Packing Machined Parts So They Arrive as They Left
Parts are inspected, photographed, signed off and then thrown into a box. Weeks later they arrive with witness marks on finished faces, a bloom of rust across the steel and a count that does not match the packing list. None of that is a machining problem, and all of it is preventable at a cost of a few percent of the order.
The reason it keeps happening is that packing is almost never specified. It is assumed.
The three failure modes
Corrosion. A container crossing the tropics goes through a daily heating and cooling cycle. Moisture condenses on the coldest surface in the box, which is the metal. Ferrous parts with no coating are at highest risk, but even aluminium picks up staining and white oxide.
Mechanical damage. Finished surfaces rub against each other, against the crate or against a strap. Threads get knocked. Edges chip. LCL consignments are handled repeatedly, so the more your goods are consolidated and deconsolidated, the more this matters.
Count and identification errors. A crate arrives with the right total but the wrong split across part numbers, or with no label indicating which box holds which revision. This is the cheapest problem to prevent and the most annoying to unpick.
What to specify, by problem
| Problem | Specify |
|---|---|
| Corrosion on steel | VCI paper or VCI bags, plus a desiccant in each sealed bag. Oil film if the parts will be cleaned before use |
| Corrosion on aluminium | Sealed poly bags with desiccant. Avoid direct contact with untreated wood, which holds moisture |
| Surface marking | Individual bagging or foam separators between parts. No metal to metal contact |
| Thread damage | Plastic thread protectors on anything critical |
| Crate collapse | Maximum gross weight per box, stated in kilograms. Metal parts get heavy faster than people expect |
| Pallet rejection | Heat treated wood with a visible ISPM 15 stamp, or plywood |
| Count errors | One part number per box wherever possible, with a label showing part number, revision, quantity and box n of m |
| Water ingress | Pallets shrink wrapped, with a cover. Nothing sitting directly on a container floor |
The packing clause to put in the purchase order
Specify once, at the order stage, and it applies to every shipment afterwards:
Packing: individual VCI bags with desiccant for all ferrous parts. Thread protectors on all tapped holes M10 and above. Maximum 20 kg gross per carton. Cartons on heat treated ISPM 15 stamped pallets or plywood pallets, shrink wrapped. Each carton labelled with part number, revision, quantity and box number. Packing list inside the outer carton and a copy in a document wallet on the outside of the pallet.
Six sentences, and they remove almost every complaint on this list. The cost is small and the shop will quote it if you ask at RFQ stage rather than after the parts are made.
Photographs before packing, not after
The single most useful thing you can ask for costs nothing: photographs of the parts laid out before they go into boxes, and photographs of the packed cartons and the palletised load before it leaves.
This gives you three things:
- Evidence of condition at the point risk transferred, which is what an insurance claim needs
- A chance to catch a wrong count or a missing label while the pallet is still on the shop floor
- A visible signal to the shop that packing is being checked, which changes how it is done
Make it a condition of shipment rather than a favour. A shop that will not send photographs before a pallet leaves is not a shop you want shipping to you unattended.
Wood, and why pallets get shipments refused
Solid wood packaging can carry pests, so most countries require it to be heat treated and marked under the ISPM 15 standard. The mark is stamped on the wood and includes a country code, a treatment code and a registration number.
Plywood, oriented strand board and other engineered materials are manufactured in a way that generally exempts them. A plywood pallet avoids the question entirely, which is why many exporters default to it.
The failure mode is not subtle: an unstamped solid wood pallet can be refused at the border, and the options then are re-export, destruction or treatment at your cost, all while the goods sit accruing storage charges. Write the requirement into the order.
Do not let packing hide a count problem
Mixed boxes are where quantity disputes start. If box three is supposed to contain 60 of part A and 40 of part B and the label says only “100 pcs”, any shortage becomes an argument that nobody can settle.
One part number per carton is worth the extra cardboard. Where that is impossible, insist that the label breaks the quantity down by part number and revision.
Who pays when it goes wrong
Under FOB, risk passes when the goods are on board. Under DAP, at your address. In both cases, a corrosion or damage claim after that point is yours unless someone insured the shipment, and none of the common Incoterms obliges anyone to do so. The Incoterms guide sets out where each handover sits.
So the practical sequence is: specify the packing in the purchase order, get photographs before the pallet leaves, insure the shipment on landed value and keep the photographs. Three of those four cost nothing.
The five minute version
If you read nothing else, put this in the order: VCI bags with desiccant for steel, no metal to metal contact, 20 kg maximum per carton, ISPM 15 stamped or plywood pallets, one part number per box, labelled with quantity and revision, and photographs before shipment.
That is most of the failure modes handled. When you are quoting a part, say so at RFQ stage so the packing sits inside the price rather than arriving as a surprise later. Send the drawing here.
Frequently asked questions
What is ISPM 15 and do I need it?
It is the international standard for treating solid wood packaging so it cannot carry pests. Most countries require wood packaging to be heat treated and stamped accordingly. Plywood and engineered board are generally exempt. If your crate or pallet is solid wood and unstamped, it can be refused at the border.
Who pays if parts arrive damaged?
It depends on the Incoterm and on whether anyone insured the shipment. Risk usually sits with you once the goods are on board under FOB or at your door under DAP. None of the common terms obliges the seller to insure, so if nobody bought cover, the loss is where it lands.
Is VCI paper worth it?
For ferrous parts crossing the tropics in a container, yes. It is inexpensive and it addresses the single most common complaint about steel parts shipped by sea, which is surface corrosion that appeared somewhere between the inspection photos and the unpacking.
Need a quote for a part like this?
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