Today we expect everything to be customized to our individual needs, from our restaurant food orders to our clothes for comfort and efficiency, and our shipping cases are no exception! Rarely are our needs a one size fits all situation, so you shouldn’t settle for a shipping case that wasn’t made for its contents. The dedicated team at Philly Case has decades of experience designing a wide range of custom cases for the most efficient use of interior space. This allows you to store and ship your contents with a minimal footprint. Finding the appropriate case(s) can mean the difference between expensive damages and a life-saving delivery. Learn about the different types of custom cases from the experts at PhillyCase to help design the case you want, specifically for the purpose you need.
Wooden ATA Cases
A wooden ATA case has many benefits, such as durability and ruggedness. Built to meet or exceed the governmental ATA Spec 300 Category 1 shipping standards, each custom wooden ATA case can withstand turbulence, severe environment, and inclement weather while in transit. Steel corners and heavy-duty wheels make the exterior extremely durable, while the interior compartments and foam inserts create excellent shock absorption. Wooden ATA cases are most commonly used for lighting and AV equipment, concert gear, medical stations, and large roadshow equipment.
The drawbacks of wooden ATA cases are the weight of materials needed to build them. Freight transport services typically ship these larger cases. It is often more cost-effective but can also take more time in transit. If you constantly need to send your cases with overnight shipping, a large roadshow-style wooden ATA case may not be the right solution for your needs.
Hard Plastic Cases
Hard plastic cases are also an excellent solution for an ATA-rated shipping case. As a certified national distributor for brands like Pelican, SKB, Nanuk, and Seahorse, PhillyCase can customize these hard plastic cases exactly for their intended contents to provide the ultimate damage protection for their delicate contents most effectively.
These hard plastic cases are great for repeated trips over long distances and protection from rough treatment and unfavorable weather, moisture, and temperatures. They are not so good at being flexible when you’re trying to fit it in the overhead compartment. Hard plastic case interiors are typically only one compartment which could mean you need to invest in custom foam inserts or pick and pull foam interiors.
Molded Cases
Typically used for fragile contents, plastic molded cases are sturdy and keep out dust, moisture, and extreme changes in temperatures. These cases can be engineered and designed to house uniquely shaped items and have separate compartments for additional protection and organization. Adding in a custom foam insert will yield extremely durable shock absorption properties. Some molded cases are also ATA certified and offer a wide range of shipping functionalities.
Roto-molded or rotationally molded cases are another excellent option for customized shipping containers in many different shapes and sizes to fit any shaped object. These cases are typically not ATA certified but offer color and branding options and same-day shipping. Clients commonly use roto-molded cases for podium cases, graphics tubes, panel cases, flat-screen TV cases, and other trade show exhibit cases.
Similar to the hard plastic cases, we fabricate our molded cases with high-density polyethylene. They can withstand excessive pressure, but the case will crack and be unusable if their limit is exceeded.
Lightweight Poly Cases
When the standards of the ATA are not required for transporting your belongings, a lightweight poly case is an excellent and cost-effective solution. Made with thinner high-density polyethylene plastic, these cases are more reasonable to ship and easy to load. Lightweight poly cases look to provide a professional appearance for portfolio cases, small briefcases, and trunks, and they offer different color options.
Just as with the molded and hard plastic cases, lightweight poly cases can also be scratched and scuffed. Also, when excessive drop distances or force is applied, they can crack and not be repaired. We recommend shipping less fragile items in these cases, as they are not ATA certified.
Fiber Cases
At its nexus, PhillyCase was known as the Philadelphia Fiber Case Company. Specializing in designing and manufacturing lightweight fiber cases, they were also known as “fibre” cases. Customers still use this custom case description today when requesting a lightweight custom case. Today, fiber cases made of fiberboard materials have been upgraded to resilient polyethylene, known as lightweight poly cases. Customers still use this custom case description today when requesting a lightweight custom case.
From the ease of storage and organization to upgrading your professional appearance, custom shipping cases from PhillyCase will keep your belongings safe and secure from departure to destination for years upon years. Backed with a lifetime warranty, our wooden ATA cases, hard plastic cases, molded cases, and lightweight poly cases stand up to the brutalities of loading and unloading to protect the contents of each case.
Ready to get started on designing your custom case? Contact PhillyCase today. If you have any questions about which types of custom case material are most appropriate for your specific needs and requirements, don’t hesitate to call PhillyCase today for all of your custom case needs!