Knowledge Base

It’s been many decades since the first Bel-Air carry case rolled off the production line. During the years, the world has seen a lot of changes, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to providing customers with the highest quality cases available. Take a look at our history and some facts about what we can provide our customers.

1. We Were The First In Our Class

Back in the 1960s, the plastics industry was really starting to boom. Plastics had been around in one form or another for many years, but mass production of plastic items really took off during this era and we were on the cutting edge of the industry.

Our cases are built using a thermoforming process known as vacuum forming, and we were the first company to create equipment and carry cases using this method. To create cases, we take large sheets of plastic, heat them up, move them over a mold and use vacuum force to shape the plastic onto the mold. It’s a tad more complicated than that, but basically that is the process.

2. Vacuum-Forming Is Highly Versatile

There are many reasons why chose to vacuum-form a carry case, but one of the biggest reasons is versatility. You can create almost any design imaginable with plastics, as they are so easy to mold. We can create custom carry cases and shipping cases in just about any size a customer might need. No other process lends itself so well to customization, and that means the customer truly gets what they want from their carry case.

3. We Use Highly Durable Materials

Many different types of plastics can be used for vacuum-forming, but at Bel-Air Cases, we chose high-density polyethylene as our top material. Also known as HDPE, we chose this plastic because it is one of the most durable types of plastic. It’s strong, lightweight and highly-impact resistant, which is crucial for our heavy-duty shipping cases, which must withstand the rigors of transport.

4. We Also Use Aluminum

When you order a carry case from Bel-Air Cases, it’s not 100% crafted using plastic materials. We use aluminum to create carry case and shipping case valances, and we chose this material because of its durability and lightweight. All of our materials were selected carefully to provide you with the most protection at the most affordable price.

5. Carry Cases Are Used For Many Purposes

At Bel-Air Cases, we have several levels of cases. Our carry cases typically are used as OEM cases and also used for sales kits and even to hold diagnostic equipment. The carry cases are meant to be lightweight, protective and easy to tote. If you have heavier and more expensive items that often will be shipped, we highly recommend that you consider our shipping cases.

We also have custom expo cases, which are perfect for toting to trade shows and conventions, which we assume will occur again once we’ve made it through this pandemic. This can be a great time to order cases, so that you and your sales team or expo team are ready to go as soon as conventions and in-person sales really get going again.

6. Our Cases Can Be Military-Strong

While a Bel-Air carry case isn’t meant to be transported at freight, we do build cases that meet ATA standards as well as military specifications. If you need a case that can handle a trip to the moon or a trek across the jungle, we can provide you with that case. Our light-duty and medium-duty carry cases are meant to hold and protect items that will mainly be transported in your car. The cases are ideal to tote equipment and items that won’t be shipped as freight or tossed into the luggage hold of an airplane. Our heavy-duty shipping cases, on the other hand, as well as our heavy-duty carry cases can handle the rigors of transport easily again and again.

7. We Have Many Color Options

While our standard colors are black and grey, those aren’t your only options. We have several additional stock colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, olive and blue. With a specific minimum order, we can even provide you with color matching. This can be a great option if you want an OEM carry case. Each of your cases can be completely customized to fit your company’s style. We can even add custom decals, molded-in-logos and engraved plates to your case.

8. Custom Foam Interiors Are Crucial

One issue we have with the case industry in general is the lack of attention placed on the interior of a carry case or shipping case. While the exterior components need to be tough and durable, the interior can be just as important. Many case manufacturers simply build your carry case and then hand it over with a chunk of diced foam, also known as pick and pluck foam.

This type of foam is cheap in quality, and the customer has to cut away at the foam in order to make cavities products or equipment. It doesn’t look particularly nice, but, more importantly, it doesn’t provide a high level of protection. At Bel-Air Cases, we never hand over a carry case without a custom foam interior. This can be as simple as a foam liner or it can be a highly customized foam interior with multiple cavities, interior doors, panels, shock mounts and other components.

We build the case and the foam interior around your products or equipment, so that every inch of what’s inside is well-protected. Our high-quality foam helps to absorb impact, which is crucial if you are shipping a case. Even if you opt for a light-duty carry case that won’t be shipped, our foam inserts provide an attractive way for you to display sales kits or whatever you place inside the case and protect it from any minor bumps that might occur.

