Defense packaging can be defined as all packaging needed for the proper shipment of military and defense related products and materials. All packaging solutions need to abide to the highest standards in safety and efficiency, hence greatly improving its applicability and reusability in critical and volatile situations.
Unlike normal industrial packaging, defense packaging needs to be able to endure prolonged exposure to extreme climate conditions such as very high & low temperatures, dust and rain. Additionally, deterioration from mold, rust and pressure has to be prevented. Combine these characteristics with the enhanced durability, price and complexity of the products to understand why defense forces from all around the world set highly specialized packaging requirements. All packaging has to abide to at least one of the following quality standards:
- UN and NATO (Stanag) standards
- Military standards and specifications (MIL-STD & MIL-SPEC)
- ASTM/ ISTA test standard
- International Protection Rating of Ingress Protection (IP)
- NEN and ISO norms
- European (EN) standards
The defense packaging solutions from Nefab
Nefab has made it its mission to become the global leader in specialized defense packaging for NATO members. Our extensive military packaging experience dates back more than 50 years. During this period Nefab has become a tier one supplier for some of the largest military forces in the world. Our packaging solutions includes:
- Plywood crates and cases
- Aluminum cases
- Watertight cases (IP65 cases)
- Ruggedized cases
- Corrugated packaging
- Steel transport racks
- Returnable solutions
- Packaging accessories (e.g. desiccants, indicators, foils, bags)
- Dangerous goods boxes
- Load securing materials
Aside from these more standardized packaging options, Nefab is capable of tackling any defense related packaging challenge by providing customized engineered solutions consisting of combined multi materials. Some common customizations include:
- Custom inlays from foam, wood, steel, etc. (for weapon and other product cases)
- Custom protection properties (corrosion, ESD or shock protection for example)
- Advice for safe long-term storage including calculated substantiation
- Customized reusable packaging
Nefab defense packaging case
Nefab has recently been granted the opportunity to develop and supply multiple NATO-members with custom defense packaging for the NH90 helicopter. The NH90 is a maritime helicopter capable of operating from both land and naval based locations.
This assignment fitted Nefab and its specialized packaging engineers like a glove. As this packaging had extremely high-quality requirements (deriving from the valuable cargo it has to transport) a simple flightcase or standard wooden box would not suffice.
The development process
Multiple engineers conducted various analyses for all the different parts. By utilizing multi materials we managed to develop a completely new concept which is very strong, rigid, lightweight and durable.
During the analyses we also discovered that multiple parts of the NH90 could benefit greatly from multidisciplinary packaging. This means the packaging would not only be used for transportation purposes, but also provide a workstation for the specific part it contained. It forms a major advantage as it significantly reduces the amount of materials needed to be transported when conducting a training or mission.
Nefab developed packaging solutions for the following NH90 helicopter parts:
- Main & Tail Rotor blades
- Main & Tail Gearbox
- Rotor head
- Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)
- Horizontal Stabilizer
- Main and Tail Slip Ring
The packaging concept has been received with great enthusiasm by the end-users who have to work with these parts on a daily basis.
The advantages of defense packaging from Nefab
Working with Nefab to develop your military grade packaging offers various advantages. To quote Daan de Jong (Nefab Defense Packaging Specialist) on the most prominent advantage: “NATO is promoting the use of standardized defense packaging and increased collaboration between its members. This provides a major advantage for a global Group such as Nefab who has already been supplying packaging to these countries for many years, thus exactly knowing what quality standards to abide to whilst leading the transition towards more standardized defense packaging solutions”. Aside from this core advantage Nefab is considered a dependable packaging supplier due to the following attributes:
- A global presence with tailored packaging solutions and a comprehensive understanding of local quality standards and requirements. Outsourcing the complete packaging conundrum eliminates the need for you to worry about this important aspect of the supply chain.
- In house I International Safe Trading Association (ISTA) certified test centers that helps accelerate the development process significantly.
- A large team of experienced in-house engineers with in-depth knowledge of the industry. This allows for the development of cost-efficient packaging with maximum functionality.
Custom defense packaging solutions for your company
Are you a military or defense product supplier looking for a reliable packaging partner capable of handling all set packaging requirements? If so, please get in touch with our Nefab defense packaging specialists. We are certain that we will be able to assist you with any packaging challenge you may have!