Whats the best method for shipping painted components.

[R1H2]

Hi All,

We are a job shop with no coating processes in house. So, we outsource our painting & powder coating.

Our vendors often assist us by packaging the finished prods. to reduce handling.

Several of our customer have recently rejected our prods. for surface scuffs & light scratching.

Initially we thought the issue was due to the kraft paper wrapping which is the typical protection used.
So we switched to foam, then plastic, then plastic Bubble bags. With little or no effect.

Can anyone tell me a better packaging process for finished parts?

Sadly, I do not have the vendors process steps to assist us with this question.
I can only presume (Ahem) that my vendors follow the coating manufacture's
process directions without adjustment. Which one would think would include proper cure time.

Thanks in advance,

 

[mcgyvr]

When properly packaged a simple Kraft paper wrap is usually sufficient for the majority of items.
The problem we found comes when the painter gets lazy and tries to stack them all on top of each other 10 feet high and all in one box.. The one on the bottom (and many in between) of the pile are guaranteed to get scratched/scuffed due to all the weight from the ones on top of it and the vibration from transportation.. Shallow/multiple boxes = less stacked layers = less force on each = no scratches/scuffs. I'd MUCH rather have multiple shallow boxes to manage than all the rejections/repaints,etc.. 99.9% of the time we have sheet metal/painting rejects its from trying to pile WAY too many on top of each other.

The math is simple weight + vibration = scuffs

 

[TomDOT]

Getting paint shops to actually follow the manufacturer's cure time before wrapping/stacking/shipping can be a major challenge. Typically they want to stack and ship ASAP to clear space for their next job. They will often misinterpret published stages of drying to their benefit, such as treating "set to touch" as "dry hard."

 

[R1H2]

Thanks for the input guys. These forums are invaluable source of info. Even if it's only for sounding board use.

Mcgyvr, We've seen the tower packing technique as well. We have resorted to supplying proper boxes to several vendors to reduce this issue.
These parts are kraft wrapped & interleaved then, palletized, one or two layers high, then shrink wrapped. I have yet to test this technique for shock & vibration, seems as though it should be sufficient for local deliveries.

Our customer has not stated the full criteria clearly ....IMHO I think their shooting for automotive quality levels.
Without the costs of course. Thanks again for the considerations.

TomDOT, I have as yet to verify the actual conditions surrounding these parts through the coating process. But, I have aching suspicions that you are very near the truth.
Thanks again for your input.

 

[TomDOT]

While you're there, you can also verify their surface prep. Another favorite place to skimp.