Aerospace Equipment Cases: DO-160G, AS9100, ARP 92610

A Honeywell HGT-1000 inertial reference unit ($45,000-$65,000) shipped from an avionics OEM facility in Phoenix to an airline MRO facility in London arrived with a damaged laser gyroscope. The cause? A standard wooden crate with 25mm of loose-fill polystyrene that shifted during air freight, allowing the 8kg unit to move 15mm inside the crate and impact the crate wall during a 12g handling drop at Heathrow Airport. The repair required a replacement laser gyroscope ($12,000), a full re-calibration of the inertial reference unit ($8,500 in engineering time), and a 4-day delay in the airline’s avionics maintenance schedule. The airline’s delay cost was $30,000 per day (a typical airline has $15,000-$50,000 per day in delay costs for avionics maintenance, including aircraft rental, labor, and lost revenue)—so the total cost of that damaged laser gyroscope was $140,500.

Aerospace and aviation equipment spans the entire aircraft system: from avionics LRUs (Line Replaceable Units) (flight management systems, navigation systems, communication systems, radar systems, weather systems, autopilot systems, display systems, GPS systems, transponders) that manage aircraft operations, to flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders (FDR/CVR) (solid-state recorders, crash-survivable memory units, underwater locator beacons, control panels) that record aircraft data, to inertial reference and navigation systems (inertial reference units, ring laser gyroscopes, fiber optic gyroscopes, accelerometers, GPS receivers, navigation computers) that provide aircraft navigation, to engine monitoring and FADEC systems (engine control units, fuel metering units, engine monitoring systems, vibration monitoring systems, temperature sensors, pressure sensors) that control and monitor aircraft engines, to aircraft engine hot section components (turbine blades, combustor liners, fuel nozzles, turbine discs, compressor blades, seals) that make up aircraft engines, to hydraulic actuators and servo valves (flight control actuators, landing gear actuators, brake actuators, servo valves, hydraulic pumps, hydraulic manifolds) that control aircraft flight controls and hydraulics. What unites them is that every component is part of a system where a single failure can cause an aircraft-on-ground (AOG) situation (which can cost $10,000-$150,000 per day for commercial aircraft), a safety issue (from avionics or flight control failures), or in extreme cases, a passenger incident. The transit case isn’t packaging—it’s the first line of defense against equipment damage during transport, and it must be specified to the same engineering rigor as the equipment it protects.

Regulatory Framework: RTCA DO-160G, AS9100D, ARP 92610, and Aerospace Standards

Aerospace equipment transport cases must support compliance with a complex web of standards. For environmental testing, RTCA DO-160G (Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment) specifies environmental test procedures for airborne equipment, including vibration (Category 1: fixed-wing aircraft, Category 2: rotorcraft, Category 3: high-performance fixed-wing aircraft), shock, temperature, altitude, humidity, salt fog, sand and dust, and EMC, and the transit case must meet the environmental requirements specified by RTCA DO-160G (including vibration isolation with natural frequency 3-8 Hz, shock protection for 10-15g impacts, and IP65 sealing for dust and moisture protection). For quality management, AS9100D (Quality Management Systems—Requirements for Aviation, Space, and Defense Organizations) specifies quality management requirements for aerospace organizations, including risk-based thinking, product safety, and counterfeit part prevention, and the transit case must support the documentation chain required by AS9100D (including material traceability, process documentation, quality records, and audit trails).

For configuration management, SAE ARP 92610 (Configuration Management for Aerospace and Defense Organizations) specifies configuration management requirements for aerospace and defense organizations, including configuration identification, configuration control, configuration status accounting, and configuration audits, and the transit case must support the documentation chain required by ARP 92610 (including configuration records, change documentation, and audit trails). For ESD (Electrostatic Discharge), ANSI/ESD S20.20 (Protection of Electrical and Electronic Parts, Assemblies and Equipment) specifies requirements for ESD protection programs, and the transit case must use ESD-safe materials (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω/sq for foam, 10^4-10^6 Ω/sq for conductive materials) to prevent ESD damage to electronic components (which can be damaged by electrostatic discharge as low as 50V). For flammability, FAR 25.853 (Fire Protection for Interior Components in Transport Category Airplanes) specifies flammability requirements for interior components in transport category airplanes, including vertical burn test, 45-degree burn test, and 60-second burn test, and the transit case must use materials that meet FAR 25.853 requirements (including low-flame-spread, low-smoke, low-toxicity materials such as aluminum and closed-cell foam). For traceability, AS9102 (First Article Inspection Report) specifies requirements for first article inspection reports, and the transit case must support the documentation chain required by AS9102 (including material certificates, process documentation, and inspection records). For packaging, ATA Spec 300 (Packaging of Airline Supplies and Equipment) specifies packaging requirements for airline supplies and equipment, including Category I (returnable containers for high-value items), Category II (returnable containers for medium-value items), and Category III (one-way containers for low-value items), and the transit case must meet the requirements specified by ATA Spec 300 (including durability, stackability, labeling, and documentation requirements).

