Grúa Packing and Container Loading: What B2B Buyers Should Specify Before Shipment
For an overhead crane, gantry crane, or parking system, the shipping quote is only half the logistics story. How the equipment is crated, braced, and loaded determines whether it arrives at your site ready for installation or carrying hidden structural damage. This guide covers the practical packing and container-loading standards used for crane exports from China, with the model-specific details buyers should confirm before releasing a purchase order.
Why Grúa Packing Is Different Desde General Machinery
Grúas are long, top-heavy, and often shipped in a partially disassembled state. A QD universal double-girder crane at 5–150T may travel as two or three girder sections plus end carriages, trolley, and hoist. A RMG rail-mounted container gantry can exceed 40 meters in span and will not fit any standard container. Packing decisions therefore follow the shipping method, not the other way around.
Three failure modes account for most transit claims:
- Girder deflection and paint damage from unsupported spans or metal-to-metal contact.
- Bearing and gearbox contamination when components are shipped without sealed enclosures.
- Control panel and electrical damage from moisture ingress or vibration during ocean transit.
Crating Normas by Grúa Category
Puente Grúas (LD, LH, QD, YZ, QDS)
Single-girder LD cranes (0.5–20T) normalmente ship with the main girder as one piece, with end carriages and the CD/MD hoist crated separately. For LH hoist double-girder (5–50T) and QD universal (5–150T) units, girders are commonly nested and steel-strapped to flat racks or placed in open-top containers.
- Girder ends receive timber or rubber padding at every contact point.
- Longer girders are supported at multiple points to prevent sagging under their own weight.
- Machined surfaces — wheel treads, rail contact faces, coupling bores — are coated with anti-rust compound and wrapped in VCI film.
- YZ metallurgical cranes (5–125T) require additional protection for heat-shield components and heavy-duty brake assemblies.
Grúas Pórtico (MH, MG, RMG, Shipbuilding)
Pórtico cranes present the biggest loading challenge. MH single-girder and MG double-girder units frequently move as carga suelta on flat racks or in bulk vessels. Legs, cross beams, and the main girder are match-marked before disassembly so site reassembly follows the original alignment.
RMG container grúas pórtico are usually shipped in the largest possible sub-assemblies to minimize site welding. For shipbuilding grúas pórtico, buyers should expect dedicated heavy-lift carga suelta arrangements with lifting lug locations documented in the shipping plan.
Smart Mechanical Parking Systems (PSH, PCS, PCX, PPYL)
Parking systems ship well in containers because components are modular. A PSH puzzle-stack or PCS chain-circulation system is packed as numbered bundles — columns, pallets, chains, drive units, and control cabinets — with each bundle labeled to match the installation drawing. PCX rotary tower and PPYL vertical-lift units need the drive cabinet crated separately with desiccant and shock indicators.
Light Lifting and Manipuladores
KBK light rail sections, BZD pillar jib and BX wall-mount jib cranes, and MD/CD electric hoists are compact enough for standard 20ft or 40ft containers. The main risks here are abrasion between bundled rail profiles and moisture damage to hoist motors. DHP electric chain hoists and pneumatic-balanced or electric-servo manipuladores should ship in closed wooden cases with the load chain oiled and the control pendant bagged.
Container Loading: FCL, Flat Rack, and Breakbulk
Choosing the loading method is a capacity-and-geometry calculation:
- 20ft container: suitable for smaller LD cranes, jib cranes, KBK rails, hoists, and parking system components.
- 40ft container: fits longer single-girder sections and multiple parking system bundles.
- Flat rack / open top: standard for LH and QD girders that exceed container height or width.
- Breakbulk vessel: required for RMG, shipbuilding grúas pórtico, and oversized QD girders above roughly 30 meters.
Inside containers, bracing matters more than cushioning. Timber dunnage, steel strapping, and welded stoppers prevent longitudinal shifting during heavy sea states. Buyers should request loading photos showing the completed stow, not just the packed components.
Documentation and Inspection Before Shipment
Ask for a packing list that maps each crate number to the crane assembly drawing. Confirm the following before the container is sealed:
- Anti-rust treatment type and VCI film application on machined surfaces.
- Desiccant quantity in electrical cabinets, with humidity indicator cards.
- Match-marking photos for multi-piece girders and gantry legs.
- Lifting lug positions and center-of-gravity notes for carga suelta items.
- Fumigation certificate for all timber dunnage and crating (ISPM 15).
For export markets requiring certification, packing documentation should align with the CE, EAC (TR CU 010/020), GCC/SASO, SONCAP, or KEBS file so customs inspection at destination is not delayed by mismatched paperwork.
Practical Advice for Buyers
Specify the shipping method in the inquiry stage, not after production. A crane designed for container shipment can be split at different points than one shipping carga suelta, and this affects both fabrication and packing cost. If your site has limited crane capacity for unloading, tell the supplier — this influences crate weight limits and lifting lug placement.
Chunhua Grúa supports buyers through this process with a 4-hour quote SLA, no MOQ, 30–45 day production, and a 12-month warranty. Packing and loading plans are prepared per order based on crane model, destination port, and receiving site conditions. Contacto us via WhatsApp at +86 193 9277 7259 or email yuhua0095@gmail.com to discuss your shipment.