shipping cases

ATA Shipping Cases: Advantages of Custom Shipping Cases

Do you wring your hands in fear every time you send your specialized equipment through air mail? How about when you check it on planes? If so, you’re not overreacting. Airlines mishandle and break millions of checked packages and bags every year, and that’s why ATA shipping cases can be so important.

Basic shipping cases don’t lend as much protection as ATA shipping cases custom-built for the purpose. These shipping cases are designed and built to rigorous standards that were created by the airline industry to ensure that they can handle the jostling and bumping common during transport yet still protect whatever might be inside.

If you aren’t certain whether to opt for a stock shipping case versus one of our custom shipping cases, let’s take a look at some of the key advantages of opting for custom cases before sending your equipment on its next journey.

Avoid Airline Shipping Drama

If you’ve ever had damaged cargo, you know how hard it is to get any reimbursement from the airlines. With ATA custom shipping cases, the wasted time and drama of arguing with stubborn airlines and shippers are things of the past. You don’t need to fret over whether you have the right shipping for medical equipment, scientific goods, or even musical instruments.

ATA stands for the Air Transport Association, which is now called Airlines for America and is the trade association for the United States’ biggest airlines. They don’t inspect ATA cases but set guidelines that companies making shipping for lighting equipment and other sensitive goods follow. Their standards protect airlines’ equipment and yours as well.

There’s No Wiggle Room in Custom ATA Shipping Cases

If you’re reading this, chances are good that you’re not sure of the best ways to ship expensive and fragile goods. Yet, non-custom shipping case companies make you do all the work. They want you to think you’re an expert in shipping medical equipment and other specialty items!

You’d be right to feel they don’t care about your equipment at all.

That might sound silly for companies that make their names selling protective plastic cases, but they show their feelings with the standard “pick and pluck” style of case lining. Unlike the custom foam linings in Bel-Air’s ATA shipping cases, these aren’t suited to shipping for lighting equipment, medical equipment and other valuable things. The company that’s supposed to help protect your things hands off a case full of chopped-up foam to pick at until your equipment fits.

This is a particular issue with shipping for diagnostic equipment and other sensitive tools that have both large areas and small, sensitive parts like probes. Even doing your best, picking away at diced foam leaves uneven areas where the shipping process causes jostling. In many cases, that damages the encased items.

Custom shipping cases, on the other hand, have every nook and cranny custom-made with your specific equipment in mind. There’s no wiggle room, making them perfect shipping for medical equipment, camera equipment, audio equipment and similar breakable things.

Add Special Compartments

Another downside of typical, cubed shipping case foam is that it doesn’t have exact compartments for different items. If you want to keep an item with its accessories in a standard shipping case, you have an organizational nightmare.

All you can do is cross your fingers that all the items fit in one case. Trying to find space in the pick and pull foam for things like five items in a computer set often leads to one or two odd items out. A custom case lets you add compartments for those things and keep everything together for more convenient shipping.

Spend a Little, Save a Lot

Consider how much bad shipping for lighting equipment and other sensitive items can cost you. Large shipping cases could crush your items or knock them around, and poorly-fitting shipping material would lead to damage.

With that in mind, ATA shipping cases are an obvious investment with great value. Using them, you don’t have to spend an endless amount as airlines and shippers damage your equipment year after year. Even in rough conditions, ATA cases tend to many years (or even decades) before needing replacement. Our shipping cases are built to meet or exceed ATA standards and designed to protect each piece of your equipment perfectly.

Don’t Risk the Weather

High-quality ATA custom shipping cases are great for keeping the elements away. Most premade, standard cases offer no such guarantee. That’s not a risk you want to take with shipping diagnostic equipment or other expensive items.

Even standard shipping cases that claim weather resistance aren’t appropriate for special things. Shipping for medical equipment must have a custom fit or there could be issues with rain, snow, and even dust storms.

Equipment parts that are a little too wide or fit awkwardly strain the seams and closures of poorly-fitted cases. This could make room for water or dirt to make its way into the case. Custom shipping cases that fit ATA guidelines avoid this devastating problem and our heavy-duty shipping cases are up to the challenge.

Make Your Shipping Case Your Own

Even standard shipping cases with colorful options and prints only have so much variety. It’s easy to mix them up during shipment, delivery, or pick-up because they look alike. You can mark yours, but labels wear and peel and tags fall off.

Instead, it’s better to opt for professional custom shipping cases instead of trying to personalize basic cases. Choosing a unique combination of molded designs, engraved labels and custom colors will distinguish your shipping case from others.

Specially-designed custom shipping cases with personalized designs also look better than self-decorated ones. Chances are good that your items have a professional use and shipping for medical equipment or a band’s instruments should have a dignified look. Investing in branded custom ATA shipping cases will bolster your or your organization’s reputation.

We offer black and silver as our stock case colors, but we also offer several additional colors including white, yellow, orange, blue, red, green and olive. With a bulk case order, we may be able to provide you with custom colors or color matching. We also can add a molded-in logo to your cases or add custom decals or engraved plates.

We Have the Custom Shipping Cases You Need

ATA-quality equipment cases are ideal for transporting all your valuable equipment, and we build each case from scratch, to meet all of your specific case needs. At Bel-Air Cases, we’ve been designing custom shipping cases and carry cases for more than 50 years and can provide you with whatever you might need. Don’t hesitate to get in touch online or call (866) 235-2472 to learn more about our ATA shipping cases to start an order.

Rugged Custom Shipping Cases With Wheels

While a shipping case is meant to withstand the rigors of transport, too often these cases are bulky, heavy and difficult to handle. Our heavy-duty shipping cases with wheels are the perfect option – lightweight and easy to maneuver yet tough enough to handle hundreds of trips by land, sea and air.

 

As you can see from the picture above, we have a large selection of case wheels. Adding wheels can be a great option for just about any case, and we also have a large selection of handles. This includes telescoping handles, which make it easy to maneuver your Bel-Air case through a crowded airport or train station or any other high-traffic area. If you don’t find the exact type or style of wheels or handles you want on our website, just let us know what you need, and we probably will be able to find a good source for your components.

