THE FUTURE CONTAINED

Max Laver has successfully developed a onepiece mould for making shipping containers by process of resin (or vacuum) infusion. A bag is placed over the mould to create a vacuum. The resin is then “shot” into it, delivered via a system of conduits that run like veins across its surface. It’s an expensive process, and much can go wrong. But it’s worth the calculated risk as it could be transformational to the shipping industry. Standard steel containers are heavy, so making them from a carbon composite instead (which is even lighter than aluminium) will save on fuel and operational costs since they are also resistant to corrosion. Max has developed a prototype and hopes to get R&D funding so he can take the idea further. “I want to prove that makers can thrive in rural towns. With today’s technology, we can manufacture anywhere, creating work in areas that need employment.” If Max has his way, the start-up enterprise will ultimately send products made in Piopio to the ports of the world.