Which crate should be used to pack a sculpture?

Sculptures are often very difficult to pack because so many factors must be taken into account:
- Volume of the work
- Weight of the sculpture
- Fragile parts (protruding elements, old restorations, etc.)
- Sensitivity to climate conditions (temperature and humidity of the environment)
- Sensitivity to shocks and vibrations
- Type of transport (road transport by truck, air transport, transport by shipping container,
etc.)

Slatted crate
A slatted crate is perfect for less fragile sculptures. Quick and economical to build, it has a palletised base that allows the work to be moved easily by pallet trucks or a forklift.
The wooden crosspieces also make it possible to add supports to the most fragile elements of the work.
The last advantage is that a slatted crate gives a glimpse of the work, which allows a quick visual inspection in storage or when tallying during a move, for example.

Cleated or guillotine crate
Cleated crates are closed crates made to measure. They support the work perfectly thanks to foamed crosspieces, also called cleats or guillotines. The foam can be covered with Tyvek to avoid any
abrasive contact on the most fragile works.
The cleats are placed after thorough analysis of the work to detect the most fragile areas.

Foam-lined crate
The foam-lined crate is recommended for the most fragile works. A negative of the work is created using foam covered with Tyvek. The sculpture is therefore completely protected from shocks and
vibrations.

Isothermal counter-crates
If the work is sensitive to climate conditions and has to travel internationally, for example, we can manufacture isothermal versions of the above crates or, better still, isothermal counter-crates which will contain the slatted crate, cleated crate or foam-lined crate.

Metal frame and machine-welded body
Metal frames with machine-welded crates are preferable for the most monumental, heaviest works, such as sculpted blocks.
Their cost is high but they offer a single solution for packaging, handling, transport and even presentation:
- Packaging: the metal frame and its machine-welded cage are a metal version of the slatted crate
- Handling: lifting rings make it possible to crane the work and its cage without the need for any further handling
- Transport: the frame is placed directly on the low-bed trailer, which allows special wide-loadtransport
- Presentation: some of our clients ask us to design frames that will also serve as a base for presenting works to the public. Then they simply have to cover the frame in harmony with
the surrounding museum furniture.