Your Essential Industrial Packaging Glossary—The 99 Terms You Need to Know

Where to find a Mil-Spec Supplier? On-Site Packing Services? Aren’t sure? Don’t be afraid to ask. There are a lot of export packaging terms and even industry leaders who move roles or organizations can find themselves relearning, well, the ABCs of ABC.

Below, we’ve gathered the most useful terms and deleted the obvious ones. Think of it as a quick-reference checklist for when you receive a head-scratcher of an email from your customer.

What are industrial packaging terms? Here’s an entire glossary!

1. 3D Solid Modeling CAD Design

Complex design of components, tooling, and equipment using Three Dimensional Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.

2. 3PL Warehouse Services

Third party logistics. A 3PL is a company that solely receives, holds, or otherwise transports a consumer product but does not take title to the product. Deufol provides warehousing at all of our US locations and can either take title to the product, or not. All locations have docks, loading and unloading as well as picking, packing services. Cloud based warehouse management system is available so you always know where your product is during warehousing and distribution.

3. ASTM

ASTM is an acronym for the American Society for Testing Materials which is the governing body that establishes and maintains all testing criteria for most materials and manufacturing processes.

4. Blocking

The material utilized in the packaging process to secure contents from movement.

5. Box Building

The process of building a wooden box/packaging

6. Box Design

All wood packaging by Deufol facilities are custom designed

7. BreakBulk

Items that will not fit into a normal sea container must ship in a special crate in the break bulk area on the ship. This type of custom crating may need CAD, customer design, quality inspections, desiccants, and special lifting onto the ship.

8. Sealand Container

A large steel shipping box utilized by train, truck or steamship lines to easily be stacked onboard ocean vessels to transport a large amount of items.

9. Container Loading

Deufol will block and brace your export cargo into sea containers too prevent damage of your goods. Photo documentation and tracking software is available for quick and easy real time tracking. We can pack your export cargo at one of our facilities or at yours.

10. Contract Warehousing

Based on contract details and agreements, services include receiving, warehouse storage and shipping arrangements based on the agreed upon timeframe.

11. Contract Manufacturing

Manufacturing of an actual package or product. Deufol creates the design for manufacturing and then sets up production to produce it for you.

12. Crate Delivery Service

Custom crates built from your specifications, and delivered to your locations.

13. Crating

Service for building custom containers from wood or metal, built in-house or on location, per customer specific needs.

14. Custom Crating Design

According to your specific needs and the specs of your product, our engineers design a custom crate to protect your cargo during shipping and during storage

15. Custom Returnable Containers

Packaging specifically designed to be returned to the customer and reused in multiple shipments.

16. Desiccant

It is either clay or silicone based material designed to absorb ambient moisture in a sealed environment.

17. Drayage

Trucking.

18. Dunnage

Material placed with a product into a box or crate in order to prevent the item from moving or being damaged during shipping. Dunnage comes in various forms such as thermoform trays, air filled bags or wooden blocking.

19. Energy Production Packaging

Packaging very large generators for the ultimate protection of your investment is what we do. Special custom, shock resistant, moisture barrier crating, as well as considering the g-force while transporting, are all necessary to secure power generators. The specialized crate can be monitored from the beginning of the transfer until it is delivered, through your computer system, or ours, at all times. Once delivered, the generator can be stored in the water/ humidity resistant protective crate until the end user is ready to install it. We can design and build your crates, and also store them here until you are ready for delivery.

20. Export Packaging

Export packaging refers to the certified materials and processes designed to guarantee the integrity and protection of a product during transit so the goods arrive intact and undamaged to its overseas buyer. The wooden material must be ISPM-15 certified.

21. Fabrication Custom Racking

The process of building, to specific customer standards, frames or containers that are not available "off the shelf."

22. Facility and Production Equipment Layouts

The process of creating a 2 dimensional electronic recreation of a physical facility with the equipment, building structure, building internal structures, and office areas.

23. Free Consultation

A brief phone discussion listening to the issue or packaging need, and providing advice from the understanding.

24. Freight on Board (F.O.B.)

The customer takes responsibility of the product and the freight once it leaves our docks.

25. Global Pack Center

Deufol has around 90 global locations that offer industrial packaging. Our Thermoforming services are at our Richmond Indiana location.

26. Hand packing

Display business often requires packing by hand. One time pack is available. We can hand pack, or set up automation, or anything in between.

27. Hazmat

The Term used to designate hazardous material

28. Heavy Lift

Equipment capable of lifting heavy payloads. Deufol offer in house 30 and 50 ton cranes to receive, pack and/or distribute your industrial machinery from our facilities with 40 plus years of partnership with regional rigging and heavy-haul transportation companies to provide 3PL solutions for import/export of machinery at YOUR facility.

