A specific type of shipping container that is modeled particularly to protect motion picture equipment, lighting and audio production equipment, and musical instruments is known as a road case. Road cases are employed in shipping other numerous pieces of instruments and equipment besides the ones mentioned above. Protection is necessary since the instruments protected are normally sensitive. Thus, protecting them becomes essential in the process of moving them to a different place or when they are handled a lot.
Several other names are used to refer to these containers. Some of the most commonly used names are flight case, ATA case, and roadie case. The containers are commonly used by various kinds of professionals in the entertainment industry. A single individual can have a huge number of these containers depending on how much equipment they need to move.
A large number of these containers are manufactured by joining together molded plastic, metal extrusions or plastic to make panels. Each panel making up a container is made of two layers. Fiberglass laminate or ABS makes up the outer layer which is in turn attached to the middle layer made from plywood of cabinet grade. The thickness of the middle layer may vary from 3/16 to 1/2 of an inch.
Maple, birch, and poplar are among the cabinet-grade plywood in application. The name laminate panel is used for these two layers. Composite materials are applied in making the laminate layer in high-grade cases. There is shock-absorbing filler inside case. Varying types of fillers exist, including polyurethane and polyethylene foam. In the filler, there are cavities designed to resemble the shape of the instrument that is placed inside the case.
Instead of using shock-absorbing filler, the case may also be mounted with racks or panels that hold the equipment in place inside the container. The panels or racks are attached to the walls of the case and are equipped with shock insulators. The corners of these containers are reinforced using stamped sheet steel cases corners. The reinforcing corners are then finished using chrome, nickel, or zinc.
Prior to the production and distribution of these containers to buyers, it is mandatory that they are tested. Among the tests carried out are, impact or drop, penetration, vibration, water resistance, stackability and vibration tests. From the mentioned tests, drop tests, stackability and vibration are the most emphasized. A case weighing 50 pounds when stacked up will be dropped 160 times from a raised platform of 30 inches during drop testing.
Also, drop test comprises of 40 corner drops performed from 36 inches high while 80 edge drops are done from 36 inches. There is a reduction in height to 21 inches where cases are 100 pounds. The distant is adjusted to 18 inches for the cases that weigh 150 pounds. As the case weighs more, the distance reduces.
The stackability test involves placing a weight of 135 kg on each face of the container for 24 hours. The penetration test involves dropping a 6 kg weight on the weakest point on the case from a specific height. Each test is meant to achieve a given result and for every test, no damage is allowed. For ease of transit, casters are incorporated into the containers.
Several other names are used to refer to these containers. Some of the most commonly used names are flight case, ATA case, and roadie case. The containers are commonly used by various kinds of professionals in the entertainment industry. A single individual can have a huge number of these containers depending on how much equipment they need to move.
A large number of these containers are manufactured by joining together molded plastic, metal extrusions or plastic to make panels. Each panel making up a container is made of two layers. Fiberglass laminate or ABS makes up the outer layer which is in turn attached to the middle layer made from plywood of cabinet grade. The thickness of the middle layer may vary from 3/16 to 1/2 of an inch.
Maple, birch, and poplar are among the cabinet-grade plywood in application. The name laminate panel is used for these two layers. Composite materials are applied in making the laminate layer in high-grade cases. There is shock-absorbing filler inside case. Varying types of fillers exist, including polyurethane and polyethylene foam. In the filler, there are cavities designed to resemble the shape of the instrument that is placed inside the case.
Instead of using shock-absorbing filler, the case may also be mounted with racks or panels that hold the equipment in place inside the container. The panels or racks are attached to the walls of the case and are equipped with shock insulators. The corners of these containers are reinforced using stamped sheet steel cases corners. The reinforcing corners are then finished using chrome, nickel, or zinc.
Prior to the production and distribution of these containers to buyers, it is mandatory that they are tested. Among the tests carried out are, impact or drop, penetration, vibration, water resistance, stackability and vibration tests. From the mentioned tests, drop tests, stackability and vibration are the most emphasized. A case weighing 50 pounds when stacked up will be dropped 160 times from a raised platform of 30 inches during drop testing.
Also, drop test comprises of 40 corner drops performed from 36 inches high while 80 edge drops are done from 36 inches. There is a reduction in height to 21 inches where cases are 100 pounds. The distant is adjusted to 18 inches for the cases that weigh 150 pounds. As the case weighs more, the distance reduces.
The stackability test involves placing a weight of 135 kg on each face of the container for 24 hours. The penetration test involves dropping a 6 kg weight on the weakest point on the case from a specific height. Each test is meant to achieve a given result and for every test, no damage is allowed. For ease of transit, casters are incorporated into the containers.
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You can get a summary of the things to keep in mind when ordering custom road cases at http://www.encorecases.com right now.
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