9. We Will Match You To The Ideal Case

Whether you need an equipment case, a carry case or a shipping case, we will find the best option to fit your needs. Our vacuum-formed cases have many advantages over other types of cases, but our cases aren’t always a perfect match. If we think you’d be better off with a different case, we will tell you and we can help you find another source for your case. High-pressure sales tactics have never been our thing, and we prefer matching customers with exactly what they need case-wise.

If you need a custom carry case, shipping case or expo case, the team at Bel-Air Cases is still here to provide you with durable, high-quality cases. Give us a call or fill out our custom quote form here and a member of our sales team will be in touch as soon as possible.

While the transportation industry does a fine job moving cases from Point A to Point B, it’s not exactly known for being gentle with these cases. You’ve invested thousands of dollars in your equipment. Don’t you deserve equipment cases with wheels that can handle just about anything? We think so.

Whether you are tracking a Category 4 hurricane aboard a WP3D Orion or bumping along the train tracks from Yangon to Bagan in Myanmar or even blasting off to Mars in Elon Musk’s Starship, we want you to have a case that will protect your equipment in just about any imaginable circumstance.

There are plenty of companies out there selling off-the-shelf cases, and these are often fine for less expensive items or items that aren’t particularly delicate. But if you need to transport equipment frequently, it’s typically best to opt for custom equipment cases and skip the off-the-shelf options.

At Bel-Air Cases, we design equipment cases around your equipment. We’ve designed cases for just about every industry and type of equipment. Whether you are transporting diagnostic equipment, audio equipment, lighting equipment, electronics or something else, our first step is to study the equipment carefully and then design a case that meets your needs.

Which Case Do You Need?

We offer several different levels of equipment cases with wheels, and the type that you need depends upon how you will be transporting your cases.

Light & Medium Duty Carrying Cases – Our light-duty and medium-duty carrying cases are ideal for items that won’t be transported frequently as luggage or freight. With our light-duty cases, we typically recommend these for customers that will be toting their cases along in a car.

Our medium-duty cases can be transported occasionally as luggage, as they are a bit more durable, but if you need to transport items in a case frequently, it’s always best to opt for one of our heavy-duty cases. Light and medium-duty cases are ideal for lightweight items, sales kits, demo kits and OEM cases.

Heavy-Duty Carrying Cases – If you need something that can handle frequent shipment, either as luggage or cargo, a heavy-duty carrying case is probably your best bet. These cases can handle a bumpy airline ride, an off-road adventure or a quick trip up to the International Space Station. And, once you make it to your destination, the wheels and handles make it easier to move your case around a busy airport or perhaps the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Our heavy-duty carrying cases are built using the same materials and components that we use for our heavy-duty shipping cases. However, we form the cases on our tooling for carrying cases, which results in a highly durable case that is a little easier to maneuver in tight quarters.

Shipping Cases – If you have heavy or delicate items and need highly durable equipment cases with wheels that can withstand frequent transport, our shipping cases are built to meet ATA guidelines and many MIL specifications. We also can configure cases to meet most airline, military, government or aerospace specifications.

Custom Foam Interiors

In many cases, the custom foam interior that we design is just as important as the exterior of the case. Our cases are built to absorb impact, but the custom foam further protects your equipment from impact.  We never simply complete your equipment cases and pass them on to you with a chunk of foam.

This type of diced foam, also known as “pick and pluck” foam is a common issue in our industry, but while many case manufacturers use this type of cheap foam, it really does nothing to protect your equipment and tends to break down quickly. Even worse, the customer has to cut away or pluck away bits of foam to create custom cavities for their equipment.

At Bel-Air, our foam interiors are created from the highest quality materials and crafted to cushion every inch of your equipment. We can design a case with a basic foam liner, but we also are experts at foam fabrication and can create interiors with plastic dividers, interior doors, panel mounts, shock mounts and more.

The Wheels

We can’t really feel as though an article about equipment cases with wheels is complete unless we actually talk about the wheels. Our selection of hardware includes a large variety of wheel choices. For most cases, we can add wheels and a telescoping handle, which makes it as easy as possible to move your case from place to place. If you don’t see precisely what you want, we probably can get it for you. With Bel-Air Cases, it’s all about choice.

We’ve been crafting custom equipment cases with wheels for more than 50 years, and we have the experience necessary to craft any type of equipment case you might need. Whether you need just one Bel-Air Case or 400 or something in between, we can provide you with a durable, protective case that keeps your equipment safe.

