EXPORT, PACKING & LOGISTICS
The machine is half the project. Getting it there intact is the other half.
Delivery terms, crate specification, dimensions and weights, documentation and installation readiness decide whether a project lands on schedule. Publishing them removes an entire round of email from every enquiry — and removes the suspicion that the supplier has not shipped internationally before.
ILLUSTRATIVE — replace all dimensions, weights, lead times and terms with verified project data.
DELIVERY TERMS
Which Incoterms we quote, and what each side carries
Quoting a price without stating the term is meaningless. These are the terms normally used for packaging machinery.
| Term | Seller carries | Buyer carries | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Machine available at the plant, export packing on request | All transport, export clearance, freight, insurance, duty, import clearance | Buyer has an established freight forwarder |
| FOB (named port) | Export packing, inland haulage, export clearance, loading on vessel | Ocean freight, insurance, duty, import clearance, delivery to site | Most common for full container shipments |
| CIF (named port) | The above plus ocean freight and minimum insurance to destination port | Duty, import clearance, port charges, delivery to site | Buyer wants a single freight figure in the quotation |
| DAP (site) | Everything to the named site except import duty and taxes | Import duty and taxes, unloading, installation readiness | Turnkey projects where the buyer wants one responsible party |
| DDP | Everything including import duty and taxes | Unloading and installation readiness only | Quoted case by case — depends on the destination tax regime |
EXPORT PACKING
Specify the crate, not just the machine
Machinery damage in transit is almost always a packing decision made months earlier.
01
Fumigation-compliant timber
Heat-treated wood marked to ISPM 15, so the crate is not held or destroyed at the destination port.
02
Moisture protection
Sealed barrier film with desiccant sized to voyage duration and route. Specified per destination climate, not by default.
03
Internal bracing
Servo axes, film carriage and weigher locked for transit, with a removal checklist attached to the machine, not buried in the manual.
04
Shock and tilt indicators
Applied to the crate so damage claims can be evidenced at unloading rather than argued about weeks later.
05
Spares in a separate crate
Commissioning spares and tooling packed separately and labelled, so they are not lost inside the machine crate.
06
Marking and packing list
Crate marking, gross and net weight, centre of gravity, lifting points and a packing list matching the commercial invoice.
SHIPPING DATA BUYERS NEED EARLY
Publish this per model, not on request
A plant engineer cannot plan an installation without these numbers, and a forwarder cannot quote without them.
| Data point | Why it is needed | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Crated dimensions (L × W × H) | Container selection and door clearance at site | Product page specification block |
| Gross and net weight | Crane or forklift capacity, floor loading | Product page specification block |
| Container fit | Whether the machine ships in 20ft, 40ft or requires flat rack | Product page specification block |
| Number of crates | Receiving and storage planning | Quotation and packing list |
| Installation footprint and service clearance | Plant layout before the machine arrives | Product page + layout drawing |
| Utility requirements | Electrical supply, compressed air quality and flow, extraction | Product page specification block |
| Estimated lead time | Project scheduling and budget approval timing | Quotation, stated as a range with the conditions |
AFTER ARRIVAL
Installation readiness and parts logistics
The two questions that decide whether the machine produces on schedule.
Site readiness checklist
- ✓Floor prepared, level and load-rated for the machine
- ✓Electrical supply terminated at the stated voltage and phase
- ✓Compressed air at the stated pressure, flow and dryness class
- ✓Extraction or dust handling where required
- ✓Unloading equipment and access route confirmed
- ✓Operators and maintenance staff scheduled for training
- ✓Production film and product available for ramp-up
Spare-parts logistics
Commissioning spares ship with the machine. Recommended stock lists are split into two tiers: critical spares to hold on site, and planned-replacement items to order against a maintenance schedule.
For destinations where air freight of a small part still takes days, the practical answer is a correctly sized on-site kit, not a promise of fast shipping. Ask any supplier which tier they recommend and why.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask before a technical discussion
If you have an established forwarder and import process, FOB usually gives the best control and cost visibility. If you want a single figure and a single responsible party, CIF or DAP is simpler. DDP shifts tax handling to the seller and is not always available.
Build time and transit time are separate figures and should be quoted separately. Ask for both, plus the conditions that would change them — typically component lead times and the date the FAT protocol is agreed.
It follows the Incoterm and the insurance arrangement. This is why shock and tilt indicators matter: they let damage be identified and evidenced at unloading, before the crate is opened and responsibility becomes arguable.
Yes, but sequence it deliberately. Receiving downstream equipment before the primary packaging machine usually creates storage problems. The delivery sequence should be part of the line layout discussion, not an afterthought.
START WITH THE APPLICATION
Send the destination and site conditions with the enquiry
Country, port or site address, available utilities and access constraints. It lets the first quotation include realistic freight and installation assumptions instead of placeholders.