 

Of course, we also offer many other custom options. If you would prefer a shipping case without wheels, we can provide you with different types of case feet. We also have a large selection of latches and locks and can design cases either with built-in rigid wheels or removable casters.

 

Naturally, we also offer an assortment of color options for your case. Our standard case colors are silver or black, but we have several additional stock colors including white, blue, green, olive, red and yellow. With a specific minimum order, we may be able to provide you with custom colors or color matching. We also can create a molded-in logo for your case or custom decals or engraved plates.

 

These color and customization options add a professional flair to any shipping cases with wheels and make it easier for your team to identify shipping cases at the airport, on a trade show floor or anywhere else you need to take them.

 

Top Protection – Even In Extreme Conditions

We also can add humidity indicators and pressure relief valves to your custom case. Our team has designed custom cases for military and aerospace applications for many years, and these clients often need what is known as a controlled breather case. These cases have tight seals to lock out dust, humidity and moisture, but we add a pressure relief valve to ensure that allows some air intake while still locking out moisture. The pressure relief valve also ensures that the user can open the case easily even when exposed to fluctuations in temperature or altitude.

 

Off-The-Shelf Vs. Custom Shipping Cases

If you need to transport equipment as luggage or freight frequently, you have several options to consider. You can purchase an off-the-shelf shipping case or a custom shipping case. Off-the-shelf shipping cases can be a good option if you just need one case or the items you are transporting aren’t very expensive or delicate or if you need cases available right away.

 

Custom shipping cases with wheels are a better option if you need to transport anything particularly delicate or expensive (or both). Our shipping cases are built from scratch and designed around your equipment or products. While it takes a few weeks to build a Bel-Air Case, these cases are highly protective and meant to last for years and years. We have customers from the 1960s that still use their 50-year-old cases.

 

Of course, there are several different types of custom equipment cases. Our shipping cases with wheels are vacuum-formed from high-density polyethylene, which is a durable, lightweight, moisture-resistant and impact-resistant type of thermoform plastic.

 

Other options include roto-molded cases or injection-molded cases. These also use plastic shells, and while roto-molded cases are highly durable, they are very heavy and neither injection-molded or roto-molded cases are as customizable as our vacuum-formed shipping cases.

 

Fabricated cases, which are created out of laminated wood or composites, are available in just about any size or configuration you might need, but these also are quite heavy and tend to be more expensive than cases made from plastic. Still, if our vacuum-formed cases don’t seem like the right fit for your equipment, we will let you know and help you find another source.

 

Custom Foam Interiors

While the exterior of your shipping cases needs to be durable, the foam inside the case can be just as important. Too often, a case manufacturer focuses only on the exterior shell and just hands off a case with a chunk of diced foam. Then the customer has to cut away at the foam to create cavities for their equipment. These imprecise cavities won’t really protect your equipment and this type of foam tends to break down quickly and will need to be replaced.

 

We never hand off a case filled with cheap “pick and pluck foam,” instead we fabricate high-quality custom foam interiors for each case, built around your equipment. Our foam cushions every centimeter of your equipment and provides additional impact resistance and protects against damage from vibrations, as well.

 

Our design team can fabricate any type of foam interior that you might need, and we are experts at creating complex die-cuts, interior walls, shock mounts, panel mounts, windows, plastic dividers or whatever else you might need.

 

How To Get Started

If you need shipping cases with wheels, you can simply click on the Request a Quote tab on our homepage. First, provide us with contact information and then you have the option of filling out our Simple RFQ Form or the Complete RFQ form. Once you’ve completed the form, just click submit and one of our case specialists will begin working on your free quote. If you have questions, just click on the Contact Us tab and fill out our quick contact form or call us at (866) 235-2472.

Heavy-Duty Lighting Cases From Bel-Air Cases

Lighting equipment is both expensive and delicate, and if you need to transport any type of lighting or related equipment, you need lighting cases that are tough enough to handle rugged environments. At Bel-Air Cases, we’ve been designing custom lighting cases for more than 50 years and can provide you with attractive, protective shipping cases that can handle the rigors of transportation.

 

Lighting Case Options

At Bel-Air Cases, we offer two options for equipment and lighting cases – you can choose between our carrying cases or our heavy-duty shipping cases. Our heavy-duty carry case might be a good match for smaller pieces of equipment, such as cameras, lenses, light meters and other smaller items.

 

For larger pieces of lighting equipment, our heavy-duty shipping cases are the best option, and we can add wheels and handles to any case to make them easier to maneuver. Our shipping cases also are built to stack neatly and efficiently, which makes it easier to store your equipment, and each shipping case includes molded bumpers and stacking lugs.

 

For cases smaller than 30”, we can add a telescoping handle and wheels, but for larger shipping cases, we usually recommend adding a 3” or 7” end handle as these cases already are long enough for easy and comfortable maneuvering. All of the hardware is created using durable materials such as stainless steel, and we use tough aluminum valances for each case.

 

The exterior shells of our equipment and lighting cases are vacuum-formed using high-density polyethylene (HDPE). We chose HDPE as our top material choice for several reasons. HDPE is a highly affordable plastic, but, more importantly, this is one of the most rugged, durable materials available. HDPE has high impact resistance and high moisture resistance, and our cases can handle temperature extremes and rugged conditions without affecting the equipment inside the case.

 

Furthermore, HDPE is an excellent option because it is extremely lightweight. Not only does this make it easier for the customer to carry or move their lighting cases, but it also can reduce your shipping costs. Other case types typically are formed using heavier materials, and it costs more to ship a heavy case. We also build each case around your equipment, so there’s no excess material. With HDPE, you can have a smaller, lighter case that is easier and less expensive to transport yet still highly protective.

 

Lighting & Equipment Cases With Foam

While the exterior of your lighting cases needs to be able to handle rugged environments, such as the cargo hold of a plane, we also focus on designing custom foam inserts for all of our equipment cases. Each case can include a custom foam insert that is built specifically for each piece of your lighting equipment. Our quality foam will cushion and protect your lighting equipment, camera equipment, audio-visual equipment or anything else you need to store and protect.