Whether you have a smaller 10×10 booth or a large island exhibit, your trade show team will have plenty of items that need to be moved from place to place. Our trade show shipping cases make it easy to transport items, but, even more importantly they protect your expensive graphics and booth components during transport and in-between shows.

Our Expo Cases

Expo cases are designed with displays and graphics in mind. It can be tough to find durable cases that can hold these often oddly-shaped items. We’ve designed these trade show shipping cases specifically for wide, lightweight items such as posters, framed art or any type of graphic materials you need to bring along for the show.

Each of these cases is built from durable, high-density polyethylene shells that absorb impact as well as keeping out moisture. This ensures that your trade show items are safe whether they are jostling about in an airplane cargo hold, sitting out on a rainy tarmac or being stored at your facility for a future trade show.

Our Shipping Cases

Our shipping cases can be used to transport many items that you might need for your trade show. This includes laptops, electronic equipment, lighting equipment or anything expensive or delicate that you need to ship.

These cases are created using the same high-density polyethylene that we use for our custom expo cases and we also create fully custom foam interiors for these shipping cases. Our foam interiors truly set us apart from other case manufacturers. We use high-quality foam that absorbs impact and protects every part of your equipment or components. We never simply hand off a custom case with a chunk of diced foam.

Not only is this “diced” foam of lesser quality, but it also forces the client to pluck away or cut away the foam to create cavities. If you are paying for a quality custom case, you should expect a custom foam interior, as well, and we are foam fabricating experts.

We can create anything from a simple foam liner up to complicated interior designs that incorporate plastic dividers, interior doors, windows, panel mounts, shock mounts and more.

Many Custom Design Options

With Bel-Air Cases, every aspect of case design can be customized and that includes the color of your cases. Our standard colors are silver and black, but we also offer an assortment of additional stock colors, including white, green, olive, blue, yellow, orange and red.

We also can add a molded-in logo to each of your trade show shipping cases, as well as engraved plates or custom decals. Not only will these logos elevate the professional look of your team, but it also makes it easier to identify your cases either at the airport or on the trade show floor.

A Few Trade Show Tips

Not only can we make it easier to transport your trade show gear, but we also have a few tips to help ensure your employees have a great trade show experience. Here are a few suggestions that our own employees have enjoyed when they were out and about working at various industry events.

1. Book A Great Hotel – You don’t have to pick a posh, five-star resort but select a nice hotel close to the event center that offers a few helpful perks. For instance, our employees love staying at a spot that includes a gym, a pool, breakfast service, a coffee bar, etc. It’s best to select a hotel within very easy walking distance to the event center. After all, these employees will be on their feet all day and a long walk or Uber ride back to the hotel won’t be very appealing after a busy day.
2. Give’Em A Day Off – If possible, reward your employees with a paid day off after the event. This gives them some time to rest and recharge and spend time with family. If the trade show was a plane flight away, they might be jet-lagged and exhausted, but even for a local event, trade show work can be exhausting and they definitely will appreciate a day to stay home and rest.
3. Keep The Clothing Comfortable – While trade show reps definitely need to wear business-appropriate clothing, this doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. Spend some time talking with your team about clothing, and encourage them to wear comfortable shoes. While they shouldn’t wear their oldest pair of sneakers, wearing four-inch heels probably isn’t a great idea either.
4. Breaks Are Essential – Trade shows can be a lot of fun, but they are a lot of work, as well. Ensure that each employee takes a few breaks during the day. Not only will they need a chance to grab some food, but it’s also good to have a few minutes to just relax and refresh.
5. Hand Out Rewards

If your goal is grabbing leads or a set amount of sales, it can be fun to have a little daily contest and reward the person who excels each day as well as the person with the most leads overall. This could be as simple as a gift card to Starbucks or movie tickets, just a little something to show your appreciation and recognize a job well done.

Of course, don’t forget to celebrate with your team as a whole. If your trade show team meets or exceeds goals, why not celebrate with a special workplace lunch after the show. It doesn’t have to be fancy, even a workplace pizza party can be a great way to celebrate a successful event. You can recognize the trade show team and send out some appreciation for the team that stayed behind and kept things running smoothly at home.

These are just a few ideas we’ve thought about over the years that help make our trade show events successful. If you are in the organizing stage and need custom trade show shipping cases, we are here to help. To get started, you can head here https://www.bel-air-cases.com/contact-us/ and fill out our quick contact form or give us a call at 866-235-2472.