29. HUB

A consolidation point or location to marshal a commodity for redistribution. Deufol offers to manage all of your vendors in one place. We receive the parts, check for damages, store them, and when needed, we kit them and send them to your location in time for assembly.

30. In House Outsourcing

We go to your location to package or crate items. Protected by copyright.

31. Industrial Packaging

The process of packaging equipment, machines and components, for the security and protection during transportation to another location. There are many variables to consider in industrial packaging. The main variables are: design, dunnage, crate building, temperature control, humidity control, and g-force.

32. Industrial Relocation

The process of relocating equipment, machines and components from one facility to another. Deufol teams can pack up your old industrial facility, provide complete transparency during the move, and then unpack and reassemble the new facility to mirror the old facility, down to the stapler on your work desk.

33. International Standards

We follow the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines that is backed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

34. International Warehousing

Deufol has around 90 locations in 13 countries. All locations have warehousing space of various sizes.

35. ISPM-15 Packaging

International wood compliance packaging standard. At Deufol all wood products are marked with ISPM-15 certification number. Each location has their own heat treat stamp which identifies where the packaging originated. Paper certifications are available upon request.

36. Insert

Paper or board that usually contains product information and is found inside the package.

37. Kitting

It is when you have various items that would be packed in a container to be assemble at destination.

38. Large Scale Packaging

Our contract packaging capacity is over 200 million packs annually which can provide service between semi-automated and automated solutions.

39. Logistics Service

Deufol offers services to manage the flow of the entire engineering packaging solutions, storage, shipping and receiving processes for your items.

40. Machine Packaging

Automatic and semi- automatic packaging machines are built to suit your needs, according to your specs and budget.

41. Military Kitting

We have qualified and trained personnel that are familiar with the kitting processes and procedures as documented by the government.

42. Military Labels

We provide all mil standard 129 markings as required under this specification for your parts, packaging and shipping needs.

43. Military Logistics

Planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance. The operations that deal with design, development, acquisition, storage, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of material.

44. Military Packaging

Specified preservation and packing of an item to ensure it is not damaged or degraded during shipment and storage.

45. Military Packaging Codes

Military standard packaging codes are located under table J in MIL-STD-2073.

46. Military Packaging Companies

Does your contract require compliance to the MILSTD-2073 or to the ASTM D 3951?

47. Military Packaging Standards

We are thoroughly knowledgeable of all military packaging standards.

48. Military Standard 129 Interpretation

Our military group understands the importance of maintaining uniformity, and also understands the contract requirements when labeling supplies that are transported.

49. Military Standard 2073 Consultant

We are consultants for various contractors helping develop special packaging instructions to assure the package is safely transported.

50. Military Standard 2073 Interpretation

Our SME understand contractual requirements and follows uniform specification standards as called out individually in each contract for packaging of military parts.

51. Military Standard 2073 Packaging

We have qualified, trained personnel that handles packaging, testing, and inspection on a daily basis.

52. NOR

Notification of readiness. Shows the product is ready to ship.

53. OCONUS Military Packaging

Outside Continental United States. (CONUS is the 48 Contiguous states and the District of Columbia). Overseas- Any country or place beyond CONUS.

54. OEM

Original Equipment Manufacturer

55. On-site Logistics

Deufol offers field services that encompass crating, material and plant movements and project material management services throughout North America.

56. On-site Management

We offer industrialized, full service custom crating at your site, or at any of our locations. On-site management also could include creating a parts program to receive and re-package your parts and verifying quality.

57. Outsource Custom Packaging

When a manufacturing company prefers using a professional packaging and shipping company. This keeps you focused on your core business.

58. Overseas Packing

Overseas packing is packaging designed for the protection, handling and transport of goods by air or sea freight. ISPM-15 certified wood is required.

59. Packaging Hub

A packing location we create that is strategically close to our clients. We receive all parts, unpack the parts from various vendors, check for quality and report any bad quality parts or damaged parts, and then repack into kits or bundles. Theses packs are then sent to our clients facility for assembly as needed.

60. Packaging Manufacturing

We make rigid packaging as well as custom crates.

61. Packaging Service

There are no businesses or industries today that do not make use of some direct or indirect form of packaging service.

62. Packaging Solution

Packaging solutions are born from the specific needs experienced by various manufacturers, retailers and other role-players regarding the packaging of a particular product, or range of products.

63. Pallet Storage

Warehouse services that provides pallet storage by rack-bin location or floor storage through an enhanced WMS warehouse management system. All warehouse pallet storage locations are clean and dry with climate control locations available when needed.

64. Parts Program

Either at your site or at one of our sites, we can receive your parts, kit them together for each job station, then we ship the kitted parts in time for assembly in your factory.

65. Plant Layouts

The layout and design of people, materials, information and machinery to create a safe well-functioning system is a service we provide.

