Crate spec ticket
| Part | Casting, forging, weldment or blank |
|---|---|
| Inside dimensions | L x W x H, including any projections |
| Gross weight | Piece or pieces plus crate |
| Condition | Rough, semi-finished or fully machined |
| Base | Heavy skid with runners to suit the footprint |
| Rest points | Rough surfaces only, with wood or foam pads |
| Destination | Country, for lumber stamping |
Rough where it can be, careful where it is machined
A casting is a rough lump with a few precise surfaces: a bore, a flange face, a thread, a bearing seat. The skin is as-cast, scaled and hard. We rest and strap the piece on those rough areas and keep the finished surfaces clear of anything but coating and wrap.
A forging is denser and often simpler in shape. Rings, shafts and discs are carried on cradles that match their curves, with timber pads under every contact point so steel does not meet steel.
Foundry output varies from a single heavy housing to hundreds of small brackets, valve bodies and impeller blanks. Count matters as much as weight. Give us the piece count, whether parts are sandblasted, painted or primed, and how the receiving plant unloads: forklift, overhead crane or by hand. Those answers decide the dunnage, the layer height and the number of tie-down points.
Holding castings on the skid
Where a casting has cored holes, lug pads or bolting flanges, we use them. A strap or bolt through a cored hole holds the piece down, and a washer plate spreads the load. A piece without anchor points is chocked in place with blocking and then strapped down across the top, with an edge guard under each strap to prevent crushing.
A group of small castings goes into the crate in layers on spacers, with sections laid so the weight is borne by the skid. The layers are separated and wedged, and each layer is tied down.
- Cored holes and lug pads used as anchor points
- Straps over padded saddles, never over machined faces
- Chocks of hardwood against rough surfaces
- Layered loads on spacers with dunnage between
- Heaviest pieces at the bottom, centred over the runners
Machined surfaces, bores and threads
Machined faces are cleaned of cutting fluid, coated with preservative and wrapped in VCI paper or film. Bores are plugged, threaded holes get plastic plugs, and bearing seats are covered with a rigid disc or foam. Nothing rests on a ground surface, and nothing is taped directly to one.
A part with rough-machined stock left on is easier: the protective coat can be generous. A finished part needs more thought, because even a light scratch can rewrite its tolerance. If a drawing marks the critical surfaces, send it with the quote request.
Open slats, wet freight
A [slatted crate](/crates/types/slatted) lets the shipper and the receiver see the cargo, lets air circulate, and is cheaper to build than a closed crate. Its weakness is water. For ocean freight we wrap the load in a barrier bag with desiccant before the slats go on, so the slatted frame does the structural work and the bag does the moisture work. See [rust prevention with VCI](/guides/rust-prevention-vci).
A very heavy forging may call for a [solid-lumber crate](/crates/types/solid-lumber), where the frame is built of large-section members instead of slats.
Lifting, marks and rules
Castings are lifted by sling points on the crate, not by the casting. We mark them, add the centre-of-gravity symbol on two sides and stencil ISO 780 handling marks. If the load goes overseas, the slats and skid carry an IPPC stamp; confirm the requirement with the destination's plant-protection authority and see the [heat-treated crates](/export/heat-treated-crates) page.
Inspection, tagging and what the receiver sees
Foundry and forge work often arrives with paperwork that has to stay attached: heat numbers, material certificates, inspection tags and drawing revisions. We put a weatherproof pouch on the crate wall, tie a duplicate tag to each piece and keep the sets matched, so a receiving inspector can check the lot without unpacking it.
Mixed loads are listed on a packing sheet that follows the layers from bottom to top. If a customer inspects on arrival, a removable slat on one side gives a look at the load without breaking the bag. Tell us which parts are witnessed and which are only counted, and we will build the crate so the witnessed ones are reachable.
- Material certificates and heat numbers in a sealed pouch
- Duplicate tags tied to each piece
- Packing sheet matching layer order
- Removable slat for receiving inspection
Questions buyers ask
Can castings go in a slatted crate by sea?
Yes, if the load is bagged with desiccant and VCI inside the crate. The slats are for structure, not weather protection.
How do you hold a casting that has no bolt holes?
It is chocked on rough surfaces and strapped over padded saddles, with blocking against sideways movement.
Do forgings need rust protection?
Yes, especially if they are machined. Coat, wrap in VCI paper and bag with desiccant for long routes.
What do you need for a quote?
Inside dimensions L x W x H in inches, gross weight in pounds, destination country, quantity, and which surfaces are machined.