An insurance adjuster's report landed on our desk last spring. A mirrorless body and two lenses had been written off after a shipping case took a hit on a conveyor belt. The outer shell was intact, the internal dividers had folded flat. The claim was settled, which is cold comfort when the shoot is already booked. Files like that are the reason we specify shell stiffness and interior geometry together at Dongguan Lianping Luggage Co., Ltd. instead of solving them one at a time.
What hardshell actually buys you
Hardshell means the case takes the load before the object does. Our shells are compression-moulded from closed-cell EVA sheet, typically 0.20-0.25 g/cm3 and Shore C 60-70 for this class of work, which is where the wall resists a point load without going brittle in a cold warehouse. Corners get a larger radius because that is where cracks start. Buyers who ask about water usually land on IP54 for a zipper garage and splash resistance; IP65 needs a gasket and a latch closure, which is a different build entirely. Every shell in the EVA case category is checked for crush at the stack height the customer actually ships at, not at a number picked off a catalogue.
Matching the case to the object
A camera lens wants vertical dividers with 8 to 10 mm of foam between bodies, and a lid pad that presses gently rather than clamping. Watches want a soft velvet or suede tray with individual channels, usually 20 to 22 mm spacing, so cases do not rub bracelets. Drones want pockets that hold props flat and keep the gimbal unloaded; jewellery wants a lift-out tray so the customer sees everything at once. For jewellery and watch sets we often point buyers at the aluminium-frame vanity case instead, because an aluminium frame holds a true right angle over years of opening in a way foam alone cannot.
- Instrument sets: die-cut EVA cavity mapped from the physical unit, with a calibration-label window in the lid
- Mixed kits: egg-crate lid foam plus a removable die-cut tray, so one shell covers two product tiers
- Transit: rubber feet, a webbing handle sized for the loaded weight, and a moulded recess for a desiccant sachet
Materials are declared against RoHS and REACH with CTI reports tied to the production batch, and the factory runs ISO 9001 with SGS audit records on file. Samples for this class of case take about three days when the outline is simple and up to two weeks when a tray or gasket is involved; minimum order is 500 pieces from the main product range. The lens case revision is back on the bench with 10 mm dividers and a deeper lid pad, and the first article goes into a drop rig on Monday.