For some items, an off-the-shelf case might be just fine, but if you have something special, such as a sales kit or perhaps something delicate or expensive, custom plastic cases are essential and we can help.

Light-Duty Cases

For some uses, light-duty custom plastic cases are a perfect choice. These are ideal as attractive sales kits and OEM packaging or to tote items that are lightweight and delicate but won’t be transported as luggage. Our customers also often use these cases for medical equipment or diagnostic equipment.

Medium-Duty Cases

If you need a handsome yet durable carrying case, our medium-duty cases might be ideal. While we don’t recommend toting our light-duty cases as airline luggage, the medium-duty cases can be used as luggage on occasion. Again, these often are used for sales kits and sample cases as well as OEM packaging or to house medical equipment or electronics.

Heavy-Duty Cases

At Bel-Air Cases, we create carrying cases and shipping cases. If you need heavy-duty protection, but still want the convenience of a carrying case, we definitely recommend our heavy-duty carrying cases. These cases are formed on the tooling for our carrying cases, but they are constructed using the same materials and components as our heavy-duty shipping cases.

Do You Need Shipping Cases?

It depends. If you do have equipment that you need to ship again and again, our heavy-duty shipping cases are up to the challenge. With either our heavy-duty carrying cases or our heavy-duty shipping cases, you can transport equipment with ease. It’s really more about how you use them once they come off the plane, train or truck.

If you have a bunch of equipment, it might make sense to opt for the shipping cases. These are perfect for heavy items (over 40 pounds) as well as delicate or valuable items. They also are designed with molded protective corner bumpers and stacking lugs. These features ensure that the toughest parts of the case absorb impact instead of the case hardware or your precious equipment.

Still, those heavy-duty carrying cases are perfect if you need a case that can handle the bumpy world of transportation yet still is easy to maneuver in tight quarters. Keep in mind that we can add wheels and telescoping handles to virtually every case, so we make it as easy as possible for you to move your cases from place to place.

Why Vacuumed-Formed?

Our cases are vacuum-formed from high-density polyethylene. Vacuum-forming allows us to create cases in a wide variety of sizes and provide our clients with a myriad of custom options.

The plastic we use is known for its durability and impact resistance, and it also provides a high level of moisture-resistance. The materials we use also are capable of handling extremes in temperatures, so whether you need to use your cases at a research station near the North Pole or are planning a trek across the Mojave Desert; your custom plastic cases will be equal to the challenge.

Custom Options

While each case is built with your specific case needs in mind, we don’t simply customize the size. We also provide you with a fully custom foam interior. This might be as simple as a basic quality foam liner or you might need multiple cavities to hold your equipment. We also can fabricate interior walls, add plastic dividers, interior doors, windows, panel mounts and shock mounts.

Additionally, we can customize the color of your cases. Black and silver are the standard colors we offer, but we have several additional stock colors, including white, red, green, blue, orange and yellow.

We can create cases with a molded-in logo; add engraved plates or perhaps a custom decal. We also offer an assortment of wheels, handles, hinges, latches, feet, locks and other accessories. If we don’t have precisely what you are looking for, we probably can get it.

Get A Price Quote

Because each of our custom plastic cases is manufactured according to your exact specifications, we don’t list prices on our website. If we did, the ensuing price list would be incredibly large and probably a bit confusing to say the least.

That said, we have computerized our quoting process, and it takes just a few minutes to provide you with a price quote. If you want custom plastic cases, we are happy to give instant quotes over the phone. Just call us at (886) 235-2472. You also can click on the Contact Us tab at the top of this page and fill out our quick form.

If you have expensive equipment, protecting it during transport is a huge consideration. At Bel-Air Cases, we’ve been building custom equipment cases for more than 50 years and can create a case to protect just about any equipment you might need to transport.

Durable Mil-SPEC Cases
For decades, we’ve been creating durable, lightweight cases for the United States military as well as the Aerospace industry. Our cases have undergone extensive testing in order to ensure that they are equal to the task even in the most critical situations.

We offer military light-duty and medium-duty carrying cases suitable for items that won’t often be transported as luggage or freight. If you do need a carrying case that can handle frequent transport, our military heavy-duty carrying cases are a fantastic option. Our shipping cases also can be built to meet almost any military specifications.