 

Custom foam is always a big part of any lighting case project, and we never simply hand off our cases with a chunk of diced foam. This is a cheap type of foam, also known and pick and pluck foam. This poor-quality foam doesn’t last as long as the durable polyethylene foam we use, and when customers receive this cheap diced foam, they are forced to cut or pick away at the foam to make cavities for their equipment.

 

We believe that if you are paying for custom lighting cases, this should include a custom foam interior. We can usually construct foam sets for around the same price you’d expect to pay for cases with foam slabs or diced foam, and our foam provides far greater protection for your delicate items.

 

Many Custom Options

While we can customize the size and configuration of your lighting cases, as well as the interior foam, we also have many other custom options available. We offer two standard colors for our plastic shipping cases – black and silver, but we also have additional stock colors, including red, orange, yellow, blue, green, olive and white. With a minimum order, we may be able to provide you with color matching or custom colors.

 

We also can personalize the shell of your equipment and lighting cases with a molded-in logo, custom engraved plates or custom decals. This adds a professional touch to your shipping cases and also makes them easier to identify at a busy airport or perhaps at a large event or trade show.

 

Contact Us Today!

While creating hard plastic cases for lighting, including LED lighting, is one of our areas of specialization, we can create heavy-duty shipping cases for just about any type of equipment. Through the years, we have built equipment for military and aerospace clients, as well as medical equipment cases, diagnostic equipment cases and even carry cases for sales kits and OEM cases.

 

If you have any questions about our custom lighting cases, you can contact us at (866) 235-2472 or click the Contact Us tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. If you are ready to make a purchase, simply click on the Request A Quote tab and provide us with some information about the type of shipping cases that you need us to manufacture.

Bel-Air Cargo Cases: Rugged Custom Shipping Cases

If you need to ship expensive or delicate items as luggage or cargo, you need cargo cases that can withstand the punishment inflicted by the transportation industry. Our Bel-Air custom shipping cases can protect your products whether they are transported by airplane, container ship, train, trucks, tanks or even in a rocket to the International Space Station.

 

There are plenty of case manufacturers out there, so why choose us over an off-the-shelf case company or another custom cargo case or shipping case manufacturer? There are several reasons why we believe Bel-Air Cases is the best option for many types of equipment.

 

5 Reasons To Choose Bel-Air Cargo Cases

  1. We Have 50+ Years Of Experience

Bel-Air Cases is the original manufacturer of vacuum-formed plastic carrying cases and heavy-duty shipping cases. Since the 1960s, we’ve designed and built cases for just about any item imaginable, and our team has the experience and know-how to create a case that is perfect for your needs, no matter what those might be.

 

  1. Our Heavy-Duty Cases Meet ATA Guidelines

ATA specifications were created by the airline industry to help consumers find cases that were built to withstand frequent air travel. The airline industry can be tough on cases, but our heavy-duty shipping cases can handle flight after flight with ease and continue to protect whatever you place inside your case.

 

ATA specifications require that an ATA case be able to handle at least 100 round-trip flights, and we think you will find that our ATA shipping cases can go well beyond this standard and our shipping cases also meet many MIL specifications.

 

Whether you need ATA cases or you need cases that meet military, government or aerospace specifications, we are likely to be able to provide you with cargo cases that meet all of your transportation needs.

 

If you need waterproof cargo cases, our cases fit the bill. You can drag our custom shipping cases through a Brazilian rainforest without worrying about damaging what’s inside. Our cases also can handle temperature extremes, so whether you need a case that can handle the freezing temperatures of Antarctica or the heat of Death Valley, we have you covered.

 

  1. Our Shipping Cases Are Made-To-Order, Yet Affordable

At Bel-Air Cases, we do not offer any off-the-shelf cases as every case is made to order. This means we don’t have any cases already, completely build, in stock or ready to ship. Our goal is to build the best cargo cases for your requirements and not try to fit you into the closest size case we might already happen to have. This provides you with a much greater range of sizes and options, assembled just the way you want it.

 

While each case is made to order, our customers often are surprised at the overall affordability. We certainly don’t sell cheap $50 cases, but you also won’t find many $900 cases either. Typically, you can expect to pay about $400 each for five large shipping cases, which is actually a great value for made-to-order thermoformed cases.

 

  1. Each Case Includes Custom Foam

While the exterior of our cargo cases is tough and durable, our shipping cases also include a custom foam insert. Unlike many companies in the case industry, we never hand off a case with a hunk of cheap pick and pluck foam, also known as diced foam. This is a low-quality type of foam, and not only is it not as protective as our custom foam, but the customer also is forced to create custom cavities for their equipment by snipping away at the foam with scissors or blades.

 

If a customer is paying for a hard case with foam, we firmly believe they should not have to deal with this cheap diced foam. Our custom foam interiors can be as simple as a high-quality foam liner, or we can fabricate interior walls, add dividers or interior doors, add panel mounts or shock mounts and much more. We design each foam insert specifically around the products placed inside, and the case foam adds another layer of protection to keep your delicate equipment safe from the bumps and jolts typical during transportation.

 

  1. You Can Customize Everything!

In addition to customizing the size of your cargo cases and the interior foam, we have many other custom options. You can add different types of wheels and handles to your cases, including telescoping handles. You can choose from a wide selection of locks and latches, and if you don’t see precisely what you want on our website, we can probably find what you are looking for and we are happy to search around until we find the perfect match.

 

Additionally, we can provide you with an assortment of case colors. Black and silver are our standard case colors, but we can create your cargo cases in several other stock colors, including white, yellow, orange, red, olive, green and blue. With a minimum order, we may be able to provide you with custom colors or color matching. We also can add molded-in logos, custom decals or engraved plates to your cases.

 

What Can You Ship In Our Cargo Cases?

