How Super Cubes Transformed Shipping Containers for Elgin Air Force Base

At Super Cubes, we're always up for a challenge, especially when it involves pushing the boundaries of innovation. When Eglin Air Force Base approached us with a project to create a container that would house test equipment while the container and test subjects are exposed to extreme temperatures and solar exposure at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory, we knew we were in for something big.

Eglin Air Force Base sought to enhance its capabilities in studying the thermal effects on various military projects within the confines of the world's largest environmental test cell, with temperatures spanning from a scorching plus 170 degrees Fahrenheit to a bone-chilling minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The test chamber was originally designed to test military aircraft, but is also used to test passenger aircraft as well as passenger cars and SUVs. If you are driving a vehicle made since 2011, it was probably tested using our container.

Overcoming Modification Challenges with Innovation

One of the immediate technical challenges we faced was the size of the chamber. Typically, our customer would install power cabinets outside the test chamber and run cables through the wall to the lighting array inside. However, given the extensive size of the chamber, the standard method would have required excessively long cables, leading to voltage drop issues and the need for unreasonably thick, heavy and expensive specialty cables.

Leading with innovation, they proposed a solution: constructing an environmental chamber within the chamber itself. This approach allowed us to house the power cabinets inside a container, maintaining optimal temperature control within the expansive testing environment. By doing so, we avoided the need for impractically long cables and ensured the reliability and efficiency of the system.

Over five years and three meticulously planned phases, we worked hand in hand with our client and their partners to modify a total of seven shipping containers, each serving a crucial role in improving the capabilities of the McKinley Climatic Laboratory. From the initial concept to the final execution, our collaboration demonstrated the power of innovation and strategic problem-solving.

Related: Super Cubes Finalist For 2023 NPSA Awards

Super Cubes played a critical role in ensuring the project's success, weighing in on many factors to guarantee it was operational and financially successful. With each team working closely together, we ensured everything, from style of electrical connection penetrations to the insulation and wall coverings were precisely right to fit everything in and keep the equipment at room temperature. It was a great example of teamwork to achieve superior results.

Super Cubes is a family-owned business located in Minneapolis, MN, that provides containers anywhere in the continental US. We offer personalized service for individuals and businesses, providing high-quality containers at competitive prices. With nationwide facilities, we can modify and deliver containers close to you. Contact our experienced team for your next container project.