Flight cases have become one of the essential travel hardware, especially for people moving fragile and expensive items. Initially, it was used by rock bands to transport their musical instruction during flights, but now it has enjoyed widespread use by medical, TV crews, and tourists.
When shopping for the flight case hardware, you need to consider construction, material, hardware, and padding, to ensure items inside the box are kept secured.
- Right Material for Construction
Usually, most flight cases are constructed using plywood panels connected to steel corners and aluminum edging. Make sure the flight case you’re buying has the right thickness of plywood. If the plywood is not thick enough, the items stored inside are at risk of getting damaged.
The plywood must also be covered with shiny fiberglass and ABS plastic. There are good ones that also come covered in aluminum or any other industrial veneers. The case is going to get bruised and tested no doubt about that. The idea is to find something that will stand all the pressure and still provide adequate protection for the items inside.
High-end fiberglass is the ideal material you should be looking for. It is strong and long-lasting, even stronger than sheet metal. Fiberglass also has an impressive appearance, making your flight case hardware look like a hi-tech gadget.
It also has some characteristics features that includes providing good acoustics and doesn’t expand with heat. You can also try ABS plastic because of its high tensile strength, shock absorbance, and strong impact resistance. ABS is also resistant to heat and doesn’t scratch very easily.
- Flight Case Should Come With the Right Hardware
When it comes to total safety for items stored in the flight case, the hardware is critical. No matter how durable the plywood or fiberglass covering is, if the hinges and support hardware don’t deliver the kind of support that is needed, then your items are not safe.
Make sure your flight case hardware is strong and big enough to carry the things that will be placed in them. There are many products and constructions out there that make use of low-quality hardware in the name of cutting cost. Doing this might backfire in the end.
Apart from the weight of the items in the case, you should also consider all the stress and pressure the box will go through before getting to the destination. Vehicle movements and loading and offloading, not to talk of handling, will all need to be put into consideration.
- Padding It Right
You need your case to have quality padding that will serve as a functional and reliable shock absorber that will protect your goods. Depending on what you’re transporting, the padding has to deliver proper thickness, density, and style.
Consider convoluted “egg carton” foam lid because they are the best in the market. They are about the only way for you to account for variance in pedal heights. This is even more important if you have pedals which has been held by Velcro.
Again, quality counts when it comes to padding. The best way to get all the advantages for this is to hire professional and high-quality builders who will be able to give you exactly what you want.
For example, you need to have strategic cuts out in the padding, to give room for your hands when loading items in the flight case. This will require certain skill sets that only the experts will be able to deliver, because of their experience.
Avoid choosing low-cost pads that fall apart. While you may feel like you’re saving money now, they might actually cost you so much later. Weak foams will lose springiness over time, and that is not good for anything you’re storing in it, especially when going to far distances.
- Weight Is Also A Major Factor
The heavier your flight case, the more difficult it will be for you to manipulate things and ensure the safety of the items inside. Since they will be moved around most by humans, you need to put the total weight into serious consideration.
You have to find creative ways to shed some weight and make the box more functional and easy to move around. The best way to reduce weight includes:
- Striking off pedals from rigs
- Dividing giant boards into small and manageable sizes
- Choosing a combination of lightweight and durability
- Ensuring tightness as much as possible
You should also consider the thickness of the plywood, but without sacrificing the fragileness of the item that will be placed inside. Find a way of creating a balance that will ensure that items are protected to the maximum while the case still remain portable and easy to carry.
Work with an experienced case designer who has a deep understanding of design and structure to help you get the case that will function for your specific requirements.
- Custom Construction Need To Match Your Needs
The first consideration when choosing flight case hardware is the purpose for which you will be using it. There are some items that are heavy but have small size, and there are those that are light with big size.
You need to put your construction needs into perspective including structure, design, weight, and size. Everything has to be considered so that items can fit properly to give the expected protection and needs.
Custom construction will also mean that you will be choosing the right hardware that works for your case, nothing bigger and nothing smaller. Mobility is also a critical issue. Choose the right casters and wheel with enough power that will allow smooth movement and transportation, without feeling any pressure.
Conclusion
Selecting the right flight case hardware to get the perfect construction requires knowledge and adequate information. Have a conversation with an expert builder who can help you make choices based on the items you’re going to be transporting in the case.
You also need to consider the padding, the right hardware that will fit perfectly, the padding options available, and the overall weight of the total construction. Your custom construction has to match your needs, and this can help save you stress when designing and constructing your flight case.
