For this project, our team was responsible for designing and constructing a reusable MoD-approved case for a 15-metre-long military shaft. The case meets Level J standards, the highest protection level under MoD packaging requirements. Our team designed it to provide maximum safety for valuable or sensitive cargo travelling through challenging and unpredictable environments.
Meeting Level J standards meant paying close attention to:
- Strength and stability for heavy loads and long journeys
- A reinforced frame made from high-grade plywood and timber
- A reusable design to reduce waste
- Custom internal supports shaped precisely to fit the shaft
The design and build process
Our team designed and built the case in-house, using our CAD system to design and measure before moving into production. Considering its size and weight, we made sure that the case remained stable and supported throughout every phase of the build.
We reinforced the internal frame with heavy-duty timber and plywood panels, adding bespoke internal supports and mounting points to keep the case secure during shipping.
The case featured steel-studded fixings running through multiple custom scallop supports, each fitted with 5mm foam linings to prevent vibration and the internal layout included four scallop sections of varying diameters (ranging from 315mm to 375mm), each reinforced with 15mm plywood supports for added rigidity.
We built the outer structure with 75 × 100 mm timber framing along the full internal length, combined with a steel and plywood frame, and fitted a top hat-style lid to strengthen the upper section.
The final result
Our team built the case in just over a week, then carefully moved it out of our warehouse and forklift-loaded it onto the lorry. The case weighed around 10 tonnes and measured 14,365 mm in external length.
We regularly work on packing projects for the Ministry of Defence, providing bespoke designs tailored for suppliers throughout the UK. If you would like to learn more about our MoD projects or discuss your upcoming project, please contact our team or click here for more information.
To learn more about how we support MoD and defence projects, visit our Aerospace and Defence services page.