Audio & Video Equipment Cases
Got movie cameras? Studio mixers? Projectors? Microphone kits? We’ve built cases for these items as well as just about any type of audio and video equipment you might need. Our A/V carrying cases are available in three types – light, medium and heavy-duty. Our heavy-duty A/V cases are meant for heavier items or anything that will need to be transported frequently.

We also can build heavy-duty shipping cases for your audio and video equipment. With any of our cases, we can add wheels and a telescoping handle to any case, to make it easy to move it through an airport or a busy production studio or wherever you need to move it.

Medical Equipment Cases
Whether you need to transport diagnostic equipment, medical products or accessories, our Bel-Air custom equipment cases are designed and built with ease of use and cleaning in mind. Additionally, many of our clients use our cases as sales kits for medical equipment, and we can design an attractive interior that truly showcases your equipment to its best advantage.

Whether you need a heavy-duty case to use out in the field or you want a light-duty or medium-duty case for office use or sales, we can build a custom medical case that suits your needs. We also can build shipping cases for medical equipment if you have larger items that frequently will be transported by trains, planes, truck, automobile, horse and buggy or whatever it might be.

Lighting Equipment Cases
Lighting equipment is especially fragile and definitely expensive, so doesn’t it deserve a great carrying case? For years, we’ve been manufacturing quality carrying cases for many industry leaders in studio lighting. Our custom lighting cases can meet almost any application that requires the housing and protection of sensitive lighting equipment.

Other Type Of Equipment
We can build a case to hold just about anything. Whether you need to transport a microscope, computer equipment, camera equipment or perhaps a single bottle of 1869 Chateau Lafitte or several pairs of Sennheiser HE 1 headphones, a Bel-Air custom case can be the perfect option.

Our Custom Foam Interiors
While the exteriors of our cases are built to handle the rigors of transport, the materials and layout of your case interior can be even more crucial. We firmly believe that a custom foam interior is crucial for expensive equipment. We never simply hand off a case with a hunk of diced foam and expect our customers to create their own interior cavities for their equipment.

We can design any type of custom foam interior you might need, and we usually can construct foam sets for around the same price you’d expect to pay for cases filled with foam slabs or diced foam. We are experts at fabricating interior walls, plastic dividers, interior doors, windows, panel mounts and shock mounts.

Other Custom Options
Bel-Air Cases has the largest standard library of carrying case sizes, and if our library doesn’t include the exact size you need, with our in-house tooling, we can build it. And, in addition to our custom foam interiors, we have many other options for your custom equipment cases.

For instance, our standard colors are black and silver, but we do have several optional stock colors, including white, yellow, orange, red, olive, green and blue. With a minimum purchase, we also might be able to provide you with a custom color or even color matching.

We can further personalize your equipment cases with a molded-logo or perhaps an engraved plate. We also can add custom decals if you prefer. We love the molded-in logo, as it truly adds that professional, personalized touch to any case.

Of course, with our heavier cases and shipping cases, we definitely recommend the addition of wheels and a telescoping handle to make transport as easy as possible. We have a wide variety of wheels, handles, hinges, latches, feet and locks that we can add to your custom equipment. If we don’t have precisely what you need, we can probably get it.

If you are in the market for custom equipment cases, and want options that truly can provide an ultimate level of protection, our durable and attractive custom cases are a perfect option and, all of our cases are custom made in the USA. To get started, simply click on the “Contact Us” tab at the top this page.

For more than 50 years, we’ve been designing and creating quality custom hard plastic carrying cases and shipping cases. Our cases can be used to protect delicate equipment, used as OEM packaging or even used to hold samples or sales kits.

Over the years, we’ve built cases for clients in a wide range of industries. We can build hard plastic carrying cases or durable plastic shipping cases for electronic equipment, diagnostic equipment, aerospace and military equipment, lighting equipment and anything else you need to protect from the rigors of transport.

Each Bel-Air case is vacuum-formed, and we were the first company to create cases using this process. Vacuum-forming allows us to create cases in just about any size, and add whatever custom features you might need, such as wheels and telescoping handles, molded in logos, locks and much more.

Sometimes we think back to the late 1960s, when we first got started in the case business. We wonder what happened to some of our cases, and perhaps it went something like this . . .

