Everything You Need To Know About Aerospace Packaging
Packaging For Aircraft and Space-Bound Components Presents Special Challenges
When it comes to aerospace parts, precision takes on a whole new meaning.
Case in point:
The NOAA-19, a weather satellite launched by NASA in 2009, was badly damaged when a technician forgot to indicate that he had loosened 24 bolts on a cart that helped stabilize the satellite while it was being built. Because of this small oversight, the satellite was dropped on the floor by accident.
That mistake cost the manufacturer US$135 million.
Or there’s the story of another satellite, the Mariner 1, which launched directly into the ocean in 1962 because of a misplaced hyphen in a mathematical equation. We don’t have a dollar figure on that mistake, but you can rest assured you wouldn’t want to pay the bill.
Precision Packaging of Aerospace and Aircraft Parts
All this to say that precision takes on a whole new meaning in aerospace and aircraft parts manufacturing. Every stage of the process has to be airtight and built with rigorous attention to detail.
A fraction of an inch, an extra ounce of pressure, or a hairline fracture that is invisible to the naked eye – these are the things that can mean expensive, damaging and dangerous mistakes. In aerospace and aircraft parts manufacturing, the devil really is in the details.
The Challenge to Custom Aerospace Packaging Manufacturers
The challenge for custom aerospace packaging manufacturers is that they need to match and even exceed this precision in their packaging solutions for aerospace and aircraft parts.
Aerospace and aircraft parts require extensive knowledge about how to design, build, and mark crates that will protect against all potential damage or hazards, with a very small margin of error. Many include specific ASA (Aviation Supplies & Academics) or Mil-Spec packaging requirements. Oversight or non-compliance can not only cost vast sums of money, but can also cost lives and reputations.
Common aerospace components needing crates include:
- ailerons and rudders
- stabilizers
- electronic components
- communication systems
- onboard instrument systems
- engine parts
- wing ribs
- propeller and helicopter blades
- engine cowls
- doors and fuselage sections
Reid Packaging & Custom Aerospace Packaging in the Southeast
Here at Reid Packaging we have been taking on the delicate work required to safely protect satellite and aircraft parts in transportation packaging for decades. In so doing, we have become a leader in the Atlanta area and in the entire southeast in the packaging of aerospace parts.
Precise Execution for Mil-Spec and SPI Designs
When we receive your Mil-Spec or SPI (special packaging instructions) design, we set to work executing it precisely and efficiently. We are aware of the importance of these specific packaging requirements and are experienced at conforming to mil-specs and SPIs. We are also well-versed in FOD (foreign object debris) requirements, and go out of our way to ensure that every job we do remains FOD free. Our reputation is truly stellar in this regard.
Our 60,000 square-foot facility in North Atlanta is specially equipped to bring precision and efficiency to the packaging of aerospace parts. We are able to handle dimensional lumber, plywood, up to triple wall corrugated, steel braces, a variety of foams, as well as vapor barrier bags and desiccant. Our technicians are experts in aerospace packaging, having produced hundreds of crates for aerospace sector packaging. We treat every job – whether for one crate or 500 crates – with the same exacting attention to detail.
We can aid in the design process as well
Well-executed design processes for aircraft and aerospace parts require years of experience and mean thinking through the entire journey of the crate and its cargo. We have had the honor of assisting major aerospace parts producers in the development of packaging solutions as they transition from metal to composite construction materials. We fabricate custom foam contours to both cradle and support the components and protect any delicate surface coatings during transport. If you need to develop a custom crate for a component or other aerospace part, we have vast experience in the field that we are happy to put to use.
A large custom crate for an aircraft rudder assembly
Get in touch !
We take great pride in our ability to design and execute aerospace packaging solutions for a variety of leading companies in the aerospace, defense, and aircraft fields. We look forward to any challenge that you might have for us! Get in touch with Reid Packaging to discuss your aerospace sector parts that require transport packaging, and we will get to work right away.
