Before & After - Alfa Romeo Car engine

Just because something is crated, doesn't mean it is packed right.  In the example below, we were contracted to re-crate an Alpha Romeo engine going to Europe.  The original crate, packed with spare tires might work to get it around the corner, but maybe not for a trip across the Atlantic.  Secondly, the original crate was not stamped per the ISPM export wood regulations.  No worries here as we are a certified ISPM facility!

How am I going to get that out of the crate?

 

So, a 1500 pound crate arrives and you don't have a forklift. What do you do?

Just let us know in advance and we can build a custom ramp for the equipment to roll out of the crate. The equipment shown below is used for laser eye surgery so it is a safe bet that the office it was shipped to did not have equipment available to safely lift it out of the crate. 

 

For the highest level of service, we have locations nationwide that can receive the shipment, inside deliver and remove all the packaging materials for you.

Click here to find a location

Marble Top End Tables - Some Assembly Required

As nice as it is to open a package containing your new purchase assembled and ready to use, sometimes that isn't the best way to get it to you safely.  For example, the four end tables shown are topped with a heavy piece of marble.  The best way to ensure they arrive safely is to remove the marble tops and pack them upright.  Shipping brittle materials like marble, slate, and glass flat is never recommended.  It causes the material to flex and since those materials can't flex, they will break. 

The larger crate shown below contains the table bases which are individually wrapped and sectioned off with foam dividers.  The marble tops were placed upright in the smaller crate and divided by foam sheets.  

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Marble Column

The Romans did it with manpower. We do it with forklifts and foam.  Either way, moving marble is a challenge.  It is inherently fragile and is highly susceptible to cracking.  As with other stone materials, it can withstand tremendous compressive forces, but can break easily if it is allowed to flex.  Therefore, when packing marble, it is important to properly cushion it.  Too much foam, it will be too hard and not offer any cushioning.  Not enough foam, it compresses the foam to the point it is useless.  

To ensure easy loading and unloading, we went with a cradle design.  This effectively removes any packing expertise for unloading or repacking as it will only fit one way in the crate.

The crate was shipped laying down as shown in the final photo. The other photos were taken upright to show the foam cavity design.  Laying it down provided a more stable stance and removed the potential tipping hazard. 

600 Pound Baseball Player?

The statue titled "Mighty Casey" has been on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York since 1987.  The bronze statue, inspired by the 1888 Ernest Thayer poem "Casey at the Bat", stands nearly 7 feet tall and weighs 600 pounds.  The statue was sold at auction and was time for Casey to move on to his new home in California. 

In order to ensure Casey's safety, he was picked up from the Hall of Fame in a truck with an "air-ride" suspension and returned to our shop for construction of the crate.  The large, heavy base was encased with foam for cushioning and to prevent shifting in the crate.  We then used foam lined braces throughout the crate to hold Casey in place for his 3,000 mile journey. 

www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casey_at_the_Bat
www.baseballhall.org

Rutgers University Race Car Sponsorship

A couple of months ago, we were contacted by an engineering student of Rutgers University in need of shipping a race car they built to California for an upcoming competition.  At first glance, I didn't know what the project would entail, so we decided to meet a couple members of the Rutgers team to learn more.  The students took the time to show us their work in progress and we were quickly impressed.  There was an instant connection as my partner and I, both engineers, welcomed the discussion of compression ratios, g-forces and data acquisition.  This car had more sensors than the space shuttle!  OK, enough of the nerd talk but you certainly didn't need an engineering degree to appreciate the effort these students put into the design of this car. 

The event is being held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.  That's where we come in.  We decided to sponsor the team and donate the services.  The team, working right up to the last minute, dropped the car off at our shop for us to build the custom crates.  The crate needed to be built in a way that they can quickly unload the car upon arrival and then reload it when the race was over.  Following the completion of the race, we will then organize the pick-up of the crate for the return shipment to Rutgers.  Special considerations were factored in such as specific delivery and pick-up times at the venue, special markings on the crate, and securing the car in a way that didn't allow the suspension to bounce the entire trip out there.  Overall, this was a fun project to be involved in.  We wish the Rutgers Racing Team good luck and success in CA!

Rutgers Formula Racing Team:  www.rfr.rutgers.edu/
About the SAE Formula Competition:  http://students.sae.org/competitions/formulaseries/about.htm
See if your Alma Mater is competing: http://students.sae.org/competitions/formulaseries/fsae/teamsites/