It was a warm summer day, way back in 1967. Somewhere in the warehouse, the haunting melody of a Procol Harum tune whispered through the air. Clad in now-vintage Levi’s and a gray t-shirt, a worker hands off one of the first Bel-Air hard plastic carrying cases to its owner.

It’s first stop? A trendy camera shop on Los Angeles’ Beverly Boulevard some 45 miles away. The case’s owner chats with a youthful salesman named Marvin and purchases enough film to last him several weeks. The film is packed carefully in a handsome hunter green Coleman cooler that rests on the floor of the passenger seat of a 1965 Ford Bronco.

From there the case travels onward to Santa Monica Boulevard and heads to the sea, turning south at Pacific Coast Highway until it reaches a tiny battered cottage in the seaside village of Venice Beach.

Its owner grabs the cooler and the case and heads inside. His other suitcases are ready to go, but the kitchen table is covered with camera equipment. A tripod, a Nikon F, an assortment of lenses, a light meter. The case is opened and the camera and lenses are tucked into durable, custom-made foam cavities each one a perfect fit.

In the following weeks, the case is taken on a journey north along the California coast, taking in the sites of Big Sur, Monterey and San Francisco. Its owner heads east and snaps some photos of Lake Tahoe, then heads south and spends a day or two snapping pictures of tourists on Las Vegas’s Fremont Street.

All along the way, his trusty hard plastic carrying case keeps his camera equipment safe and secure. Throughout the years, the case would see the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence, the shores of Waikiki Beach, the Eiffel Tower and enjoy a relaxing trek down the Nile, secure in a comfortable state room as its owner headed out to snap pictures of great antiquities.

Eventually, after many years of travel, the case would be found in an attic in Yorba Linda, covered with dust, yet still protecting the now-antique Nikon F and its components from dirt, moisture and the occasionally jostling when its owner struggled through the attic in search of Christmas lights.

The case might be dusted off, and taken downstairs to be shown to a grandchild with a fondness for vintage camera equipment. Perhaps, it will enjoy a second life with this grandchild or perhaps it will find its way to some other camera enthusiast. We don’t really know its fate, but we do know that it was built to last. While it has a few scratches and dents, it never wavered in its ability to protect what was inside.

Of course, we don’t really know what happened to these cases, but we do know that we built them to last a lifetime. Your hard plastic carrying case or shipping case is crafted from durable, impact-resistant high-density polyethylene with sturdy aluminum valances.

Which Case Should You Choose?
For lightweight items that won’t be transported frequently as luggage or freight, we recommend a light-duty or medium-duty hard plastic carrying case. These cases are perfect for items such as sales kits, sample kits or lightweight equipment that you plan to transport mainly by car.

If you do want a hard plastic carrying case that can handle frequent transport, either as luggage or freight, our heavy-duty plastic carrying cases are ideal. These cases are constructed from the same materials and components that we use for our heavy-duty shipping cases, but they are formed on our tooling for carrying cases.

This makes them a bit easier to maneuver in tight quarters than a shipping case. These cases are still quite lightweight, but we can, of course, add wheels and a telescoping handle to make it as easy as possible for you to weave through a crowded airport terminal or through a crowded city street or wherever you may be headed.

If you do have delicate or expensive items that need frequent shipment, you also might consider our heavy-duty shipping cases. These cases are built to ATA standards and can handle hundreds of trips without damaging your precious items.

While we can’t promise that your case might not suffer from a ding or two and perhaps some scratches (the transportation industry is tough on cases), we can assure you that whatever is inside the case will be well protected.

All of our cases, either a hard plastic carry case or a shipping case, can include a custom foam interior. We never just hand over a case with a chunk of diced foam. We create fully custom interiors. It might be as simple as a basic foam liner or it might contain panels and doors, shock mounts and many custom cavities to hold whatever will be placed inside.

If you need a hard plastic carrying case or 1,000 cases or something in between, give us a call at any time or click on the Contact Us tab and fill out our quick contact form. We can build a case for just about anything and look forward to working on your unique project.

Whether you need to ship lighting equipment, diagnostic equipment, audio/visual equipment or perhaps the super-secret components of a cold fusion-powered time machine, we can build a plastic shipping case that meets your needs.

We know what you are thinking – there’s just no way to produce a cold-fusion reaction to equal the 1.21 gigawatts to power the flux capacitor needed for time travel. But, we don’t judge what our clients place in their cases, we just build them and, of course, we aren’t physicists.

