WELL DONE, wellDun!

With wellDun, voestalpine is taking a sustainable, forward-looking and innovative approach to the stowage of steel coils for ocean freight shipping.

The name wellDun is quite tricky. It comes from the first syllable of the German word Wellpappe, which means corrugated cardboard, and the English word dunnage. The name is perfect for the product. Since the summer of 2024, our steel coils have no longer been leaving the port of Linz on polystyrene foam cushions, but on robust, corrugated cardboard. The wellDun product is made by voestalpine. After an intensive trial phase, the new load securing system has proved its worth on the high seas and has saved loads of waste, costs and CO₂.

THINK CIRCULAR ECONOMY WITH wellDun

Dunnage is used to secure cargo in containers and was previously made of polystyrene. But with a growing focus on sustainability, it became clear that it was time to implement a more environmentally friendly. The idea sounds simple: Why not use a renewable material that could be recycled? After all, 3000 to 4000 containers leave the voestalpine plant every year and are shipped to destinations all over the world. 

But a lot of teamwork was required to implement the new system. Experts in the Supply Chain Management department of voestalpine Stahl GmbH, Logistik Service GmbH (LogServ) and the New Business Incubator in the voestalpine Steel Division worked for months on the form, adhesive and certifications. As always, teamwork was the dream work.

A DESCRIPTION OF HOW IT WORKS, LAYER BY LAYER

wellDun consists of up to 180 layers of corrugated cardboard that are wet-glued and formed into stable quarter shells. They can safely and securely hold coil weights of up to 30 tons over long distances and on rough seas. 

Developing the appropriate structure was a challenge for the heavy loads as well as efficient loading. The adhesive is made of corn starch, is non-toxic and supports the full recyclability of the material.

THINGS TO KNOW

  • Reusable eight times
  • Approved for sea freight containers (20 feet and 40 feet)
  • Polystyrene waste at our customers is now a thing of the past.
  • More than 1000 containers have been delivered without any complaint.

The wellDun project team has created a sustainable product that offers voestalpine and its customers true added value ecologically, economically and innovatively. The new container is not the end of development. The wellDun team is already working on additional solutions for railway and roadway transports. 

What a groundbreaking innovation for less waste, more cost-effectiveness!

30 tons of steel supported by cardboard? Sounds crazy, but it's wellDun!

Stella Sustainable, Sustainability Expert