Automotive is one of the most dynamic industries, a sector constantly looking for solutions to optimize the actions involved, to reduce the costs and the losses of any kind, and which is striving to offer increasingly high-performance products from all points of view.
An important part is this industry has the production of returnable metal containers used to store and transport component parts and pieces from production to assembly line, but also other different materials.
Metal containers for auto industry are of several types:
- Containers with metal wire walls, mesh type (also called wire containers, or wire mesh containers)
- Containers with closed metal walls (also called steel containers)
- Platform type containers, with completely open side and bars on the 4 corners (also called metal racks, or automotive racks)
These models meet the big returnable packaging needs from this sector.
The metallic automotive containers are stackable, which helps to optimize the space occupied with transport or storage. They can be foldable, can have rigid walls, can have access doors, label holders, contact zones which are plasticized, galvanized or are painted in electrostatic filed.
They are very sturdy and offer a high level of flexibility of configuration.
Metal packaging for automotive are used together with diverse dunnage models: textiles, evolon, tyvek, technologic foams, Duraflex, Triplex, thermoformed trays, cellular plastic, corrugated plastic, alveolar plastic, etc.
They are used for big parts, like windshields, car body pards, chairs, boards, engines, tires, radiators, but also for the smaller parts, like mirrors, wheels, wipers, gearboxes, different other internal components, etc.
In general, the transport metal containers for auto industry are produces on standardized dimensions, regulated by the car manufacturers (Renault, Nissan, VW, Peugeot Citroën, Daimler, etc.).
The standardization helps the quick placement of the orders, streamlines the supply, production/assembly activities, helps the storage part, the transport, but the most important fact is that the products are safe in packaging specially designed and personalized for their specific needs regarding the dimensions, fragility, density per pack.
Main advantages:
- Lower costs with packaging on a long term due to their long use life, the replacement of the metal containers because deteriorations being minimum
- They are very easy to configure on special dimensions or for oversized and complex pieces and components
- Reduced costs with transport due to their stackability, the fact that they are folded upon return, but also due to the high packaging density
- Increased productivity in production due to respecting and following the LEAN intralogistics organizing principles by providing an easy and quick access to the products placed inside
Wire mesh containers
These containers can be produced on many dimensions, they have wire mash walls, and the base is usually closed. They can be foldable or with rigid walls, are stackable, and, upon request, they can have access doors on the laterals.
The base can be pallet type, with full or partial (only in the corners) skids/crossbeams, or they can have feet.
The access of the pallet truck or forklift is east.
Depending on the applications, the walls can be left open (only with wire mesh) or they can be closed with compact boards placed inside.
Wire mesh cages are used with internal separators and dunnage, and have label holders for a quick identification of the packed products.
Also , they can have contact zones which are plasticized, and are galvanized or painted in electrostatic filed.
Mesh pallet cages have low maintenance costs, and due to their sturdiness, they have a long service life.
| Reference | External dimensions (mm) | Internal dimensions (mm) | Maximum load (kg) | Folded height (mm) | Weight (kg) | Volume (m3/L) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 00105 | 1600 x 1150 x 1070 | 1524 x 1064 x 835 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 154 kg | 1350 L | View product |
 | 00103 | 1370 x 900 x 920 | 1294 x 814 x 680 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 114 kg | 716 L | View product |
 | 00089 | 2300 x 1600 x 1350 | 2210 x 1500 x 1075 mm | 1500 kg | 423 mm | 284 kg | 3530 L | View product |
 | 00087 | 2300 x 1300 x 1070 | 2210 x 1200 x 785 mm | 1500 kg | 423 mm | 245 kg | 2080 L | View product |
 | 00085 | 1600 x 1150 x 1070 | 1530 x 1070 x 835 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 147 kg | 1370 L | View product |
 | 00084 | 1370 x 900 x 920 | 1300 x 820 x 680 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 107 kg | 725 L | View product |
 | 00083 | 1370 x 900 x 920 | 1300 x 820 x 680 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 107 kg | 725 L | View product |
 | 00081 | 1150 x 800 x 730 | 1080 x 720 x 500 mm | 1000 kg | 300 mm | 71 kg | 390 L | View product |
 | 00069 | 2500 x 1150 x 920 | 2410 x 1050 x 635 mm | 1500 kg | 423 mm | 250 kg | 1610 L | View product |
 | 00126 | 1600 x 1150 x 670 | 1490 x 1040 x 420 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 126 kg | 650 L | View product |
 | 00124 | 1600 x 1150 x 920 | 1490 x 1040 x 680 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 180 kg | 1050 L | View product |
