Crates, Bins & Containers

Also called: solid crate, closed crate

Common footprints 600 × 400, 500 × 325, 400 × 300 mm

Stacks full, does not nest empty. Highest usable volume per crate; worst empty-return volume.

Nests 60–75% down when empty

For flows where crates come back empty. Needs a lid or a stack bar to stack when full.

Also called: ALC, hinged lid crate

Integral hinged lids · stacks full, nests empty

The compromise design. Standard in retail replenishment and e-commerce returns.

Also called: mesh crate, jali crate

Open sides and base

Fruit, vegetables and anything that must breathe or drain. Also the lightest per litre.

Also called: bulk crate, big crate

Typically 1,000 × 1,000 mm class · 200–500 kg

Bulk agricultural and industrial handling, often replacing a pallet plus collars.

Accessories to the crate family

A dolly turns a crate stack into a rolling unit without a pallet truck.

Bottle- and pouch-specific dividers

Closed-loop dairy distribution.

Drain-through · food grade · washdown

Marine and meat handling. Must survive ice, brine and daily washing.

Shallow · nestable · vented

Handling by tray rather than by case.

Also called: pick tote, conveyable tote

Conveyable footprints · smooth base

The unit that moves through a pick module or a conveyor. The base finish, not the volume, decides whether it conveys reliably.

Open-front · sized to shelf pitch

Fasteners, service spares, electronic components on shelving.

Also called: hanging bin, panel bin

Hangs on a louvre panel or rail

Wall-mounted small parts at a workstation, presented at hand height.

Also called: front-open bin

Stacks on itself or hangs on a rail

The most flexible small-parts bin, which is why it is the most common one.

Longitudinal and transverse inserts

Multiplies locations per bin. Cheaper than more bins and more shelf.

Bins on an inclined frame or mobile stand

Brings the bin face to the assembly line rather than the assembler to the store.

Fabricated MS with powder coat

Hot, oily, sharp or heavy parts that would cut or soften a plastic bin.

Conductive or dissipative compound

Mandatory for bare PCB and semiconductor handling.

Also called: carton box, CFB box

3, 5 or 7 ply · single/double/triple wall

Ply count is a stacking-strength decision, not a size one. Under-plied cartons crush in the third tier of a pallet.

Moulded, corrugated or foam

Holds the product away from the box wall, which is where transit damage actually occurs.

Custom die · brand printed

E-commerce despatch and retail-ready packaging.

Also called: MBB, ESD bag

Shielded · with desiccant and humidity indicator

Electronics export packaging.

Also called: thermal box, EPS box

EPS, PUF or VIP walled

Cold-chain last mile. Validated as a system with its coolant, not on its own.

Also called: shipping crate, nailed case

ISPM 15 treated for export

Machinery, spares and project cargo.

Also called: FLC, collapsible bulk container, pallet box

1,200 × 1,000 mm class · 500–1,500 kg · folds to ~25% height

The standard returnable bulk container in automotive and appliance supply chains.

Fixed walls · higher stacking strength

Where the container never comes back empty, or where folding joints would fail under the load.

Also called: jumbo bag

500–2,000 kg · woven PP · lifting loops

Granules, powders and aggregates. Needs a stand or frame to fill and discharge safely.

Also called: barrel

200 L standard · open or closed head

Chemicals, lubricants, food concentrates. Storage triggers bunding and fire-separation requirements.

5–50 L

Decanted liquids and lab chemicals.

Also called: intermediate bulk container, tote tank

1,000 L · caged HDPE on a pallet base

Liquids in bulk. Racking an IBC needs a dedicated frame — the cage is not a rack-supported structure.

Also called: tip skip, forklift hopper

Forklift-mounted · lever tipping

Scrap, swarf and waste removal from a line without manual handling.

Bulk powder or liquid, site-erected

Where material arrives by tanker rather than by pallet.