66. Plant Relocation Services

67. Power Generator Packaging

68. Preservation

Products designed to mitigate corrosion. Various products can be used for this function, such as VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) material, foil vacuum sealing with desiccants or a cosmoline based product applied by spray or brush on machine steel surfaces to prevent from corrosion.

69. Primary Packaging

Packaging systems refer to the equipment and processes employed by packaging companies to service the packaging needs of their various clients.

70. Prototype

A preliminary part made on non-production tooling to supply to the customer for performance trials

71. Quality and Control

Quality is built into the all aspects of the manufactured part. From Design, tooling manufacturing, prototype and production tooling Quality is the key component.

72. Refurbish

The process of bringing outdated equipment to exceed the OEM requirements

73. Repackage

When your retailer decides to change the promotional packaging, we will unpack, repack and send the items to the store.

74. Returnable Container

We build custom returnable containers to ship from your vendors and back again to save on materials.

75. RFI

Preliminary request for information

76. RFP

Formal request for pricing

77. RFQ

Request for quote

78. RFID Labels

A high-performing thermal label that combine a variety of inlays (each having a unique chip, bonding wire, and antenna). Radio waves then read and capture information stored on the label attached to an object. We design every one of our Military RFID labels to withstand repeated usage in tough environments.

79. Secondary Packaging

Secondary packaging designates the packaging used to group various pre-packaged products together.

80. Shared Warehousing

Temporary or fluctuating warehouse space at each of the Deufol global locations.

81. Shrink Packaging

Shrink packaging indicates the process in which sheets of transparent plastic film are wrapped around a product to form a solid, weather-resistant packaging layer.

82. Shrink Wrap

Plastic film with a shrink additive incorporated in the resin. When heat is applied the plastic shrinks to the form of the item.

83. Specs Management

Deufol helps companies manage packaging specifications across their entire supply chain.

84. Stuffing

Put into sea container- use technology to pack and unpack in order of planned use of the contents. First items in the container will be removed from the container first for efficiency.

85. Supply Chain

The process of getting your product from parts vendors to manufacturing to the sales floor. What are your biggest supply chain issues? We can help!

86. Supply Chain Management Warehousing

Safe and secure handling and warehousing of your industrial items at any of our global locations.

87. Tamper proof packaging

Features designed into the pack to deter theft of the product inside the pack.

88. Third Party Warehouse

Deufol receives, holds, and/or otherwise transports consumer products but does not normally take title to the product.

89. Trade Show Packaging

We design a crate around the equipment that needs to be transported and pack it for a tradeshow. (Mostly done for current customers as a value add service).

90. VCI

Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor. A product design to emit a vapor which coats the product to mitigate corrosion.

91. Warehouse Services

All of Deufol’s North American sites have warehousing services with loading docks, and are close to major highways, ports and railroads for easy access and heavy lift capabilities.

92. Warehousing

Receiving and storage of products and finished goods in a racking system of multiple levels of shelving.

93. Warehousing in Global Supply Chain

There are around 90 global locations with warehousing services that can safely extend your warehousing to 13 countries within the Deufol group. We can pack and unpack your goods from one country to another to arrive at your final destination under our full secure surveillance from pick up to delivery.

94. Warehousing Industry

Warehousing has become a global business requirement. Deufol has warehouses in 13 countries including 5 locations in the US.

95. Warehousing Inventory

Management of the total inventory stock through warehouse management systems.

96. Warehousing Management Systems (WMS)

Systems and software that manage the entire storage system and movement of inventory. Real time information and optimization of inventory is created in the WMS.

97. Warehousing Solutions

Many variables can be included with warehousing. Some of which include receiving, unloading, stocking shelves and labeling, breaking bulk shipments into smaller shipments, storage, tracking, packaging, and shipping arrangements.

98. Warehousing Space

Our location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has heated storage up to 20 tons, outside storage under roof up to 10 tons and indoor storage not heated up to 50 tons. Cleveland, Ohio has over 100,000 square feet of indoor storage, including 5,000 square feet outdoor with no cover. Charlotte, North Carolina has 150,000 square feet of warehouse storage space, climate controlled indoor storage and over 1,000 square feet of refrigerated storage space. Cincinnati, Ohio has more than 100,000 square feet of warehousing space.

99. Wood Packaging

Pallet, skid, box and case

What are the types of industrial packaging?

Broadly, there are two categories of industrial packaging: Domestic and export. Domestic packaging is needed when shipping a product within the US from one state to another. Export packaging enables your goods to arrive intact and undamaged when shipping a product overseas. In export packaging, the material used plays a vital part in ensuring that your product arrives safe and secure at its final destination.— Deufol North America's staff has the expertise and the packing materials required to ship your items, from precision medical equipment to jet engines.

Missing anything?

Drop our team a line and let us know.