The French company Modalis, specialising in combined road-rail transport, has unveiled Butterfly, a 20-foot container that is both lightweight and durable, featuring a roof that can be operated from the ground. Launched in December 2024, this container addresses longstanding challenges in the industry. Traditional tarpaulin-roof models are slow and cumbersome, while rigid-roof alternatives are heavy and difficult to handle. The Butterfly combines speed, safety, and ease of use, thanks to its automated roof and recyclable composite panels.
The container’s roof is made from composite panels composed of long glass fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix. This innovative material offers a unique combination of strength, flexibility, and lightness, enabling the integration of a patented opening and closing system. In just 20 seconds, the roof can be opened or closed in a 270-degree motion, ensuring a watertight seal.
A key feature of the Butterfly is its ground-operable mechanism, eliminating the risks associated with working at height and significantly improving operator safety. The watertight seal also provides notable advantages for transporting cargo such as fertilisers and waste, reducing odour dispersion. Moreover, the container’s panels are fully recyclable and can be repurposed into furniture or other products.
The Butterfly container is the result of an international collaboration between Modalis, Belgian composite materials specialist Agesia, and Ccfc, an Italian company responsible for prototype development and mass production under Modalis’s control. The prototype underwent three months of rigorous real-world testing, demonstrating its efficiency and reliability.
