Crating
Where versatility meets value
From simple travel frames and one-way crates to multivenue museum and exhibition designs, our wide range of styles incorporates quality and value for our clients.
Our crates comply with ISPM15 regulations so they are authorized for international transit.
At Unified Fine Arts, we offer an à-la-carte variety of custom crates. We can build any kind of crate to fit each unique artwork. A full range of modular variations is created starting from four basic types of crates.
These guidelines are for coniferous and non-coniferous raw wood packaging material that may serve as a pathway for plant pests posing a threat mainly to living trees. They cover wood packaging material such as pallets, dunnage, crating, packing blocks, drums, cases, load boards, pallet collars, and skids which can be present in almost any imported consignment, including consignments that would not normally be the target of phytosanitary inspections.
Wood packaging made wholly of wood-based products such as plywood, particleboard, oriented strand board, or veneer which have been created using glue, heat, and pressure or a combination thereof should be considered sufficiently processed to have eliminated the risk associated with the raw wood. It is unlikely to be infested by raw wood pests during its use and therefore should not be regulated for these pests.
Types of Crates
One-Way Crate
- Used for simple transits, one-way shipping
- 3/4 inch plywood
- Pallet-jack accessibility
- End-blocks
- Ethafoam bumpers
- Metal or wood handles for easy lifting
- With/without a cardboard tray
- Screw enclosure
Two-Way Crate
Used for multiple stops, two-way shipping
- 1/2 inch plywood box
- 3/4 inch battens
- Ethafoam bumpers
- with/without cardboard tray
- Pallet-jack accessibility
- Metal or wood handles for easy lifting
- Screw enclosure
Exhibition/Travel Crate
- Multivenue crates
- Used for museum-level works, delicate objects needing extra protection
- 1/2 inch plywood box
- 3/4 inch battens
- Pallet-jack accessibility
- Rain cap
- End-blocks
- Urethane climate interior
- Paint or poly coating
- Foam Core or coroplast trays
- Bolt enclosure
ExplodingCrates
- Recommended for objects of heavy weight or extreme delicacy
- Allows piece to sit on a pallet so the crate can be constructed around it
- Sides/lid attach and detach
- Allows easy access to object for bracing
- All crate levels can be built as exploding
Slat Crate/ Travel Frame
- Used for delicate objects like chandeliers and sculptures which are best suspended inside the crate
- Large open-air structure created with slats so object is visible inside
- Allows easy access to piece for bracing/tethering
Inner Workings
Travel Frames: To carry ornately/delicately-framed or unframed paintings – t-frames suspend a painting within the crate and protect the frame or the painting’s edges. Unified uses archival materials like Oz-Clips™ for security as well as Coroplast backs and lids for safety and cleanliness.
Inner Box: Fully enclosed box within a crate creates a custom-sized space so that the object is encapsulated inside the crate. Inner boxes create an extra level of protection while traveling.