Avionics LRU, FDR/CVR, and Inertial Reference: Core Equipment Transport

Avionics LRUs (Line Replaceable Units) (flight management systems, navigation systems, communication systems, radar systems, weather systems, autopilot systems, display systems, GPS systems, transponders, radios) are typically shipped as complete units with electronics, connectors, mounting hardware, and documentation. The most critical areas are: ESD-sensitive components (which can be damaged by electrostatic discharge as low as 50V), connector pins (which can be bent or broken by impact or by improper support, causing poor electrical contact or system failure), and calibration (avionics LRUs require precise calibration of timing, frequency, voltage, and signal levels, which can be affected by vibration during transport). Our avionics LRU cases use: ESD-safe foam (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω/sq) for all electronic components, connector protection (custom foam caps or plastic caps for all connector pins and communication ports), calibration protection (custom foam that holds each component in its calibrated position, with zero-contact foam on all precision adjustment mechanisms), and tamper-evident seals (for chain-of-custody documentation—since avionics LRUs are safety-critical and must be installed and commissioned by certified personnel).

Flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders (FDR/CVR) (solid-state recorders, crash-survivable memory units, underwater locator beacons, control panels, data download units) are typically shipped as complete units with electronics, connectors, mounting hardware, and documentation. The most critical areas are: crash-survivable memory unit protection (which must not be damaged by impact or by vibration, as it contains critical flight data that must be preserved), ESD-sensitive components (which can be damaged by electrostatic discharge as low as 50V), and calibration (FDR/CVR systems require precise calibration of recording parameters, timing, and signal levels, which can be affected by vibration during transport). Our FDR/CVR cases use: crash-survivable memory unit protection (custom foam with zero-contact foam on the memory unit, and custom protectors to prevent damage), ESD-safe foam (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω/sq) for all electronic components, calibration protection (custom foam that holds each component in its calibrated position, with zero-contact foam on all precision adjustment mechanisms), and IP67 sealing (continuous silicone gaskets, for protection against dust and moisture during transport and storage). Inertial reference and navigation systems (inertial reference units, ring laser gyroscopes, fiber optic gyroscopes, accelerometers, GPS receivers, navigation computers) are typically shipped as complete units with precision components, electronics, connectors, mounting hardware, and documentation. The most critical areas are: precision components (which can have tolerances of ±0.001mm, and must not be damaged by impact or by vibration, causing navigation accuracy problems or system failure), ESD-sensitive components (which can be damaged by electrostatic discharge as low as 50V), and calibration (inertial reference and navigation systems require precise calibration of gyroscope bias, accelerometer bias, and alignment, which can be affected by vibration during transport). Our inertial reference and navigation system cases use: precision component protection (custom foam with zero-contact foam on precision components, and custom component protectors to prevent damage), ESD-safe foam (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω/sq) for all electronic components, calibration protection (custom foam that holds each component in its calibrated position, with zero-contact foam on all precision adjustment mechanisms), and shock-isolated sub-crates (wire rope isolators, natural frequency 5-8 Hz, for inertial reference and navigation systems that can weigh 10-100kg).

Engine Monitoring/FADEC, Engine Hot Section, and Hydraulic Actuators: Specialized Transport Requirements

Engine monitoring and FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) systems (engine control units, fuel metering units, engine monitoring systems, vibration monitoring systems, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, thrust management computers) are typically shipped as complete units with electronics, connectors, mounting hardware, and documentation. The most critical areas are: ESD-sensitive components (which can be damaged by electrostatic discharge as low as 50V), connector pins (which can be bent or broken by impact or by improper support, causing poor electrical contact or system failure), and calibration (engine monitoring and FADEC systems require precise calibration of fuel flow, timing, and performance parameters, which can be affected by vibration during transport). Our engine monitoring and FADEC system cases use: ESD-safe foam (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω/sq) for all electronic components, connector protection (custom foam caps or plastic caps for all connector pins and communication ports), calibration protection (custom foam that holds each component in its calibrated position, with zero-contact foam on all precision adjustment mechanisms), and IP65 sealing (continuous silicone gaskets, for protection against dust and moisture during transport and storage).

