The story behind CornerLash

CornerLash is a solution developed by Cordstrap for the transport of drums and IBC’s in containers.
The system is unique in using the strongest part of the container – the corner posts - to secure the cargo.
The development of CornerLash was prompted by examining issues which customers face when transporting hazardous and non-hazardous products across the globe.

Numbers say: cargo in containers insufficiently secured

As the world leader in cargo securing, Cordstrap are in constant dialogue with surveyors, insurance companies and port authorities. When questioned regarding container security, the answers were shocking. They revealed that only 2% of containers are being checked in ports – and that 25% of controlled containers are poorly secured. 60% of import containers were found to be insufficiently secured – a very worrying statistic when 65% of all container accidents are known to relate to poor securing or stuffing.

Among the most common reasons for poor container securing are:

Lack of knowledge
Lack of time
Cost
Taking calculated risks

Cargo securing needs to be taken more seriously than it currently is worldwide – and with bigger ships bringing increasing container weights, stack heights and higher accelerator forces into play, securing inside containers becomes a key area of focus

Key cargo securing factors in the development of Cornerlash

Clear customer requirements
The container - one of the weakest links
Packaging getting weaker
Taking the scientific route to improve existing lashing systems
Rules and regulations in various transport modes

Clear customer requirements

Customers are looking for cargo and environmental safety and ease of use when loading and unloading containers. CTU Code compliance or AAR approval is essential as well. Ultimately, cost is also a critical factor. Cordstrap needed to find a solution that would meet all these needs.

The container - one of the weakest links

Economic factors have pushed down the cost and quality of containers over time and the limited strength of container lashing and anchor points restrict the cargo weights that can be effectively secured.

Newer containers with steel floors and stronger lashing points are a good development for safe cargo securing. However, extensive testing proved that the corner posts of a container are actually the strongest point, usable to effectively and safely secure an entire container payload of around 30 tons.

Packaging is getting weaker

As an example, the steel in drums is getting thinner – reducing from 1.4mm to 0.8mm and creating another challenge. Even if the lashing keeps the cargo in place, packaging must also stay intact.

Taking the scientific route to improve existing lashing systems

A combination of computer simulation and practical field tests provided valuable insights into how cargos react and how they can be restrained during shunting impacts. It was immediately clear that polyester lashing was able to retain cargo, even under a high impact, and that Cordstrap lashing systems could be optimized, reducing elongation and ensuring cargo stayed in place during an impact.

Rules and regulations in various transport modes

Rules and regulations were key to the development of CornerLash. The IMDG prohibits movement of cargo inside a container during transport. The CTU Code details how cargo should be secured, while keeping the forces acting on various transport options in mind.
AAR regulations are less specific, making the development of a satisfactory solution more of a challenge. Most important for AAR approval is that the cargo inside a container should not impact the doors during transport. This differs from the CTU Code, where container doors can be part of the cargo securing solution.

The CTU Code improves both the safety of employees handling the container and the security of the cargo being transported

CornerLash: a certified solution

CornerLash provides an affordable and safe cargo securing solution by using the strongest point of a container: the corner posts.

The CornerLash solution has passed AAR simulation and shunting tests, and is now AAR approved for non-hazardous cargos. Field tests are currently underway for final hazardous cargo approval. And after extensive testing by MariTerm, CornerLash is also EN12195-2:2000 and CTU-Code certified..

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