We are, however, case experts. In fact, we’ve been building quality custom plastic shipping cases for more than 50 years, and our cases are built to handle just about anything the transportation industry can throw at it – literally.

What Sets Our Cases Apart From The Pack?
Quality and experience are two factors that truly set our cases apart from the rest. We’ve been creating custom shipping cases and carrying cases since the 1960s, and we’ve built cases for just about any item imaginable.

Our cases are built to last inside and out, and every inch of your case is customized to fit your needs. This includes the custom foam interiors that we design. Many case manufacturers only provide their customers with a slab of diced foam which the customer then has to pluck away to create cavities for their equipment. We believe that the best case has a custom exterior and interior, and we can build any kind of custom foam insert you might need.

What Type Of Case Should You Choose?
There are many different types of cases, and at Bel-Air Cases, we design vacuum-formed plastic shipping cases. Other options include roto-molded cases, injection-molded cases, fabricated wood cases, blow-molded cases and even aluminum cases.

The type of case you need will depend upon many factors, including:

1. The Level Of Durability You Need
If you need to transport your plastic shipping cases often, either as luggage or freight, our cases are an ideal match. The only other types of cases that can match vacuum-formed cases in terms of durability are roto-molded and injection-mold cases, but these two types also have other limitations.

For instance, roto-molded and injection-molded cases aren’t available in as many sizes as vacuum-formed cases, which can be built in almost any size or configuration. These cases also aren’t as easy to customize as vacuum-formed cases, and roto-molded cases are much heavier than vacuum-formed or injection-molded cases, which might be an issue.

2. Size Considerations
With vacuum forming, the sizes and custom options are nearly endless. We can create plastic shipping cases in just about any size you might need. Fabricated and aluminum cases also can be created in just about any size, and it’s quite easy to custom fabricated cases, as well. Of course, these two options aren’t durable as our plastic shipping cases, so if you ship items frequently, that should be factored into the equation.

3. Your Budget
Plastic is an excellent material because it’s durable and moisture-resistant and highly impact-resistant. Two other huge advantages of the materials we use are the light weight of our materials and affordability.

Plastic is one of the most affordable case materials on the planet, especially when you factor in the level of protection it provides. The polyethylene we use for our plastic shipping cases will protect your items from the rigors of transport, extremes in temperature, moisture and exposure to many solvents. This level of protection ensures that you won’t have to pay for costly repairs or pay to replace your equipment, and that’s a huge savings right there.

Additionally, the light weight of our materials can reduce your shipping and transportation costs. After all, shipping costs are determined by the size and the weight of your items, and plastic reduces weight, so that can provide you with some substantial savings if you ship items frequently.

4. Custom Options
With a Bel-Air plastic shipping case, we can provide many custom options. In addition to customizing the size and configuration, we can customize the hardware we use as well as the color of your cases.

Our standard colors are black and silver, but we have several additional stock colors. If you need color matching or perhaps a custom color, this may be available with a minimum purchase. We also can create a plastic shipping case with a molded-in logo or perhaps a custom decal.

We can add many different types of wheels and handles to your shipping cases and we also have many different latches and lock options. If we don’t have precisely what you need, we can probably find it, so let us know exactly what you want when you speak with our customer service representatives.

While we always hope a potential customer will choose our company, it sometimes occurs that our cases aren’t the perfect fit. If we feel that a different type of case or even an off-the-shelf case will better meet your needs, we’ll be honest about it and help you find another source for your cases.

How Long Does It Take?
Each project is unique, but generally, new orders take about three to five weeks, depending on the order volume and the case options you choose. If you opt for a custom foam interior, this can increase your lead time. Additionally, a new size that requires new tooling can take up to eight weeks. Typically, though, most case projects are completed in about four weeks.

How To Get Started
Whether you need one plastic shipping case or many, we are happy to help build you a durable, attractive custom case. Give us a call at any time or click on the Contact Us tab at the top of this page and we will get started on your unique case project.

At Bel-Air Cases, we’ve spent the last 50+ years creating custom plastic cases for clients from just about any industry. No matter what you need to protect, our design and production teams can build a case around it. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect from Bel-Air.

Custom Vs. Off-The-Shelf
While an off-the-shelf case might work for some items, custom plastic cases often are the best option for many of our clients. If you need to display items in a sales kit or demo kit, for instance, custom cases with custom foam interiors can truly display your samples or products to their best advantage.