 | 00123 | 1200 x 1000 x 910 | 1085 x 880 x 680 mm | 1000 kg | 410 mm | 125 kg | 650 L | View product |
 | 00114 | 1600 x 1150 x 920 | 1490 x 1040 x 680 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 170 kg | 1050 L | View product |
 | 00079 | 1950 x 1150 x 1070 | 1860 x 1050 x 830 mm | 1000 kg | 353 mm | 173 kg | 1620 L | View product |
 | 3B600M | 1600 x 800 x 600 | 1520 x 720 x 377 | N.A. | N.A. | 95,50 kg | 412,59 L | View product |
 | F6M | 1300 x 1100 x 840 | 1290 x 1090 x 595 | N.A. | N.A. | 124,00 kg | 836,63 L | View product |
 | F3M | 1300 x 1100 x 540 | 1290 x 1090 x 295 | N.A. | N.A. | 95,00 kg | 414,80 L | View product |
 | H6ME | 1600 x 650 x 840 | 1590 x 640 x 595 | N.A. | N.A. | 115,00 kg | 605,47 L | View product |
 | H6M | 1110 x 650 x 840 | 1090 x 640 x 595 | N.A. | N.A. | 90 kg | 415,07 L | View product |
 | H3ME | 1600 x 650 x 540 | 1590 x 640 x 295 | N.A. | N.A. | 90 kg | 300,19 L | View product |
 | SLI---1200 | 1600 x 1200 x 930 | 1520 x 1120 x 700 | N.A. | N.A. | 150 kg | 1191,68 L | View product |
 | SLI---0760 | 1200 x 1000 x 930 | 1120 x 920 x 700 | N.A. | N.A. | 118 kg | 721,28 L | View product |
 | SLI---0130/1S560MR | 800 x 600 x 560 | 732 x 532 x 412 | N.A. | N.A. | 38 kg | 160,44 L | View product |
 | SLI---2000/5S975M | 2400 x 1200 x 975 | 2280 x 1110 x 730 | N.A. | N.A. | 276 kg | 1847,48 L | View product |
 | SLI---1271/3S975M | 1600 x 1200 x 975 | 1520 x 1120 x 754 | N.A. | N.A. | 145 kg | 1283,61 L | View product |
 | SLI---1101/4S750M | 1900 x 1200 x 750 | 1820 x 1120 x 530 | N.A. | N.A. | 160 kg | 1080,35 L | View product |
 | SLI---0770/2S975L | 1200 x 1000 x 975 | 1110 x 910 x 774 | N.A. | N.A. | 117 kg | 781,82 L | View product |
 | SLI---0771/2S975M | 1200 x 1000 x 975 | 1120 x 920 x 774 | N.A. | N.A. | 112 kg | 797,53 L | View product |
 | SLI---0601/2S750M | 1200 x 1000 x 750 | 1120 x 920 x 550 | N.A. | N.A. | 91 kg | 566,72 L | View product |
Containers with closed metal walls
The containers with closed metal walls heavy-duty type have also models on different dimensions, depending on the products they are ordered for.
They are stackable, walls can be rigid or foldable, and are usually produced from metal sheets.
These containers have also a sturdy design and construction, are produced from metal profiles, this ensuring for them as well a long service life.
Due to the robust construction, the steel containers they resist to intensive or long term use, and, in time, the clients come back with orders for new containers mostly due to the increased transport volume, and less because they need to replace the deteriorated ones.
The are handles with standard machines: pallet trucks, forklifts, lifting rings, cranes.
They can have internal separators or interlayers, increasing the density of products for packing, offering protection in the same time.
| Reference | External dimensions (mm) | Internal dimensions (mm) | Maximum load (kg) | Folded height (mm) | Weight (kg) | Volume (m3/L) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 00133 | 1150 x 800 x 540 | 1050 x 700 x 315 mm | 1000 kg | N.A. | 85 kg | 230 L | View product |
 | 00082 | 1370 x 900 x 730 | 1310 x 840 x 535 mm | 1400 kg | N.A. | 143 kg | 590 L | View product |
 | 00080 | 780 x 570 x 478 | 770 x 560 x 305 mm | 400 kg | N.A. | 36 kg | 130 L | View product |
 | ETM---4434 | 1274 x 1014 x 840 | 1110 x 930 x 500 | N.A. | N.A. | 141 kg | 516,15 L | View product |
 | CON-S-0130 | 780 x 570 x 478 | 740 x 540 x 305 | N.A. | N.A. | 36 kg | 121,88 L | View product |
Platform type containers, with completely open side and bars on the 4 corners (also called metal racks, or automotive racks)
Metal racks are widely used in automotive industry. They are build from a metal platform with skids on the base, and the 4 corners they have positioned 4 bars also from metal.
Automotive racks are especially destinated for packing and transport heavy or oversized pieces and components, like various car body parts, leather pieces, front boards, mufflers, engines and drives, various modules, car transmissions, chairs, suspensions, etc., which need supplementary protection.
The platform type containers are successfully used withing the production and assembly segments, they ensure a high density of the packed products and are ergonomic, the changing of the insert models between them being doe really quickly.
Their advantage, and the main concern of the designers is that they can fit with many models and types of inserts and separators on the same platform, changing only the dunnage according to the product which needs to be packed.
This option brings low costs with packaging, especially if we take into consideration that a platform’s service life can go even up to 20 years.
| Reference | External dimensions (mm) | Internal dimensions (mm) | Maximum load (kg) | Folded height (mm) | Weight (kg) | Volume (m3/L) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2S870P | 1200 x 1000 x 870 | 1120 x 920 x 672 | N.A. | N.A. | 81 kg | 692,43 L | View product |
 | SLI---1612/SLI1612 | 1600 x 1200 x 975 | 1498 x 1098 x 775 | N.A. | N.A. | 110 kg | 1274,72 L | View product |
 | SLI---1210/SLI1210 | 1200 x 1000 x 975 | 1098 x 898 x 775 | N.A. | N.A. | 83 kg | 764,15 L | View product |
