Can a plastic case with foam survive a journey across the harshest terrain on Earth? What about a trek to the International Space Station or even Mars? While you might not need a case that can be launched into space, at Bel-Air Cases, our custom shipping cases can handle the most arduous of journeys with ease, protecting your equipment from the bumps and bustle of transport.
Is A Custom Case Right For You?
For less expensive, non-fragile items, an off-the-shelf case can be a cost-effective solution. However, if you have expensive and/or delicate equipment, a made-to-order case can be a much more affordable option than replacing or repairing the equipment.
Our cases can be built to ATA standards and built to comply with most MIL specs. Whether you need an ATA case, a military case or simply a case that can protect your equipment on hundreds of trips as cargo, a Bel-Air plastic case with foam can be the best option to consider.
We design equipment cases for a wide range of industries including military and aerospace clients, as well as cases for lighting and audio-visual equipment, medical and diagnostic equipment, sales kits and much more. Throughout the last 50 years, we have designed cases for just about every item imaginable. If we believe that an off-the-shelf case or a different type of case is a better fit for your needs, we will let you know, but for expensive items, customization offers the highest level of protection.
Bel-Air Cases: Built With The Toughest Materials
When you hear the term “plastic case,” strength might not be the first attribute that springs to mind. However, at Bel-Air Cases, we use a high-molecular-weight polyethylene plastic, and this makes all the difference.
When a plastic has a high molecular weight, it means that the polymer chains in the material are longer, resulting in a greater mass per molecule. This characteristic significantly influences the physical properties and performance of the plastic. Here’s what high molecular weight means in practical terms:
Key Characteristics of High Molecular Weight Plastics
- Increased Strength and Durability – Plastics with high molecular weight typically have stronger intermolecular forces, making them more resistant to mechanical stress, abrasion, and impact.
- Improved Chemical and Heat Resistance – The longer chains are more resistant to chemical breakdown and can tolerate higher temperatures without deforming or losing their structural integrity.
- Higher Viscosity – High molecular weight plastics have a higher viscosity, making them thicker and more challenging to process during manufacturing. This can affect how they are molded or extruded but contributes to their enhanced strength and durability.
- Better Environmental Stress Crack Resistance – The longer chains help distribute mechanical stresses more evenly throughout the material, reducing the likelihood of cracks or fractures developing over time due to environmental exposure.
- Enhanced Wear Resistance – High molecular weight plastics tend to have excellent wear resistance, making them suitable for applications involving heavy friction or repetitive mechanical motions, or perhaps a bumpy ride in the cargo hold of a C-5 Galaxy.
While our plastic cases might boast a high “molecular” weight, the actual weight (in pounds) of each case is incredibly light. This makes it easier to move the cases from place to place and significantly may reduce your shipping costs.
Custom Interior Foam
If you’re here, you are interested in finding a durable plastic case with foam, and every Bel-Air Case includes a custom foam interior. We can create die cuts that cushion your equipment precisely, providing an extra layer of protection from bumps and vibrations. We also can customize the case to include interior walls and windows, panel mounts, shock mounts and more.
Too often, cases are presented to clients filled with a chunk of cheap pick-and-pluck foam. At Bel-Air, we believe if you are paying for a made-to-order case, it should include a high-quality custom foam interior. Pick-and-pluck foam, or diced foam, is cheap and requires the customer to pick away at the foam to create sections to hold their equipment.
In fact, if a case manufacturer offers a custom case with cheap diced foam, we recommend that you find another supplier as this move indicates that quality is not high up on the company’s list of priorities.
Additional Custom Options
Virtually every aspect of a Bel-Air Case can be customized. For instance, we offer two standard colors – black and silver. However, if you’d like to mix it up a little, we also offer optional stock colors including white, yellow, orange, red, olive, green and blue.
Opting for one of these distinct colors can be an excellent option if you are ordering a fleet of cases, as this makes them easier to identify and organize. We also can add a molded-in logo, custom decals or engraved plates to your heavy duty cases.
We also offer a plethora of hardware options. Whether you need shipping cases with wheels or a plastic carrying case with a handle, we offer a variety of wheel options, handles, latches, locks and case feet. Moreover, if you don’t see the exact hardware items you want among our selections, we likely can source whatever you need.
What About The Warranty?
We actually have no written case warranty, but, honestly, it’s because we’ve never needed one. We stand by our cases throughout their lifetime. If a component breaks, send it to us and we will fix it. We usually can repair most case defects for no charge.
The reality is that the transit industry is tough on luggage, cases and freight. While we cannot guarantee that your cases will never be damaged, we can assure you that we will repair the damages for as long as you own the case.
Order Custom Cases Today
At Bel-Air, we offer three types of cases – carrying cases, shipping cases and trade show cases. Our heavy-duty carrying cases as well as all of our trade show and shipping cases, are built to handle frequent trips as cargo. We do offer medium-duty carrying cases, as well, but these are typically best as sales and demo kits or to store items that will not be shipped frequently as cargo.
To purchase a custom plastic case with foam (or a fleet of cases), simply click on the Request a Quote tab on our homepage and fill out our contact form. A member of our team will be in touch as quickly as possible to gather details about your custom case project and to provide you with a free cost quote for our services.