While you can place just about anything inside a custom Bel-Air shipping case, here are just a few items for which our heavy-duty equipment cases are commonly used:

  • Aerospace Equipment
  • Audio-Visual Equipment
  • Cameras & Related Equipment
  • Commercial Tooling
  • Computer Equipment (and Electronics)
  • Diagnostic & Testing Equipment
  • Industrial Tooling
  • Lighting Equipment (Industrial & Commercial)
  • Medical Equipment
  • Military Equipment
  • Motorcycle Engines
  • Surveying & Seismographic Devices

 

Additionally, we also produce custom expo cases, which are ideal for trade show displays and graphics or any other item with an odd size or shape that won’t fit easily into a standard shipping case.

 

We also produce medium-duty and heavy-duty carrying cases. These carry cases can be used to hold many types of equipment and also are used frequently as sales kits and OEM cases. Our medium-duty cases are not appropriate for items that will be frequently shipped as luggage or cargo, but our heavy-duty carrying cases can handle the rigors of transport with ease.

 

Contact Bel-Air Cases Today!

If you need rugged custom shipping cases or cargo cases, contact us at any time. If we don’t think our cases are the perfect fit for your equipment, we will let you know, but we typically can match every customer to custom cases that meet their specifications and their budget. You can contact us by phone at (866) 235-2472 or via email at info@bel-air-cases.com.

Plastic Cases With Foam Inserts: Why Foam Matters

At Bel-Air Cases, our custom plastic carrying cases and shipping cases are built to be protective and durable, but we are well aware that if you truly want to protect what’s inside a case, plastic cases with foam inserts are essential. Still, it’s not just about adding foam, it’s about adding the highest quality foam inserts, which is the only kind of foam we provide for our clients.

 

Custom Foam Vs. Pick & Pluck Foam

Too often in the case industry, a custom case maker hands off a case with a chunk of diced foam inside. This also is known as pick and pluck foam because the new owner of the case has to pick away and pluck away at the foam in order to create cavities for their equipment.

 

Not only does this look sloppy, but it’s also not nearly as protective as a custom foam insert. Pick and pluck foam tends to be low-quality foam, as well, and will break down quickly, forcing the case owner to purchase new foam and pick and pluck and cut out new cavities.

 

We’ve been designing and producing carrying cases, shipping cases and expo cases for more than 50 years and not once have we ever handed off a case with a chunk of diced foam. Each of our plastic cases with foam includes a custom foam insert. It might be as simple as a quality foam liner, or we can provide you with a design that shields and cushions every piece of equipment that will go inside the case.

 

Foam is crucial because it protects delicate and expensive items from the typical jostling involved in transportation, and our durable foam also absorbs vibrations. Our custom foam inserts are designed to fit precisely around your equipment, providing the highest level of support and protection.

 

Which Type Of Case Do You Need?

We offer three different categories of custom plastic cases – carrying cases, shipping cases and expo cases.

 

Carrying Cases We offer medium-duty and heavy-duty carrying cases and these are ideal for sales kits, diagnostic equipment, medical kits, smaller photography equipment and even as OEM cases.

 

Medium-duty cases are best used for items that only occasionally will be transported as luggage and for items that weigh between five and 40 pounds. Typically, a medium-duty carrying case will be transported by car or perhaps in the overhead bin of an airplane, but they aren’t really meant to be used as freight cases.

 

If you need a carrying case that can be transported frequently as luggage or cargo, our heavy-duty cases are your best option. These cases can protect delicate items and heavy items that weigh 30 to 40 pounds.

 

Shipping Cases – If you need tough, durable cases that can handle the rigors of transportation and frequent shipping, our heavy-duty shipping cases are your best option. These cases can be built to accommodate most ATA and MIL specifications and are designed using the toughest materials and hardware we carry. In fact, our client list includes many aerospace companies as well as the U.S. military, so our plastic cases with foam truly can handle the toughest environments.

 

Expo Cases – These cases (also known as trade show cases) are built using the same tough materials as our shipping cases, but they come in unique sizes to carry items frequently transported to trade shows, such as posters, graphics, displays, banners and other objects that just don’t fit into our regular style cases.

 

How We Make Plastic Cases With Foam

Bel-Air Cases was the first company to produce vacuum-formed hard plastic cases. Each of our equipment cases, carry cases and shipping cases are custom-made to order, and we do not offer any off-the-shelf cases.

 

To build each case, we use thick sheets of high-density polyethylene, which is a durable, impact-resistant and moisture-resistant thermoform plastic. We chose this material because of its durability as well as its ability to withstand temperature extremes and keep out moisture and water. It’s also very lightweight, which can reduce your shipping costs.

 

Each sheet of plastic is heated to a malleable temperature and then vacuum-formed using a custom mold. Once each half of your case has been vacuum-formed, we use heavy-duty aluminum valances to hold the two halves together. We can then add a variety of standard and optional hardware components including hinges, latches, handles and wheels.

 

In addition to offering many options for custom handles, wheels, latches and other hardware, we also can customize the look of your cases. Our standard colors are silver and black, but we have several optional stock colors, including white, yellow, orange, red, olive, green and blue. With a minimum purchase, we may be able to provide you with custom colors or color matching.

 

Many of our customers also like to personalize their cases with graphics and logos. We can add a molded-in logo to each of your hard plastic case with foam inside or add engraved plates or custom decals. These can be a great option for OEM cases and sales kits, providing you with a truly professional look, but they also can make it easy to gather up your cases at a busy airport, trade show or other events.

 

Our Foam Options

While we offer tons of custom options for your case exterior, we are experts at fabricating foam interiors. We can create custom die-cut cavities, fabricate interior walls, add plastic dividers, interior doors, windows, panel mounts and shock mounts depending on your needs and the type of equipment or items you intend to place inside.

 

Custom foam is the best option for just about any carrying case or shipping case, and we usually can construct custom foam sets for around the same price as you’d expect to pay for cases filled with diced foam or cheap foam slabs.

 

If you need custom plastic cases with foam inserts, the team at Bel-Air Cases is ready to help. We can provide you with carrying cases, expo cases and durable shipping cases. To get started with a case project, just click on the Contact tab on our homepage and fill out our quick contact form. You also can call us at (866) 235-2472 or email us at info@bel-air-cases.com.

