Domestic sea freight container cargo packaging: wooden crate

Domestic Sea Freight Container Cargo Outer Packaging: Wooden Crates

Wooden crates were once the most widely used packaging container. In domestic and international sea freight container transportation and logistics, with the development of container shipping, the utilization of wooden crates as packaging containers is gradually declining. The main reasons are as follows. (1) After adopting container transport, packaging can be simplified, and the packaging strength is no longer required to be as robust as that of wooden crates. (2) The price of wood itself is relatively high. (3) Handling is relatively difficult, and operating costs are relatively high. (4) It cannot be produced in large quantities. (5) Corrugated cardboard manufacturing technology has advanced, leading to the development of new corrugated cardboard with higher compressive strength. However, even in container transport, not all containerized cargo can achieve "door-to-door" transportation. Therefore, under certain conditions, wooden crates must be used for packaging, especially for goods weighing over 100 kg. Considering the conservation of wood and leveraging the characteristics of wooden crates, the most commonly used ones today are framed crates and crate box pallets.

1. Framed Crates

In Japan, framed crates are classified as a type of special wooden crate, used for packaging goods weighing between 500-1500 kg, with external dimensions not exceeding 1000 cm in length, 350 cm in width, and 350 cm in height. In a framed crate, the weight of the packaged goods is borne by the skids and the bottom panel. The skids are the longitudinal structural members at the bottom of the crate. Besides supporting most of the weight of the packaged items, they also serve to transmit the load to the side walls. Upon the underside of the skids, friction blocks are nailed. After the crate is lifted by steel cables or ropes, the friction blocks are installed to facilitate balancing the center of gravity.

2. Crate Box Pallets / Wirebound Boxes

There are several forms of crate boxes, such as ordinary crates, open crates, and wirebound boxes. Among these, wirebound boxes are frequently used for container cargo. Wirebound boxes are wooden boxes constructed by nailing wires onto thin boards or veneers and then reinforcing them with anti-warp cleats. They were originally used as packaging containers in the United States, and in 1953, Japan also adopted this type of box for packaging use. Initially used for packaging vegetables, fruits, and other goods, they have recently been widely used to package mechanical products, electrical products, ceramics, and foodstuffs, replacing traditional wooden crate usage. Wirebound boxes are manufactured utilizing the following two structural principles: One is that the expansive force of wood differs nearly 20 times between the direction parallel to the grain and the crosswise direction perpendicular to the grain. Two is that the strength of the box is primarily concentrated in the end panels and the anti-warp cleats at both ends. Therefore, the load is mainly borne by the skeleton composed of wires and anti-warp cleats, while the slats or boards primarily serve to enclose the goods inside the packaging. The advantages and disadvantages of wirebound boxes are as follows. 1. Advantages (1) Compared to wooden crates, manufacturing costs are cheaper. (2) They can be reused. (3) When not in use, they can be folded flat like corrugated cardboard boxes, thus saving storage space prior to use. (4) They are lighter in weight compared to wooden crates. (5) They can be used in conjunction with corrugated cardboard boxes. (6) They can utilize underutilized wood resources such as hardwood (e.g., beech). 2. Disadvantages (1) Wirebound boxes are manufactured using specialized machinery; they are only suitable for mass production, making small batch production uneconomical. (2) The weight of the packaged goods is limited to within 250 kg. (3) The width of wirebound boxes is limited by the manufacturing machine, generally restricted to within 2 meters. (4) They are more expensive than corrugated cardboard boxes. In container transport, using wirebound boxes for packaging fully meets strength requirements from a load-bearing perspective, and their applicability lies between that of corrugated cardboard boxes and ordinary wooden crates. Therefore, for the packaging of medium-weight goods weighing 100-250 kg, wirebound boxes made from plywood are suitable. Plywood wirebound boxes are characterized by good printability and low moisture content.

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