brackets as for open-side containers onto your containers and attach your container shelter to them, or use screws.

2.3 Containers that are too close together (more than 10 centimeters)
If the containers are closer than 10 centimeters, it is no longer possible to place the container shelter on the edges of the containers. In this case, the base rail of the container shelter will be positioned further away from the container edge. You cannot use Kroftman’s container clamps to secure your container shelter then. However, you can mount the base rail to the container using bolts or by welding it to the container. You can read more about this in this blog.

3. What do the container clamps cost, and how many do I need?

If you order your container shelter through our website, you can customize your product yourself. One of the options you can select under "Attachment" is the option for the attachment clamps. You will then automatically receive the correct number of clamps needed for the container shelter you have chosen. You can also see the costs directly. Below is an overview of the number of container clamps required for each type of container shelter and the current prices. These may fluctuate based on raw material or production costs. You can always find our current prices on our website.

Thumbnail Fastening brackets assembly
Container shelter type Price per set (ex VAT)
TC403 €180
TC406 €310
TC412 €590
TC606 €310
TC612 €590
TC806 €260
TC812 €410
TC1012 €620
4. What makes Kroftman’s container clamps different from those of competitors?

If you purchase your container shelter from another supplier, there is a good chance they also offer the option to attach your container shelter without welding or drilling. However, they use a different type of attachment clamps than Kroftman. Our container clamps stand out from those of competitors in the following ways:

  • They are cheaper. We designed the container clamps so that we can produce them in large quantities with minimal material and production costs, without compromising the safety of the attachment.
  • They are lighter and thus easier to use. Because we use so little material to make them, they are lightweight and easy to handle.

Our container clamps are made from a curved piece of galvanized steel that clamps around the edge of the container. Below you can see an image of the container clamp. This is how you attach the base rail to the sea container, and then you can easily attach the container shelter.

With the screw (B), the clamp is secured to the container. The different screws (A) in this figure are used to attach the container shelter to the clamps. Which screw (A) you use depends on the type of container shelter.

 

5. Special container clamps for higher wind loads.

Since we often receive inquiries from customers about whether a higher wind load is possible, we have developed extra-strong container clamps. A standard container clamp can withstand a wind load of 12 kN/m². This is generally sufficient for the Dutch weather. If you want to be extra sure, you can use the heavy-duty container clamp, which can withstand a wind load of 17 kN/m².

These heavy-duty container clamps are not yet available for order on our website. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested.

4. What makes Kroftman’s container clamps different from those of competitors?

If you purchase your container shelter from another supplier, there is a good chance they also offer the option to attach your container shelter without welding or drilling. However, they use a different type of attachment clamps than Kroftman. Our container clamps stand out from those of competitors in the following ways:

  • They are cheaper. We designed the container clamps so that we can produce them in large quantities with minimal material and production costs, without compromising the safety of the attachment.
  • They are lighter and thus easier to use. Because we use so little material to make them, they are lightweight and easy to handle.

Our container clamps are made from a curved piece of galvanized steel that clamps around the edge of the container. Below you can see an image of the container clamp. This is how you attach the base rail to the sea container, and then you can easily attach the container shelter.

With the screw (B), the clamp is secured to the container. The different screws (A) in this figure are used to attach the container shelter to the clamps. Which screw (A) you use depends on the type of container shelter.

 

5. Special container clamps for higher wind loads.

Since we often receive inquiries from customers about whether a higher wind load is possible, we have developed extra-strong container clamps. A standard container clamp can withstand a wind load of 12 kN/m². This is generally sufficient for the Dutch weather. If you want to be extra sure, you can use the heavy-duty container clamp, which can withstand a wind load of 17 kN/m².

These heavy-duty container clamps are not yet available for order on our website. Please feel free to contact us if you are interested.

 

6. Can I order additional container clamps?

If you move your container shelter, it can happen that you lose something, like a container clamp. You can also order these separately from us. Please contact our customer service for this.

We hope that the above information helps you make an informed choice. If you want to know exactly what the container shelter of your choice costs, please feel free to fill out our quote tool. You will receive a quote by email that shows you at a glance what the transportation costs are for your container shelter. You can create multiple quotes and select different options so you can compare them effectively.

If you have any further questions, we are happy to assist you.