If you have diagnostic equipment or any type of delicate equipment, a custom case typically is your best option because we can build the case around your product and ensure that every inch of it is perfectly protected. Our plastic cases can include a custom foam interior and this is crucial because the foam is designed around your product and helps absorb impact rather than passing on those vibrations to your delicate items.

What Can You Put In A Bel-Air Case?
We can build custom plastic cases for just about any product. Here’s a quick look at just a few of the items for which we have built cases:
• Electronic Equipment
• Laptops & Computer Components
• Lighting Equipment
• Diagnostic Equipment
• Military Equipment
• Aerospace Equipment
• Audio & Video Equipment
• Medical Equipment
• Sales & Demo Kits
• Trade Show Displays & Materials

Why Plastic?
You might not think that something as lightweight as plastic could be highly durable and protective, but plastic has many advantages over other materials. We use high-density polyethylene for our cases, a type of thermoform plastic known for its impact resistance.

Additionally, polyethylene is moisture-resistant and solvent-resistant, further protecting your products from water and other liquids that might come into contact with your case. Our cases also can withstand changes in temperature, so whether the case has to sit in a hot car in the Mojave Desert or on a slab of tundra in Antarctica, the materials we use can handle these extremes.

The light weight is another advantage that makes it easier for our customers to tote their cases, and the lightweight also reduces shipping costs. Keep in mind, we can add telescoping handles and wheels to most cases, but it’s still easier to wheel around lightweight plastic cases than cases made from heavier materials.

Lastly, the materials we use are highly affordable. Polyethylene is extremely cost-effective, and our valances are crafted from aluminum, which also is inexpensive, not to mention lightweight and durable.

Which Plastic Cases Should You Choose?
When we begin to plan out a case design, we start by looking at what will be going inside the case and how it will be transported. We have several different levels of plastic carrying cases, as well as heavy-duty shipping cases.

Light-Duty Cases
For sales kits, demo kits, OEM cases and lightweight items that won’t be transported frequently as luggage, our light-duty carrying cases are a great option. These might be placed in an overhead bin of an airplane or perhaps placed in the trunk of a car or backseat, but aren’t meant to be shipped or transported as luggage. If you have items that weigh less than 20 pounds, these cases are a great option.

Medium-Duty Cases
These also can be designed to hold sales kits, OEM and demo kits, as well as medical equipment, diagnostic equipment and electronic devices. These cases are a bit more durable and often recommended for items that might be transported occasionally as luggage. While light-duty cases are recommended for products 20 pounds or lighter, the medium-duty plastic cases can handle up to about 40 pounds in weight.

Heavy-Duty Cases
If you have heavier items or items that will be shipped frequently as luggage or cargo, our heavy-duty carrying cases are your best bet. These are constructed from the same materials and components as our heavy-duty shipping cases, but we form them on the tooling for carrying cases, which makes it easy to maneuver these cases in tight quarters. If you need the convenience of a carrying case combined with the strength of a shipping case, this is a perfect choice.

Heavy-Duty Shipping Cases
These plastic cases were built to withstand the rigors of transport and designed with ATA specifications and Military specifications in mind. You can ship these cases again and again with worry as they are built to handle the jostling, bumping and general abuse that the transportation industry might heap upon them.

A Quick Word About Foam
While the exterior of our plastic cases is built to absorb impact and vibrations, we can further protect your products with our custom foam interiors. Some companies simply stick a slab of diced foam in the case and hand it off to their customers, but we highly recommend that you avoid these types of case manufacturers.

Diced foam, also known and pick and pluck foam, is a low-quality type of foam that tends to break down quickly. Of course, with this type of foam, the customer has to cut or pluck away at the foam to create cavities for their items or equipment. Then you end up with a bunch of leftover foam and cavities that don’t quite fit around your items.

If you are paying for custom plastic cases, don’t you also deserve custom foam interiors? We certainly think so, and we also believe that you will find our foam interiors to be more affordable thank you might think. We can create a basic foam liner for your cases or highly customize interiors with multiple cavities, panels, shock mounts, windows and more.

Contact Us Today
Our rugged, yet attractive plastic cases are the perfect option for just about any product. In addition to quality craftsmanship, we also pride ourselves on customer service. Give us a call or fill out our Contact Us form and a representative quickly will be in touch to discuss your case needs and provide you with a quick quote for our services.