Crates are mostly made out of timber or wood, though they are also sometimes made in steel, aluminum or plastic. In this article here, we would be concentrating on timber crates. There are quite a few variations in their designs. They could be made as open, closed or framed timber crates.
Closed Timber Crates – These crates are totally enclosed with lumber boards or plywood. While using lumber, usually, gaps are left to give space for any expansion.
Open Crates – These are crates where sheathing is done with lumber. Though there is no set rule, an open crate can be called as such when the gap between each board is more than what is required for an expansion.
Framed Crates – These usually have a skeletal structure and do not have any material added for purpose of pilferage or surface protection.
Crates can also be structured differently – nailed, wirebound or stitched. These are typically used in the food industry. These days even wooden collapsible crates are used.
Now, timber crates are typically some of the best materials used for packaging. They are used to transport clothing, food stuff and also fragile items.
Timber crates
Benefits of Timber Crates –
- Timber crates are strong and durable and thus are often used for export purposes. These can be reused very often. And wooden packing allows us to transport larger quantities of products. Because of their durability, they are commonly used and are available in different sizes as well as shapes.
- Timber crates have simpler designs and thus easy to produce. They are naturally cheaper than many other products. The best part is that they can be custom made to suit the goods that need to be transported or stored. Also, technically timber crates do not use any toxic substances and thus are eco friendly as well as healthier for the employees handling them.
- Timber crates are largely corrosion resistant and are quite apt to be used in extreme climates. It makes them hard and tough against wear and tear. The timber that is used for such crates is resistant to termite infestations and other wood bugs. That way, their life is longer. Wooden crates are also moisture resistant and thus ideal for purposes of shipping. They are also quite well ventilated and thus ideal for transport of food items. However, the wood used for such crates need to be treated appropriately.
- Timber crates are the optimum choice when it comes to storage or bulk transportation. They can be stacked easily one on top and cause almost nil breakage or damage. This way, stackable timber crates give you more room and thus space saving. It also helps in reducing labor costs.
- Timber crates are extremely eco friendly as they can be easily disposed and also recyclable.
Regulations for timber crates used in Import and Export –
The APHIS that is the US department of the Agriculture Animal and Plants Health Inspection Services has certain standards that need to be followed while importing any kind of wood packaging material. It states that all such material needs to be treated and marked appropriately.
International Standards for Phyto-Sanitary Measure or ISPM 15 is an International Standard that says that all wooden shipping crates, pallets, skids, etc that are used for export need to be certified as free of organisms which can pose harm to import countries.
The requirements and regulations are different in each country. Hence, before you export any products with wooden packaging to any non-EU county, it is suggested that you check if they are bound by the ISPM 15 or whether they have any additional regulations.