Shipping Your Hard Case With Foam

At Bel-Air Cases, we’ve been designing and producing custom cases for more than 50 years, and if you need a hard case with foam that can handle the rigors of transportation, we’ve got you covered. But, we also have some helpful information about shipping your cases, and which carriers might offer the best options for your needs.

 

First, A Look At Our Foam

While the exterior of a Bel-Air hard case with foam is built to handle shipping as cargo or freight, the foam interiors are just as important and as you came to this page looking for a “hard case with foam,” let’s talk about foam for a minute.

 

It’s not uncommon within the case industry for manufacturers to hand off completed cases with a chunk of diced foam inside. This also is known as pick and pluck foam, and it’s a cheap type of foam that is not built specifically for your case. In fact, the customer is responsible for cutting away at the foam with a razor blade in order to create cavities to hold their equipment. While this practice is common, we find it unacceptable.

 

We believe that if a customer is investing in a quality custom hard case with foam, that foam needs to be high-quality and customized to whatever will be going inside. We can design any type of foam interior you might need and are experts in fabricating interior walls, plastic dividers, interior doors, windows, panel mounts and shock mounts.

 

Our quality foam also will hold up for many years, unlike the diced foam that some manufacturers use. If you truly want a highly protective hard case with foam that can stand up to the punishment inflicted by the transportation industry, our plastic cases are equal to the task.

 

Your Shipping Options

Our heavy-duty carrying cases and heavy-duty shipping cases can be shipped without any additional packaging. Depending on the size of the case, you have many shipping options including UPS, FedEx, DHL and the United States Postal Service (USPS). If your case fits within an airline’s luggage specifications, you also maybe be able to simply bring it with you are cargo during your flight.

 

USPS will not ship packages more than 130 inches in combined length and girth, and once your parcel is more than 108 inches, your case falls in the Very Large USPS Retail Ground and Parcel Select categories.

 

UPS has similar restrictions, as well as a weight limit of 150 pounds for regular parcels. If you are over that size or weight, you will need to opt for UPS’ freight services and they offer a variety of freight services, both domestically and internationally. FedEx also places packages greater in weight than 150 pounds in the freight services category.

 

Keep in mind, our largest shipping case has a combined total measurement of less than 108 inches, so if the total weight is less than 150 pounds, you may be able to ship the case without opting for freight services. We can build larger cases if you need them, of course, but our largest standard model is 48×24 and up to 27 inches in total height. When it comes to our heavy-duty carrying cases, only our very largest sizes exceed 108 inches and are just over 40 pounds empty at their heaviest.

 

In many situations, it’s smart to look beyond USPS, UPS or FedEx for your freight shipping needs. For instance, you could look into less-than-load freight shipping, also known as less-than-truckload shipping or just LTL shipping. Basically, with LTL shipping, you are taking up a portion of space on a truck and because other shippers also are paying for a portion of the space, the overall costs can be more affordable than with other types of freight shipping.

 

When it comes to expo cases, which we also produce, and cases shipped for trade shows, we recommend you look into special event shipping companies. These companies specialize in moving freight for companies involved in trade shows and other big events, and they often have better pricing than you would find through a more traditional type of freight company.

 

If you are shipping your case, we recommend having them built with locking mechanisms, and we have several options, including key locks and combination locks. Our best tip is to let us know how you intend to ship your hard case with foam so that we can build it out with that in mind.

 

Which Case Is Your Best Option?

If you plan on shipping your cases frequently, you have several options when it comes to case type, and each has its pros and cons. The most important factor is to ensure that the shipping cases you purchase are built to ATA standards.

 

ATA standards were created by the airline industry for suitcase and shipping case manufacturers and when cases are built to ATA standards, it means they are built to handle frequent transport, whether it’s as cargo on an airplane, truck, train or ship. We can build you cases that meet most ATA and MIL specs. Our clients include the aerospace industry and the military, so we have many years of experience building cases that have to handle the toughest conditions.

 

We specialize in designing and producing custom vacuum-formed hard plastic cases. Our cases are built using high-density polyethylene, which is a durable type of plastic known for its impact resistance. This polyethylene also is moisture-resistant and resistant to many chemicals and can handle temperature extremes. Polyethylene also is very lightweight, which helps keep your shipping costs down.

 

Other options include roto-molded cases, injection-mold cases and fabricated wood cases. Each of these types of cases has its pros and cons. For instance, roto-molded cases and fabricated wood are very heavy, but roto-molded cases are quite durable and fabricated cases can be easily customized to whatever configuration you need. The team at Bel-Air Cases will let you know if our vacuum-formed cases are your best option or something else might be a better fit as we want all of our customers matched to the best possible case type for their needs.

 

With vacuum-forming, we can design cases in almost unlimited sizes and configurations. Through the years, we have collected a wide variety of case tooling, with more than 50 different configurations ready to go. However, if you need a unique size, we can build that for you, as well, although it might add a few extra weeks to your case project.

 

If you need a hard case with foam (or many), the team at Bel-Air Cases can help. We’ve been designing custom shipping cases and carrying cases since the 1960s for everything from lighting equipment to audio-visual equipment to military equipment. Our cases can be used for sales kits, medical kits, diagnostic equipment and even as OEM cases. Give us a call at any time and let’s get started on your custom case project.

Custom Shipping Cases For Equipment, Trade Shows & More

If you have expensive or fragile items that need to be shipped often as cargo, custom shipping cases are essential. At Bel-Air Cases, we can design just about any size of shipping case you might need for virtually any product. Here’s a quick look at the types of shipping cases we commonly design and produce.

