Packing High-Technology Equipment: An Expert’s Guide | IES

It doesn’t matter if you’re moving a piece of high-technology equipment 20 miles across towns or 2,000 miles across continents, you want peace of mind that it will arrive at its destination damage-free and in perfect working order.

To do that, you need to ensure that equipment is fully protected not only against any lumps and bumps in the road, but also environmental conditions that could impact your equipment’s functioning, vibrations and moisture ingress that could damage components and any other factors that might end up harming your equipment during transit. 

That’s where specialist export packing comes in.

We’ve been packing complex, high-value equipment for high-technology OEMs and end users since 1991, and have worked with some of the most prestigious semiconductor, pharmaceutical and aerospace manufacturers globally. 

In this article, we share our expert insights on how to correctly pack sensitive, high-technology equipment. So you can protect your equipment during transit and ensure it arrives safely at its destination, every time.

It starts with thorough planning

Before you can start packing your equipment, you need to not only formulate a step-by-step plan that details exactly how you’re going to pack it (including whether you need to disassemble or decontaminate the equipment beforehand) but also to assess your site suitability and storage capacity. 

There are various factors you need to consider as part of this, including:

• How much physical room do you need to carry out the packing process and does your site allow for that? It might be necessary to use an offsite packing area if there is nowhere on-site that can comfortably accommodate your needs
• Do you have space to store your crates before shipping? It’s rarely practical to load straight to transport
• Does your site have access for a vehicle with a forklift or tail lift, or even for a specialist vehicle if the size and weight of the equipment demand it?
• Will you need to disassemble equipment before packing it to make it safer to transport? Who will do this and how? How many crates will you need to transport these? 
• Will you need to decontaminate equipment before packing? Contaminated equipment like ion implanters, for example, legally need to be scrubbed to bare metal before they can be transported

You’ll also need to put together a detailed inventory of all the components and parts you need to pack and transport. This should include serial numbers, specifications, and any special handling requirements. 

This is critical for keeping track of each component and ensuring you don’t leave any part behind during packing. 

Select the right packing materials for your equipment

Wooden crates

Standard crates are rarely the right fit for complex, high-technology equipment. 

Such equipment often requires a made-to-order, bespoke crate that’s perfectly crafted for your equipment’s specific dimensions and requirements.

Don’t forget to make sure your crates adhere to the required packing materials standards—for example, they’ll need to be ISPM-15 and BS1133-compliant. 

Looking for an expert supplier to design and build your crate? See our full range of fully ISPM-15 and BS1133-compliant here.

Movement isolation

If your equipment is allowed to slide around inside its crate even the tiniest amount during transit, this could cause significant and costly damage. 

Here are a few measures you can take to isolate movement inside your crate: 

• Create a custom mould that perfectly cushions and wraps around your equipment to protect it from moving around
• Secure equipment with timber bracing and blocking
• Lock down any moving parts (for example, any arms that could swing around during transit) with ties and straps.

Shock-absorbant materials

Shock and vibrations can be significantly damaging for high-technology equipment. 

Which is why, if your equipment is particularly sensitive to shock, you should line your crate and wrap equipment with foam inserts and padding, air cushions or bubble wrap to absorb any shock or vibrations. 

Also, ensure that no two parts within the same crate are in direct contact with each other. This is not only to prevent scratching but also friction caused by vibrations and shock. We recommend lining foam layers between components to prevent contact.

Protecting wrapping

If you’re moving cleanroom equipment that has strict cleanliness requirements, it’s important to wrap it in industrial stretch film/bubble wrap to protect it from dust and other potential contaminants. 

Climate control

Some pieces of equipment have special requirements with regard to temperature control, environmental conditions and humidity. And exposure to unsuitable temperatures or climates can cause significant damage. 

That’s why it’s essential to transport and store your equipment within climate and temperature-controlled vehicles and environments. 

For equipment that’s particularly sensitive to humidity, it’s also important to use moisture-absorbing materials and moisture-resistant barriers to protect it against damage. For example, heat-sealed vacuum bags with desiccant are a great way to protect against humid environments. 

Moving your equipment into your crate

Once you’ve gathered all your materials, you can start lifting your equipment onto your crate base and installing any required blocking or bracing in the lower parts of the crate.  

Ensure that you use lifting equipment that matches the weight and size of your equipment. This might include overhead cranes, forklifts, pallet jacks, or specialised lifting devices. 

While lifting, avoid any jerks or sudden movements. Go slowly and carefully, lifting and moving equipment with precision until you lower it onto your crate base. Learn more about how to correctly lift and move equipment in our article here.

Once your equipment is fully secured to its base, you can then add any required packaging materials to protect it from damage, fix the walls and lid, and finally seal your crate to protect against moisture ingress and dust particles.

Crate labelling

To finish, you’ll need to mark your crate with the appropriate labellings. Consider these as a list of “how to” instructions on how your movers should handle each crate. 

For example, you should indicate fragility, handling instructions and orientation arrows, just to name a new. 

You should also as standard include your crate’s external dimensions, weight and the ISPM stamp to confirm that you’ve used the regulatory type of timber. Lastly, you should include an individual ID for each crate, as well as details of the entire load. 

Custom wooden crates and packing solutions for high-technology equipment

We’ve been packing and shipping sensitive equipment for some of the world’s most prestigious manufacturers since 1991. 

Our service covers all aspects of crating and packing—from custom crate manufacture and export packing to freighting (if required). So you can have peace of mind that your equipment will arrive at its destination securely and damage-free.

Learn more about how we can help via our website.