How a manufacturer of large power distribution buildings lowered shipping protection costs and reduced labor by replacing full wood crating with a custom Transhield cover.
| Field | Detail |
| Client | A manufacturer of large power distribution buildings |
| Product | Custom Covers |
| Industry | Power Distribution Equipment Manufacturing |
| Application | Transportation protection |
Project Overview
The client builds large power distribution buildings, the kind of units that house electrical distribution equipment for utilities, data centers, and industrial sites. Each building is big enough that it ships in two sections. When the two halves separate for transport, one wall on each section is left open, exposing a weak point during shipping. It has to be protected until the unit reaches its site and gets put back together.
The manufacturer’s method was full wood crating. Crews framed the entire open wall with 2x4s, building a wooden barrier over the gap for the trip. That approach worked as a physical barrier, but it was expensive to build and expensive in labor. Lumber ran about $2,000 per unit before anyone counted the hours to frame each wall or the hours to tear the crate back down at the destination.
Transhield was brought in to protect the same exposed wall for less money, with less labor, and with better coverage against the elements.
Challenges going in:
- Each building shipped in two sections, leaving an exposed wall that needed protection in transit
- Crews spent hours framing each wall before shipment and removing the crate at the destination
- The lumber was single-use and became scrap after one trip
- Wood left gaps and did nothing against moisture, UV, or corrosion
The Transhield Solution
Transhield designed a cover fitted to the exposed wall and changed the job from full framing to a quick application over a light support frame.
Custom Cover Built to the Exposed Wall
- Measured the open wall and built a cover to the exact dimensions of the section
- Replaced the full wooden barrier the crew used to frame over the opening
Simpler Application
- Crews now put up only a few 2x4s for support, then apply the cover over the opening
- The cover goes on with fewer hands and less time than framing an entire wall
- It comes off faster at the destination, or stays on if the unit goes into storage
Three-Layer Fabric Protection
- Water-resistant outer film sheds rain and snow and blocks much of the sun’s UV
- Soft nonwoven inner layer rests against finished surfaces and pulls moisture away instead of holding it in
- Adhesive middle layer that can carry a VCI additive for corrosion protection
Corrosion Control with VCI
- A power distribution building carries a lot of metal, and metal exposed to shifting temperature and humidity can start to corrode
- A VCI (Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor) additive built into the cover releases molecules that move through the enclosed space and settle on metal surfaces
- The additive slows corrosion by 85 to 95 percent for the life of the cover
- For assets with this much exposed metal, Transhield recommends including VCI rather than relying on a physical barrier alone
Protection Through Storage
- The cover can stay on after transit if the unit waits before going into service
- Wood crating comes off at the destination and leaves the unit unprotected during that window
The switch changed the cost of every shipment. The cover replaced most of the lumber and most of the framing labor, and it added protection the wood never provided. Per-unit protection cost dropped below the roughly $2,000 the manufacturer had been spending on wood alone, and the same cover kept working when a unit went into storage after the trip.
Project Results
By replacing full wood crating with a fitted cover, the manufacturer lowered its cost per unit, cut labor on both ends of the shipment, and gained weather and corrosion protection that bare wood could not match.
Cost
- Protection cost per unit dropped below the roughly $2,000 previously spent on lumber alone
- The recurring cost of single-use lumber was removed from most of each build
Labor
- Full-wall framing reduced to a few support 2x4s plus a fitted cover
- Less crew time before shipment and less teardown at the destination
Protection
- Water resistance, UV blocking, and a soft inner layer that guards finished surfaces
- Optional VCI slows corrosion on exposed metal for the life of the cover
- Protection continues through post-transit storage, not just the truck ride
Have equipment that ships in sections? Let’s talk.
Transhield can design a cover to the exact dimensions of the wall or section you need to protect, so you spend less on crating, save crew time, and keep your units covered through transit and storage.
Get in touch to discuss your units and request a quote.