Chapter 8. PACKING

TM 38-260

CHAPTER 8

PACKING

SECTION I. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

8-1. Purpose

a. General. Packing as used in this chapter, includes assembling items of industrial plant equipment (IPE), other

plant equipment (OPE), and special tooling (ST)/special test equipment (STE) into a unit, intermediate, or exterior pack

with necessary blocking, bracing, skidding, cushioning, weatherproofing, reinforcement, and marking. The objectives of

packing IPE and OPE are to extend the life span of the item.

(1) Since the requirements for each of the above are dependent upon the type of storage and the nature of the

equipment, separate methods and procedures are required for each condition.

(2) Detailed information on packing procedures, operations, and container construction is covered in TM 38-230-

b. Determination of packing requirements. As preservation alone cannot provide all the protection that IPE and

OPE and accessories or attachments require, the selection and application of packing procedures are extremely

important.

(1) Packing consists of more than the selection and use of an appropriate shipping container.

(2) It is not possible for the exterior shipping container alone to provide full protection.

(3) It is usually necessary to provide additional protection to IPE through the use of blocking, bracing, and

(4) All IPE and OPE to be packed shall be studied carefully, considering the shape, size, weight, strength, and

degree of fragility, in order to determine the packing requirements.

(5) Additional consideration shall be given to the availability of mounting points, the degree of disassembly

required, special use requirements, and the handling and storage capacities at the destination.

(6) Each step of the packing procedure must be carefully performed to enable the contents to withstand the

damaging forces encountered in transportation, handling, and storage.

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