Aircraft engine hot section components (turbine blades, combustor liners, fuel nozzles, turbine discs, compressor blades, seals, bearings) are typically shipped as complete units or components with precision components, mounting hardware, and documentation. The most critical areas are: precision components (which can have tolerances of ±0.005mm, and must not be damaged by impact or by vibration, causing engine performance problems or failure), contamination protection (engine hot section components must be protected from contamination such as dust, dirt, and moisture, as contamination can cause engine performance problems or failure), and ESD-sensitive components (which can be damaged by electrostatic discharge as low as 50V). Our aircraft engine hot section component cases use: precision component protection (custom foam with zero-contact foam on precision components, and custom component protectors to prevent damage), contamination protection (custom foam with zero-contact foam on all components, and custom protectors to prevent contamination), ESD-safe foam (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω/sq) for all electronic components, and IP65 sealing (continuous silicone gaskets, for protection against dust and moisture during transport and storage). Hydraulic actuators and servo valves (flight control actuators, landing gear actuators, brake actuators, servo valves, hydraulic pumps, hydraulic manifolds, hydraulic reservoirs) are typically shipped as complete units with precision components, hydraulic systems, mounting hardware, and documentation. The most critical areas are: precision components (which can have tolerances of ±0.005mm, and must not be damaged by impact or by vibration, causing flight control problems or failure), hydraulic ports (which must not be damaged or contaminated during transport, as contamination can cause hydraulic system failure), and calibration (hydraulic actuators and servo valves require precise calibration of travel, force, and timing, which can be affected by vibration during transport). Our hydraulic actuator and servo valve cases use: precision component protection (custom foam with zero-contact foam on precision components, and custom component protectors to prevent damage), hydraulic port protection (custom caps for all hydraulic ports to prevent damage and contamination), calibration protection (custom foam that holds each component in its calibrated position, with zero-contact foam on all precision adjustment mechanisms), and IP65 sealing (continuous silicone gaskets, for protection against dust and moisture during transport and storage).

Case Design Specifications and OEM/ODM Capabilities

Our standard aerospace equipment case specification includes: 2mm thick 5052-H32 aluminum panels (or 3mm for heavy-duty applications over 50kg payload, or 4mm for engine components that must meet structural requirements), Type II anodized (15-25μm) plus polyester TGIC powder coating (60-80μm) in matte black, gray, or custom color; continuous silicone gaskets (Shore A 50-60) providing IP65 sealing (IP67 available as option); 304 or 316 stainless steel hardware (latches, hinges, handles, rivets)—316 stainless steel is preferred for aerospace applications, as it is more corrosion-resistant and easier to clean; CNC-cut closed-cell XLPE foam (40-80 kg/m³, customer-specified density based on payload weight and fragility) with ESD-safe option (surface resistance 10^6-10^9 Ω/sq); heavy-duty draw latches (Southco or equivalent) with rubber bumpers; folding side handles (for cases over 15kg) or top handle (for cases under 15kg); stacking corners (recessed, for secure stacking); and a waterproof document holder (A4 size, inside lid).

Every aerospace equipment case we build is custom-sized to your equipment’s exact dimensions, with CNC-cut foam cavities that hold each component in its operational orientation. We don’t sell stock cases for aerospace equipment—because a 5mm gap means 5mm of potential movement during transport, and that’s where connector damage, ESD damage, and calibration drift start. Typical lead time is 15-25 working days for first article (including design, prototyping, and customer approval), then 20-30 working days for production batches of 10-100 units. MOQ is 5 units per design. Pricing depends on size, complexity, and certification requirements. A typical avionics LRU case (300×200×100mm, 1kg payload, ESD-safe foam, connector protection, calibration protection, tamper-evident, IP65) ranges from $80-$150 FOB Changzhou. A typical inertial reference unit case (500×400×200mm, 10kg payload, precision component protection, ESD-safe foam, calibration protection, shock-isolated sub-crate, IP65) ranges from $250-$400 FOB. A typical engine hot section component case (800×600×400mm, 50kg payload, precision component protection, contamination protection, IP65) ranges from $400-$700 FOB. A typical hydraulic actuator case (1000×600×400mm, 80kg payload, precision component protection, hydraulic port protection, calibration protection, IP65) ranges from $500-$800 FOB. Volume discounts of 15-25% apply for orders over 50 units.