 

Shipping Cases For Equipment

Throughout the last 50 or so years, we have designed and built shipping cases for a myriad of equipment types from a wide range of industries, including:

  • Aerospace Equipment
  • Military Equipment
  • Music, Film & Television (Lighting equipment, AV equipment, photography equipment, etc.)
  • Medical Equipment
  • Sales Kits & OEM Cases

 

ATA Shipping Cases

As manufactured, our heavy-duty shipping cases meet stringent ATA guidelines and many MIL specifications, so if you need ATA cases, we can help. Any shipping case can be designed and built to meet almost any airline, military, government or aerospace specifications. So, whether you need shipping cases for your next trip to Mars or shipping cases durable enough for transport as military cargo, just call us and let us know what you need.

 

Shipping Cases For Trade Shows

While our traditional shipping cases can be a great option if you need to tote items such as computer equipment, audio-video equipment or lighting equipment to a trade show, we also offer unique custom expo cases that are designed with your trade show materials in mind. These trade show cases can handle transport with ease but are able to hold oddly shaped or sized items, such as banners, graphics, art and other types of trade show displays.

 

Need Shipping Cases With Wheels?

While our cases are much more lightweight than many other types of cases, what goes inside is often fairly heavy, and shipping cases with wheels make it easy to move your case through a crowded airport or trade show floor or wherever you need to go. We also offer an assortment of handles, including telescoping handles.

 

Whether your main concerns are appearance, function or cost, we can find hardware options that suit your needs. In addition to customizing your shipping cases with wheels and handles, you also can customize the hinges, latches and feet. If you want to add locks or padlocks, that also is an option we can provide.

 

Additionally, we offer many other custom options. For instance, we offer silver and black as our standard case colors, but we can form your shipping cases using our optional stock colors which include white, yellow, orange, red, olive, green and blue. With a minimum purchase, we may be able to provide color matching or custom colors. We also can add a molded-in logo, engraved plates or custom decals to your shipping cases and expo cases.

 

Shipping Cases With Foam

While the exteriors of our shipping cases are built to handle the jostling, bumping and banging associated with transportation, the interior of our cases can be just as important. We design fully custom foam inserts for all of our shipping cases. Whether you just need a basic foam liner or a custom die-cut insert with multiple cavities, interior doors, panel mounts or other features, we can make it as simple or as complex as you need.

 

We never simply hand off an empty case with a chunk of diced foam, which, unfortunately, is a common practice in the case industry. This type of foam, also known and “pick and pluck foam” is not only low in quality, but it also forces the case owner to snip away or pluck away foam to create cavities for their equipment. The result tends to be a mess and there tends to be a bunch of foam left over that you just throw away.

 

How We Build Our Shipping Cases

Our shipping cases are vacuum-formed using high-density polyethylene. We chose this material for a variety of reasons. The transportation industry is tough on cases and luggage, and this material can handle the rigors associated with transport on planes, ships, trains or in the back of a truck bouncing along a dirt road in the middle of a remote jungle.

 

While polyethylene is highly impact-resistant, we also design our heavy-duty shipping cases with molded corner bumpers, which help protect the delicate and fragile items in the case. Additionally, the polyethylene that we use is moisture-resistant, which protects your equipment from humidity or even a torrential downpour. Our cases can handle temperature extremes, which is why they are a popular option with our military and aerospace clients.

 

The materials we use, including the polyethylene for our cases and the heavy-duty aluminum valances and steel hinges, are tough and durable, but also lightweight. This makes the cases more maneuverable but also can reduce shipping costs as weight is usually a factor when determining the price of transport.

 

Custom Vs. Stock Cases

All of our shipping cases are “made-to-order,” which means we don’t have any cases completely built, in-stock and ready to ship. That said, we have more than 50 standard shipping case configurations in our design library. Keep in mind, if you don’t find what you need within that case library, we can create a new size just for you, although that will increase production time by several weeks.

 

Additionally, if we think your equipment or items would be better suited to an off-the-shelf case or another type of case entirely, we will be upfront and honest about it. In some cases, our vacuum-formed cases aren’t the best fit for your needs and budget, although, with vacuum forming, we can provide you with a level of durability and customization that few other case types provide.

 

At Bel-Air Cases, we’ve been designing custom shipping cases for more than 50 years, and we can design any type of shipping case or expo case that you might need. To get started with a shipping case project, click on the Contact Us tab on our homepage, fill out our quick contact form and a representative will be in touch shortly. You also can call us at (866) 235-2472 or send an email at info@bel-air-cases.com.

The Bel-Air Plastic Case With Foam

At Bel-Air Cases, we’ve been designing and producing custom carrying cases and custom shipping cases for more than 50 years, but when we talk about customization, we don’t just mean the size and shape of the case, but also the foam interior. A Bel-Air plastic case with foam is built to precisely carry and protect all of your precious items.

 

Why Custom Foam?

Many custom case makers will design your case and hand it over to you with a chunk of diced foam inside. This also is known as pick and pluck foam, and it’s a low-quality foam that we would never give to our customers. If you are paying for a custom-made plastic case with foam, we believe that the interior foam also needs to be completely customized.

 

With pick and pluck foam, you force the customer to snip away at the foam to create cavities to hold their items. These cavities won’t be a perfect fit for the items, which means they aren’t fully protected.

 

Here’s an example of why pick and pluck foam just isn’t good enough. The other day whilst hollowing out a loaf of bread to create a soup bowl, it became clear that this was a good example of why cheap foam is a bad idea. Although carefully cutting with a knife to hollow out the bread, the end result was uneven and imperfect, and while it was fine for holding soup, it would have been completely inadequate for something delicate or fragile.

 

Pick and pluck foam is just like that loaf of bread. It’s not easy to cut or trim away to make a perfect cavity and this type of cheap foam breaks down very quickly. Additionally, you end up throwing away a good portion of the foam. Why should you pay for case foam that you aren’t even going to use?

 

Aside from the poor quality and forcing your clients to do their own picking and plucking, we feel that simply passing off a case with a chunk of diced foam is lazy. If you are paying a premium for a custom case and ending up with pick and pluck foam, what does this say about the quality of the case? It requires zero effort to just hand you a chunk of foam, so we worry that this indolence might extend into the design and production of your case, as well.

