Packing survival theory discussion

[markthefixer]

I have a theory, not tested in practice yet, about shipping something that has a heavy chassis inside of a less robust envelope. Be it a heavy reciever that has a wooden case around it or a tube chassis inside of a bakelite case.

It involves the transfer of forces applied. Quite succinctly if the envelope is fragile, what about bolting/screwing using the the mounts themselves (feet, or whatever is used to secure the case to the heavier chassis) to, for example a sheet ( or box) of plywood/mdf larger than the footprint of the object, the idea being to protect the case from packing material contact. The shock of the impact would be directed to the wooden armor, then to the heavy chassis , bypassing the fragile envelope of the case (the case is just literally "along for the ride"), rather than allow the heavy internals to wreck havoc on the case?

Then that box is packed in the usual manner, i.e. cushioning etc...

I know..... Trying to get the typical ebay seller to do it may be hard, unless they CARE about the gear.

But I have read too many recent horror stories about some gear that was shipped by someone who CARED, and still arrived trashed by the shipping company.

Any comments?? (other than the obvious about lazy/incompetent packers??)

 

[theodoric]

After 20+ years of shipping stuff around (starting with shipping Mercedes subframes and lately shipping extremely expensive multi-CPU UNIX servers), I think it comes down to two things:

1) Isolation;
2) Immobilization.

Isolation is the art/science of keeping the outside from getting in to destroy your item. It can be any combination of space and materials, but you have to keep the item(s) from being crushed and/or penetrated.

Immobilization is the art/science of keeping the item from destroying itself. So it has to be stopped from bouncing around inside the package. Part of this is making sure that the item can take repeated hits/drops.

There are lots of ways to get those accomplished successfully.

 

[ukfan4sure!]

I work for the USPS as an equipment electronics tech.

I SEE the way stuff is handled.

Basically it is LAUNCHED into containers by the employees. NO joke. :nono:

I would NEVER use USPS for delivery of anything fragile that has weight to it (like your electronic items). NEVER.

I have protested to the Managers of Distribution Operations MANY times about what I see.

Most could care less, and if they do, they are unwilling to do what is necessary to get the problem remedied. And I am dead serious.

Believe it or not, I have also worked for UPS. They are better, but their 2nd Day and Next Day Air packages are handled Primo!

 

[steve gibson]

I wonder if several inches of bubble wrap would be enough protecton. I can't remember getting anything that was damaged when the first wrap as a bunch of bubble wrap. Assuming of course other precautions are taken like removing tubes, tonearms, and styrafoam around knobs.

 

[dr*audio]

I have an idea for an activity at an AK Fest. We would need a bunch of donor units that could be sacrificed. Anyone who wants to can try their favorite packing method, then drop the package from some uniform height, afterwards it would be examined and judged for damage. The winner would receive some award, and the most succesful packing method could be posted as a sticky on the site.

 

[markthefixer]

I like it!!!!!

Did something like that back in some H.S. summer engineering college prep classes I took, eggs and other things were to be mistreated...

I wish I could enter the three Tektronix scopes I shipped UPS last month, they survived, and I shudder to think how long I spent packing them, especially with all the fragile knobs and shafts sticking out the front.... they all survived, the recipients all agreed they were a PITA to unpack, but they survived!!

But a 20 food drop off of a conveyer is the second worst case scenario. The worst case is a forklift tine with the box backed up against unmovable stuff.
Defending against those ... well... :cry:

 

[merrylander]

I agree with the bubble wrap if you use enough. Then I use foam or smaller cardboard boxes cut in half as corner guards taped in place if necessary. The immobilize it in the container.

USPS never ceases to amaze,the CR-2040 I received yesterday was in a double wall box (Compaq computer) but had only a few pieces of bubble wrap laid here and there and a lot of loose peanuts - it survived with only a ding to the outer case and that is to be veneered anyway. Of course what really pi**e* me off is the loose peanuts deal. Took damn near 20 minutes to gather them all up and shake the static charged ones from my hands and clothes.

Rob

 

[luvvinvinyl]

It could have been worse, Rob. Here is one of several pics I have of a BA-5000 that passed through my hands on a Pony Express trip. I still have a scar from my jaw hitting the floor when I opened that crate.

 

[steve gibson]

I hate those damn peanuts. They are absolutely worthless! I would rather have newspaper. At least it doesn't shift around as much and cling to everything.

 

[markthefixer]

<snip> Of course what really pi**e* me off is the loose peanuts deal. Took damn near 20 minutes to gather them all up and shake the static charged ones from my hands and clothes.

Rob

I have a 16 gallon shopvac, and have bags that fit in it. I take out the garbage bag, put in my peanut bag with a (pantyhose) filter over the filter, and use the vac to suck the box clean, pull the bag out, and shake it into my BIG bag of peanuts. A little fuss, but easier in the long run.

I too hate peanuts.

I used to eliminate peanut shifting by using plastic grocery bags of peanuts, sealed and stuffed into the corners first, then into the intervening spaces.
If the item was heavier I made foam corners. BUT the item already was a self-contained bubblewrap pillow (approx 3 inches of it in every direction) with all protrusions "armored" before I started with the bubblewrap.... (peanuts are cheaper than any bubblewrap, and after a point, there is no point to more bubblewrap, just get the right sized box or pay a size penalty, IMHO).

 

[pustelniakr]

Rich P

 

[merrylander]

That is why I keep the bags the Post comes in (our new paper person double bags the paper and throws it without stopping, says it save gas and brakes) so I have plenty of them. Fill them 3/4 with peanuts, squeeze out the air and tie the ends. This eliminates the shifting problem and also prevents them running all over the place.

Rob

 

[Thumpy]

It could have been worse, Rob. Here is one of several pics I have of a BA-5000 that passed through my hands on a Pony Express trip. I still have a scar from my jaw hitting the floor when I opened that crate.

When I saw your pic, I burst out laughing. I then soberly realized that I would just about kill for a BA-5000 and I definitely WOULD kill anyone who packed my BA-5000 like that.