Industrial equipment travels in a crate, so the honeycomb board is used inside it. The job is to stop the machine touching timber, to hold accessories in place, and to give the crate a flat internal face that does not split or shed splinters onto a machined surface. It is not a structural material for the crate itself.
Three interfaces inside a crate
Machine to crate: the machine is bolted or lashed to a timber base, and every timber contact is a place where paint or a machined face is marked. A board at each contact point is cheaper than a touch-up.
Accessory to crate: tooling, manuals, guards and spares are usually boxed and dropped into the void. A honeycomb-lined compartment keeps them from sliding into the machine during handling.
Crate to crate: where crates are stacked, the top of one bears on the lid of the next. A board under the lid spreads that load so the lid does not bow onto the machine.
Specification at a glance
Crate lining is usually 15-25 mm; contact pads can be thinner because they only spread a local load. Nothing here is asked to carry the crate.
| Interface | Panel | Thickness | Note |
|---|
| Machine foot on skid | Contact pad | 15 mm | Under the bolt |
| Crate wall lining | Panel | 15-20 mm | Flat face, no splinters |
| Under the lid | Panel | 20-25 mm | Spreads stack load |
| Accessory compartment | Lined box | 10-15 mm | Keeps spares off the machine |
| Oiled steel contact | Dry pad, coated | 15 mm | Dry board, no rust risk |
Moisture, oil and the sea leg
A machine crate is a humid box on a long sea leg, and paper board will take on moisture. Where the board sits against bare or oiled steel, a damp board is a rust risk; keep it dry, and do not lay opened bundles on a concrete floor.
Where the crate is lined for the whole journey, a coated facing slows moisture take-up. It does not make the board waterproof, and the crate ventilation still does most of the work.
Replacing timber where it is not structural
Internal timber blocking is heavy, needs ISPM 15 treatment and has to be disposed of at destination. Replacing the non-structural internal blocking with honeycomb panels reduces weight and treated wood content without touching the crate frame.
Be clear about the limit: where a block has to stop a machine moving under its own mass, timber or steel is still the right material. The board is a liner and a pad.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Can honeycomb replace the timber crate?
No. It lines and pads the crate. The frame and the load-bearing blocking stay timber or steel.
Does lining the crate change the ISPM 15 position?
The paper lining is not regulated wood packaging, but the crate still needs its own mark. Keep them separate on the packing list.
Will the board hold moisture against a machine?
A dry board breathes better than foam. Keep bundles wrapped until fitting and avoid contact with wet timber.
Can panels be cut to the crate internal dimensions?
Yes, to the millimetre, and labelled by panel so the crate can be lined in order.
Is a coated facing needed?
For a long sea leg or a damp route, discuss it. For a short domestic move, kraft is enough.
Tell us the piece size, quantity per shipment and how it is handled at mona@hengnicepacking.com and we will advise on the board build.