 

Our Custom Foam Interiors

In some cases, our foam interiors are quite simple. If you aren’t quite sure what type of items will be placed into your case, you might be fine with a custom foam liner. These liners will fit the interior of your case precisely and we use the highest quality foam. This foam will provide extra impact resistance during transport and help keep your items as safe as possible.

 

However, if you need a plastic case with foam and you know precisely what will be toted inside, we can create any type of custom foam interior you might need. We can hand-cut or die-cut cavities in any shape or side. We also are experts at fabricating interior walls, plastic dividers, interior doors, windows, panel mounts and shock mounts. As you can see from the pictures above, your foam interior can be simple or as complicated as you might need.

 

Through the years, we’ve designed equipment cases with foam for a wide variety of products. This includes equipment for the military and the aerospace industry, which obviously requires a high level of durability. We also create cases for lighting equipment, video equipment, camera equipment, medical equipment and many other delicate and expensive items.

 

Which Plastic Case Is Right For You?

At Bel-Air Cases, we produce cases in three categories – carrying cases, shipping cases and expo cases. All of our cases are built using tough, impact-resistant plastic shells with aluminum valances. The plastic we use (high-density polyethylene), and the aluminum valances keep the weight down without reducing the impact resistance of your case.

 

The plastic we use is not only durable and impact-resistant, but it also keeps out moisture and can handle extreme temperatures. You can trek through a hot rainforest in the middle of a downpour or traverse the tundra on a dog sled with your Bel-Air Case and the contents will remain safe from the elements. Whether you are attending a trade show in New York, shooting a movie on location in the Sahara Desert or planning a trip to Mars, our heavy-duty cases are equal to the task.

 

When it comes to carrying cases, we offer medium-duty and heavy-duty carrying cases. These carry cases often are used for sales kits and as OEM cases. The medium-duty carrying cases are very lightweight and designed for toting in the backseat or trunk of a car and can be transported occasionally as luggage although if you are shipping this case, we do recommend boxing it first.

 

If you need a lightweight carrying case that can be transported frequently as luggage or cargo, we recommend you opt for our heavy-duty carrying cases. These are ideal for delicate items or heavy items up to about 40 pounds. They are easy to tote and maneuver in crowded places, yet still provide a high level of protection.

 

If you need an ATA case or a shipping case that will be shipped often as cargo or luggage, our heavy-duty shipping cases are a perfect match. We build these tough cases with ATA standards in mind, and they can be shipped again and again with no harm to the items stored inside.

 

These cases are ideal for shipping heavier items (over 40 pounds), as well as delicate or valuable items such as computers, commercial tooling, video equipment, medical equipment and even items such as motorcycle engines.

 

Our expo cases are created with trade shows in mind. These cases are designed to hold odd-sized items, such as graphic materials, trade show displays, banners, art and other objects that don’t fit into our regular style cases.

 

Of course, all three styles of Bel-Air Cases can include custom foam inserts. But we also offer many other custom features. You can add many different styles of wheels, handles, latches and locks and you can customize the look of your plastic case with foam.

 

Black and silver are our standard colors, but we have several additional stock colors including white, blue, olive, green, yellow, orange and red. With a specific minimum purchase, custom colors and color matching may be available. We also can add molded-in logos to your cases or add engraved plates or custom decals.

 

If you need a plastic case with foam (or several) and want to get started with a case project, just head to our homepage and click on the Request A Custom Quote tab and fill out our quick contact form. A sales representative will be in touch as soon as possible with a quote for your custom case project.

Case Foam: 5 Reasons Why Custom Foam Is Crucial

When you spend the time and money it takes to purchase custom hard plastic shipping cases, you expect a quality case inside and out. However, if the case manufacturer just dumps a cheap piece of case foam in your case, you definitely aren’t getting your money’s worth and here’s why.

 

  1. Case Foam Varies In Quality

You might think foam is just foam, right? The quality of foam varies, and many manufacturers will use what is known in the industry as “pick and pluck foam.” This type of foam is inexpensive and the quality is poor. Over time, it will break down and basically become useless in terms of protecting your equipment.

 

At Bel-Air Cases, we create custom foam inserts for all of our carrying cases and hard plastic shipping cases. We use the highest quality foam possible and create custom cavities to fit your equipment perfectly. You’ll never receive a case from us filled with cheap pick and pluck foam.

 

  1. Case Foam Is As Crucial As A Tough Exterior

Typically, people invest in custom hard plastic shipping cases because they need to protect expensive items and equipment during transport. We all know how tough the transportation industry can be on cases, which is why your case needs to be built from durable materials and designed to handle impacts.

 

However, the interior of the case is just as important. High-quality, custom case foam also absorbs impact and holds your equipment in place, so that bumping and jostling won’t affect the items in your case. When you use cheap foam, it doesn’t fully absorb these impacts and the cavities aren’t customized to your equipment so the items in the case get jostled about more than they would with a fully custom case.

 

  1. Cheap Case Foam Forces The Customer To Do The Work

When a case manufacturer hands off a case filled with a chunk of pick and pluck foam, the customer is forced to cut away at the foam to create cavities for their equipment. Why should the customer have to do the work? What if the customer cuts away too much foam?

 

We believe that if you are spending the money on custom hard plastic shipping cases, then you shouldn’t be forced to cut and pick away and create your own foam interior. Additionally, you end up throwing away a bunch of excess foam. Why should a customer have to pay for foam they are just going to toss out? This seems silly, and it’s a huge waste of money and materials.

 

  1. Cheap Case Foam Looks Cheap

At Bel-Air Cases, we take pride in creating custom carrying cases and hard plastic shipping cases that are attractive inside and out. If you want a truly professional case, custom case foam is crucial. Not only does it protect your equipment, it just looks more professional.

 

No matter how carefully you cut away at pick and pluck foam, the end result just looks sloppy. Over time, this foam will begin to break down, as well, which means your case interior will look less and less attractive over time. Our Bel-Air Cases are meant to last for years and years, and still look great as time passes, and that includes the interior.

