Wooden box
Encyclopedia
A wooden box is a container made of wood
for storage or as a shipping container
.
Construction may include several types of wood; lumber
(timber), plywood
, engineered wood
s, etc. For some purposes, decorative woods are used.
es are often used for heavy duty packaging when
Boxes and crate
s are not the same. If the sheathing of the container (plywood, lumber, etc.) can be removed, and a framed structure will remain standing, the container would likely be termed a crate. If removal of the sheathing resulted in there being no way of fastening the lumber around the edges of the container, the container would likely be termed a wooden box.
The strength of a wooden box is rated based on the weight it can carry before the cap (top, ends, and sides) is installed. "Skids" or thick bottom runners, are sometimes specified to allow forklift trucks access for lifting.
Performance is strongly influenced by the specific design, type of wood, type of fasteners (nails, etc.), workmanship, etc.
, solid or corrugated fiberboard, etc. Wooden cleats reinforce the panels.
and for heavy loose items for military or export use. These are lighter than wood boxes or crates. They have excellent tensile strength to contain items but not much stacking strength.
or platform on a skid (parallel wood runners)
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
for storage or as a shipping container
Shipping container
A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes...
.
Construction may include several types of wood; lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
(timber), plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, engineered wood
Engineered wood
Engineered wood, also called composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board; includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form composite materials...
s, etc. For some purposes, decorative woods are used.
Boxes as shipping containers
Wooden boxBox
Box describes a variety of containers and receptacles for permanent use as storage, or for temporary use often for transporting contents. The word derives from the Greek πύξος , "box, boxwood"....
es are often used for heavy duty packaging when
- high strength is needed for heavy and difficult loads
- long term warehousing may be needed.
- large size is required
- rigidity and stacking strength is critical
Boxes and crate
Crate
A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport large, heavy or awkward items. A crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be put in place to result in the rated strength...
s are not the same. If the sheathing of the container (plywood, lumber, etc.) can be removed, and a framed structure will remain standing, the container would likely be termed a crate. If removal of the sheathing resulted in there being no way of fastening the lumber around the edges of the container, the container would likely be termed a wooden box.
The strength of a wooden box is rated based on the weight it can carry before the cap (top, ends, and sides) is installed. "Skids" or thick bottom runners, are sometimes specified to allow forklift trucks access for lifting.
Performance is strongly influenced by the specific design, type of wood, type of fasteners (nails, etc.), workmanship, etc.
Nailed wood box
A nailed wooden box is constructed of pieces of lumber (sometimes with reinforcing battens, cleats, etc.) attached by nails or other suitable fasteners. It usually completely encloses the contents. A box usually has a bottom and four side panels and often has an attachable top.Cleated box
A cleated box has five or six panel faces with wood strips attached to them. The panels can be made of plywoodPlywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, solid or corrugated fiberboard, etc. Wooden cleats reinforce the panels.
Wirebound box
Very thin lumber is used for a wirebound box. Wires are stapled or stitched to the girth and to wood cleats. These are sometimes used for produceProduce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
and for heavy loose items for military or export use. These are lighter than wood boxes or crates. They have excellent tensile strength to contain items but not much stacking strength.
Skid box
A skid box is a wood, corrugated fiberboard, or metal box attached to a heavy duty palletPallet
A pallet , sometimes called a skid, is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking device. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies...
or platform on a skid (parallel wood runners)
ASTM standards
ASTM standards:- D6179 Standard Test Methods for Rough Handling of Unitized Loads and Large Shipping Cases and Crates
- D6199 Standard Practice for Quality of Wood Members of Containers and Pallets
- D6251 Standard Specification for Wood-Cleated Panelboard Shipping Boxes
- D6253 Practice for Treatment and/or marking of Wood Packaging Materials
- D6254 Standard Specification for Wirebound Pallet-Type Wood Boxes
- D6256 Standard Specification for Wood-Cleated Shipping Boxes and Skidded, Load-Bearing Bases
- D6573 Standard Specification for General Purpose Wirebound Shipping Boxes
- D6880-05 Standard Specification for wooden boxes
See also
- Box compression testBox compression testThe container compression test measures the compressive strength of packages such as boxes, drums, and cans. It usually provides a plot of deformation vs compressive force....
- Band saw boxBand saw boxBand saw boxes are boxes made out of wood using only a bandsaw for cutting them out. The wood may be a solid block, a laminated block or a log from the woodpile. Whereas most boxes have straight sides and square corners, band saw boxes have virtually no restrictions as to shape. They can be oval,...
- ISPM 15ISPM 15International Standards For Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 is an International Phytosanitary Measure developed by the International Plant Protection Convention that directly addresses the need to treat wood materials of a thickness greater than 6mm, used to ship products between countries...
Regulations explain requirements for international shipping of wood boxes, crateCrateA crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport large, heavy or awkward items. A crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be put in place to result in the rated strength...
s, or palletPalletA pallet , sometimes called a skid, is a flat transport structure that supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, pallet jack, front loader or other jacking device. A pallet is the structural foundation of a unit load which allows handling and storage efficiencies...
s.
Further reading
- McKinlay, A. H., "Transport Packaging",IoPP, 2004
- Yam, K. L., "Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology", John Wiley & Sons, 2009, ISBN 978-0-470-08704-6