Export Packing for Casket Hardware
Packing protects the finish
Export packing for casket hardware exists to protect the finish in transit, because a handle or ornament whose finish is scratched in a container has lost its value, however good it was when it left the factory. Plated metal finishes and metallised plastic finishes are both thin surface layers, and both are vulnerable to scratching, moisture and stacking damage. Packing that separates pieces, cushions them and keeps them dry is therefore not an extra but the condition for the finish arriving as intended.
Pieces should be packed by finish, separated from each other, and cushioned so that they do not rub in transit. A box of handles packed loose, with pieces free to move and scratch each other, will arrive damaged, while the same pieces packed separately will arrive as they left. The export and shipping page gives the shipping plan from Wenzhou, and the finish care blog explains the handling that packing must support.
Full and less than container load
Shipments leave Wenzhou by full container load or less than container load. Full container load suits a large order for one buyer, where a whole container can be filled with that buyer's goods and packed to that buyer's specification. Less than container load suits a smaller order, where the buyer's goods share a container with other goods, and where packing must therefore protect the goods not only from movement within their own cartons but also from neighbouring cargo.
The choice between them depends on quantity and destination, and it should be confirmed at enquiry stage, because it affects both cost and packing. A buyer who needs a particular packing standard, for example individual wrapping for every handle, should state it in the enquiry, so that the packing plan can be set before the order is produced, not after it is packed.
Container loading photographs
Container loading photographs can be provided on request, according to the company. A photograph of the loaded container is a simple check that the goods were loaded as described, and a buyer who needs that check should ask for it before the shipment leaves, not after it arrives, because a photograph taken after arrival cannot prove how the container was loaded.
A loading photograph should be requested in the enquiry, together with the packing specification, so that the photograph is part of the shipping plan rather than an afterthought. Where a buyer has a particular loading requirement, such as a stacking order or a separation between finishes, that requirement should also be stated in the enquiry, so that the photograph can be checked against it.
Moisture, stacking and handling in transit
Moisture is a risk for both plated and metallised finishes, and packing should keep goods dry, with cartons protected from water and from condensation in the container. Stacking is a risk as well: cartons should be stacked so that heavier cartons do not crush lighter ones, and so that handles and ornaments are not subjected to pressure that could deform a plastic body or damage a plating layer.
Handling in transit is outside the buyer's control, which is why packing must assume rough handling and protect against it. A carton that survives gentle handling but fails under rough handling is not adequate export packing, because export transit is not gentle. The packing standard should therefore be set for the worst handling the goods are likely to meet, not for the best.
Checking on arrival
On arrival, goods should be checked against the sample and against the order before they are unpacked for use. Finish should be checked against a physical sample, quantity against the packing list, and condition against the loading photograph where one was provided. A discrepancy found on arrival, while the goods are still packed, can be raised with the packing list and the photograph as evidence, while a discrepancy found after the goods have been unpacked and mixed cannot be proved as easily.
Where a finish is damaged in transit, the damage should be described precisely and photographed, with the carton and packing also photographed, so that the cause can be identified: whether the packing was inadequate, whether the container was mishandled, or whether the damage happened after arrival. A precise description lets the supplier and the buyer agree on the cause, while a vague complaint that the goods arrived damaged does not.
Packing as part of the specification
Packing should be treated as part of the specification, not as an afterthought to it. The enquiry should state the packing requirement alongside the model, finish, quantity and destination, and the confirmation before payment should include packing as well as production and shipping. A buyer who specifies packing in the enquiry will receive goods packed to that specification, while a buyer who does not specify packing will receive goods packed to a general standard, which may or may not suit their needs.
For repeat orders, the packing specification should be confirmed again, together with the finish and rating, because packing that changed between orders can cause damage even where the product itself is unchanged. The repeat-order guide gives the confirmation discipline for finishes and ratings, and the same discipline applies to packing: state the previous packing specification, and ask for confirmation that the new order will match it.
Labelling cartons for export
Labelling cartons for export means marking each carton with its contents, finish and quantity, so that the goods can be checked on arrival without opening every carton. A carton labelled only with a general description cannot be checked, and a carton labelled with the model, finish and quantity can be checked against the packing list at once. Labelling should also distinguish finishes, so that a carton of gold handles is not confused with a carton of nickel handles, which look similar in a warehouse but are different orders.
Labels should be durable and legible after transit, because a label that has come off or become illegible in a container is no label at all. Where a shipment contains several finishes, the labels should be checked before the container is closed, together with the loading photograph, so that the shipment's contents are proved before it leaves, not reconstructed after it arrives. A shipment whose cartons are labelled and photographed can be checked quickly on arrival, while a shipment whose cartons are neither labelled nor photographed cannot be checked without opening them all.
Before payment, confirm the model number, material, finish, quantity, lead time and any load-test record for your order with the sales team.