 

  1. Custom Case Foam & Cheap Foam Cost About The Same

It might seem like opting for cheap case foam is highly cost-effective, but that’s just not true. We typically can produce hard plastic shipping cases with custom case foam for about the same cost as you’d pay for a case with cheap pick and pluck foam.

 

Cheap foam breaks down fairly quickly, and you’ll end up spending more money to replace the pick and pluck foam. Additionally, the cheap-quality foam doesn’t protect your items nearly as well as custom high-quality case foam, which means you may end up with damaged equipment that you must pay to repair or replace. In the long run, spending a few dollars more for a custom foam insert will save you money.

 

Our Custom Cases

At Bel-Air Cases, our made-to-order custom hard plastic shipping cases are designed using high-density polyethylene plastic. This material is ideal because of its high durability and light weight. It can take the abuse of transport without damaging your equipment, and the light weight helps reduce your shipping costs and makes it easier for customers to handle.

 

Each case we design can be entirely customized. In addition to a custom exterior size and custom case foam, we can customize the colors, handles, latches, wheels and more. We have a huge selection of custom features, and if you don’t see precisely what you need, we probably can find it. With Bel-Air Cases, it’s all about choice. We also can add in a molded in logo, custom decals or custom engraved plates to elevate the professional look of your case.

 

Our cases also meet ATA specifications and most MIL specifications. We have designed hard plastic shipping cases for aerospace space companies, as well as the military, so we know how to build cases that can handle just about any situation.

 

If you need custom carrying cases or hard plastic shipping cases with custom foam inserts, give us a call at any time. We can design cases for audio & video equipment, medical equipment, lighting equipment, military equipment, diagnostic equipment and just about anything else. We’ve been designing cases for more than 50 years, and we look forward to working with you on your case project, whether you need just one custom case, 500 cases or somewhere in between.

Padded Equipment Cases: Let’s Talk About Foam

At Bel-Air Cases, we are all about customization. Our padded equipment cases can feature a wide variety of locks, latches, feet and handles, as well as molded-in logos, custom decals and much more. But we don’t just customize the exterior of your cases; we also pay special attention to the interior.

Our cases are built to handle the rigors of transport, and while the exterior of your case will absorb the impact and vibrations associated with travel, the custom foam interiors also further absorb the bumps and jostles typical when cases are moving along conveyor belts, tossed into airplanes or bouncing along an interstate in the back of a delivery truck.

Our Custom Foam Interiors
There are many ways that foam can be fabricated, for instance, you can use CNC machining to create custom foam or you can use waterjet fabrication or hot wire fabrication. The type of process that is used depends largely on the end use and the materials that are being used.

For our padded equipment cases, we typically use die-cutting and hand-cutting to craft your foam interiors. Creating a fully custom interior might include creating fabricated interior walls, plastic dividers, interior doors, windows, panel mounts or shock mounts, whatever you need to fully protect and/or display your products.

Our carrying cases often are used as sales kits, for product samples or as OEM cases, and for these types of cases, a custom foam interior might be as crucial as a custom exterior. You truly need a custom interior that shows off your products to their best advantage.

Of course, not every cases needs a fully custom interior with multiple cavities or sections, so we can provide you with a quality foam liner or perhaps layers of quality foam if that’s what you need. It’s all about choice.

What We Won’t Do
While we are happy to customize every inch of your padded equipment cases from the inside out, what we refuse to do is simply hand off a custom case with a chunk of diced foam inside it.

This cheap “pick and pluck” foam is a problem to us on several levels. For one thing, you are paying a premium for a custom case; shouldn’t the interior also be customized? We certainly believe that it should. Typically, we can construct custom foam sets for around the same price that you would expect to pay for a case filled with diced foam.

In addition, with diced foam, the customer is expected to cut and pick away at the foam in order to make cavities. Most of our customers don’t have the complicated die cutting machinery that would be needed in order to create custom cavities, so the end result isn’t exactly attractive or even perfectly designed to protect every inch of your product.

We also object to the idea that the customer pays for a huge chunk of foam and then, after cutting away at it to make cavities, they have to throw half or more of the remaining foam away. Why should customers be forced to pay for foam they aren’t even using? We believe you should only have to pay for the foam that you actually use, which is another reason why we provide custom foam interiors.

Finally, when a company passes off a cheap chunk of diced foam to a customer, this says quite a bit about the level of quality in generally. This foam not only has a less desirable appearance, it also tends to break down quickly and is not as protective in general. If any company tries to sell you a “custom” case but doesn’t also offer to create a custom foam interior, this is a bad sign.

Whether you select Bel-Air Cases or another company, we highly recommend that you select a company with many years of experience (we’ve been here for 50+ years!) that provides you with custom padded equipment cases with a custom foam interior.

Your Case Options
We can design a case for just about any type of equipment and to just about any specification you might need. If you need something that can truly handle transport and rugged environments, our heavy-duty carrying cases and our heavy-duty shipping cases are the perfect options. These cases meet ATA standards and many MIL specs, as well.

In fact, we’ve designed rugged cases for military clients as well as aerospace clients, two groups that truly need cases that can handle just about anything. Our cases can handle impacts and temperature extremes, as well as keeping out moisture and repelling water and various chemicals which might come into contact with your case.

If you want lightweight padded equipment cases that won’t be used as luggage, our light-duty carrying cases are ideal. These are perfect for those aforementioned sales kits as well as OEM cases. If you need a bit more durability, the medium-duty carrying cases can be transported occasionally as luggage.

We also design custom expo cases that are perfect for those oddly-sized items and graphics you need to transport to various trade shows and conferences. These are built to handle the rigors of transport, and we can add wheels and telescoping handles to make it easier to move the expo cases from place to place. Actually, we can add wheels and various handles to all of our cases, to make it as easy as possible for you to carry or move your case through a crowded airport, through a bustling market in Istanbul or perhaps along an uneven path deep in the jungles of Cambodia.

Each Bel-Air Case is designed around whatever will be placed inside, offering you the ultimate level of protection. If you need any type of padded equipment cases, give us a call at any time and we’ll start working on your custom case project.