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Vet's solution that could revolutionise loading: BoxTube
Reducing inefficiency in loading to maximise capacity usage and avoid delays across the logistics network has long been a challenge in both road and rail operations.
But now a team, run by former vet Alan Holford, has created a loading solution which speeds the process and fills vehicles to maximum capacity as part of the Clean Futures Programme, based in the West Midlands.
BoxTube is a rapid vehicle loading system for trucks and trains which enables up to 550 boxes to be loaded into a truck, or 10,000 onto a 12-car train, in under a minute. Based on a standardised modular system, BoxTube uses a standard 400 x 600mm tote box to make loading simple, reduce delays and maximise the use of space for transport. Boxes are packed for transport using an innovative rapid vehicle loader to speed the process. And it is hoped that the speed and efficiency of this approach could be transformative for the logistics sector, reducing delays as well as the environmental impact of the industry. In fact, the company believes that, using its system, full loading of an HGV can be achieved in under a minute, while a train carriage can be stacked to capacity in just 11 seconds – potentially saving significant time and money compared with the current half hour fastest time using conventional methods.
The BoxTube concept was created and developed as part of the Clean Futures Accelerator, a programme led by Connected Places Catapult, Coventry University and the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation. 20 SMEs were identified to join a six-month, challenge-led accelerator to help the West Midlands transport sector make the transition away from fossil fuels using innovation. Funding was provided for the development and trial of “proof of concept” as well as giving the opportunity for networking with potential financial backers, together with bespoke technical and commercial support. As identified in the West Midlands Plan for Growth, the region is key for advanced manufacturing innovation and home to the nation’s “Green Industrial Revolution”, as well as providing a key intermodal hub for many logistics operators.
As part of the development process, BoxTube’s ability to save carbon emissions was tested along with its capacity maximisation, with impressive results. Holford claims that, due to current loading practices, there is minimal opportunity to increase rail freight usage across the country: however, he believes this situation could be reversed with improved capacity and packing capability which would also create an opportunity to move freight throughout the day across the rail network. He believes that making it possible to load and move light freight swiftly will reduce the need for overnight journeys and enable the scheduling of light freight trains alongside the passenger timetable. This could in turn enable the use of multi-stop line-side deliveries – which could create greater opportunities for rail freight as a whole.
According to the product’s development plan, a BoxTube-equipped train could displace 24 HGVs from the road, reducing journey times and enabling faster, more efficient transfer to and from road vehicles for the first and final miles. This would, in turn, increase operational efficiencies, improve operating conditions for drivers and reduce delivery times.
Holford believes that alternative fuels are only part of the decarbonisation jigsaw puzzle and it will take innovation throughout the supply chain to achieve net zero: “There is currently a major focus on alternative fuels and electrification, but this alone cannot solve our emissions problems. We believe we need to develop technology to transform efficiency in other areas to create solutions fit for the future. Solutions that complement all modes of transport are desperately needed.”
Through the Clean Futures Accelerator Programme, which is led by the Connected Places Catapult, BoxTube has developed and tested a prototype of its solution at BCIMO’s Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley. For more information about the Clean Futures Accelerator and the other projects it supports, please visit: https://cp.catapult.org.uk/opportunity/clean-futures-accelerator
Photo credit: BoxTube
Published On: 12/09/2024 15:00:00
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