Crate spec ticket
| Returnable crates | Bolted or hinged construction, replaceable members |
|---|---|
| One-way crates | Solid or sheathed wood, HT-stamped for export |
| Base | Skid with runners to carry the weight of dies and blocks |
| Dunnage | Blocking and bracing cut to the part, not generic fill |
| Corrosion | VCI on machined faces, oil on die surfaces |
| Marks | Part number, plant code, centre-of-gravity, orientation |
| Quote needs | Inside dimensions, gross weight, destination, cycle time |
What automotive plants ship in crates
A vehicle program generates a steady stream of loads that do not fit a pallet. Engine and transmission assemblies, stamping and injection moulds and dies, welding fixtures, checking gauges, body-in-white panels, robot end-of-arm tools and prototype components all go by crate. Some are steel and very dense. Some are thin sheet metal that bends if it sits on one edge.
Tooling is the heaviest case. A die set can weigh as much as a small vehicle and concentrate that weight on a few contact patches, so the skid and runners have to spread the load. Panels and exterior parts are the opposite problem: light, large and easily marked.
We cover engine crating and mold and die crating on their own pages, and the automotive crate is usually one of those with a program wrapped around it.
Returnable crates and closed loops
Between a supplier and an assembly plant, the crate goes out full and comes back empty. A returnable crate is built to survive many of those loops. Joints are bolted, not nailed, so a damaged member can be swapped without scrapping the crate. Panels are plywood or sheathing fixed with cleats, and the interior fittings can be replaced as the part design changes.
A closed-loop program lives or dies on the crate count, its condition and how fast it comes back. We build the first batch to a written spec and can build more of the same when the program grows. Collapsible and knockdown designs are an option when empty return cube is the cost driver.
Our returnable crate page covers the construction in more detail.
One-way crates and export tooling
Tooling that goes to a plant overseas, or a prototype that crosses the border for a customer, ships in a one-way crate. These are built from sheathed or solid lumber, and the solid wood must be heat-treated and carry the ISPM 15 mark where the destination requires it. Plywood panels are exempt, which is why a plywood-walled crate on an HT skid is common for dies.
The lanes run from Midwestern and Southern plants to the ports on the Gulf and Great Lakes, and across the Mexican and Canadian borders by truck. We make no assumption about your lane; tell us the destination country and mode at quote and we flag the wood packaging questions to check with APHIS.
For repeat tooling moves, the same spec can be re-quoted with a changed quantity.
Protecting finished and machined surfaces
A die face or a machined engine deck is bare steel or iron, and it starts to rust the moment humid air reaches it. VCI film or a rust-preventive coating goes on first. Desiccant and a barrier bag follow for ocean freight. Our guide to VCI explains why a loose wrap works against a sealed pocket and how long protection lasts.
Body panels and trim need a different approach. They sit in racks or on dunnage cut to their contours, separated by foam or paper so no surface touches another. The crate walls carry the stack load, and the panels never bear on one another.
Wherever the part has a finished or Class A surface, say so at quote. We will keep any treated wood and adhesive off those faces.
Specifications and customer standards
Automotive OEMs publish packaging standards for their suppliers, covering returnable container dimensions, labelling and part identification. We build to the OEM or supplier packaging document you provide, and for general industrial crating we refer to ASTM D6039 and D6251 when a purchase order names them.
We do not claim a quality-system certification here. What we offer is a written spec, a member list you can approve before the build, and the same crate on the next order.
Labels and part-number marks are placed per your document. Barcodes and plant codes usually go on two adjacent sides so a forklift driver and a receiving clerk can both read them.
Planning a crating program around the production schedule
The key number for an automotive program is the cycle: how many crates are in the loop, how long a round trip takes and how many are shipped each week. Give us a rough figure at quote and we can plan lumber, plywood and hardware around it.
Launch periods differ from steady state. Prototype and pilot builds need a few crates quickly, while production needs a lot of identical ones on a schedule. We suggest splitting the quote so the pilot crates are cheap and fast and the production crates are optimised for repeat build.
Standard-size crates in bulk suit smaller service parts, and the bulk crate page gives the ordering details.
Questions buyers ask
What makes a crate returnable?
Bolted or hinged joints, replaceable members and a lid or wall that opens without damage. Nailed crates that must be broken apart to open are one-way.
Do stamping dies need special crating?
They need a skid and runners built for concentrated weight, blocking at the die's lifting points, and a rust-preventive coating on working faces. Send the die's gross weight and footprint.
Can you match our OEM packaging document?
We build to the packaging document you supply and confirm the member list with you before building. We do not quote certifications.
Does a one-way export crate need heat-treated lumber?
Solid wood generally does when the destination requires ISPM 15. Plywood is exempt, so a plywood crate on a stamped HT skid is a common answer.