Logistics
How to ship an injection molding machine overseas
Container choice, packing and lashing, the four documents, insurance, and the handful of loading mistakes that turn a good machine into an insurance claim.
What goes in what
| Clamping force | Usual method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ~250 t | One 40 ft container, sometimes two machines | Usually ships without dismantling |
| 320 – 800 t | One machine per 40 ft or 40 ft HQ | Hopper, guards or safety gate often removed for height |
| 800 – 1600 t | Flat rack or break bulk | Clamping unit and injection unit frequently split |
| Above 1600 t | Break bulk | Lifting plan and port capability arranged in advance |
A machine that has to be split is not a problem — it is a schedule item. Ask before you buy: how is it split, how is it re-assembled, who guides that, and is the re-assembly included in the price or extra?
Check the destination port can lift it before the machine ships. A container is one thing; a 30-tonne break-bulk piece needs a port and an inland route that can handle it, and finding out at the quayside is expensive.
Packing and lashing, and why it matters
- Drain or secure fluids. Hydraulic oil is normally retained but the system depressurised; some destinations require full draining, which you should ask about before shipping.
- Wrap. Waterproof film first, then stretch wrap. Sea air is corrosive and a forty-day voyage is long enough to matter on bright surfaces.
- Protect the bright work. Tie-bars, rails and the screw are the surfaces that suffer. Grease and wrap them specifically.
- Crate the loose parts. Control cabinet components, manuals, tooling and spares in ISPM15-compliant fumigated wooden crates — non-compliant wood packaging is refused at many borders.
- Lash properly. Steel wire and turnbuckles to the container’s lashing points, with timber blocking against the frame, not against the guards. A machine that shifts in transit damages itself and the container.
- Photograph everything. Before wrapping, after wrapping, during loading, and the sealed doors with the seal number legible.
The most common transit damage is not impact — it is corrosion on unprotected bright surfaces, and distortion from slinging against rails or oil lines during lifting. Both are packing decisions, not shipping accidents.
The document set
| Document | What it does | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | States value and terms; the basis for duty | Customs, your bank |
| Packing list | Contents, weights and dimensions per package | Customs, forwarder, port |
| Bill of lading (B/L) | Title to the goods; presenting the original releases the cargo | You — hold the original |
| Certificate of origin | Origin for tariff purposes; enables preferential rates | Customs |
| Inspection certificate | Required in some markets before or after shipment | Customs, where applicable |
| Fumigation / ISPM15 mark | Compliance for wooden packaging | Quarantine authority |
Check the draft bill of lading carefully before it is issued. Consignee name, notify party, description, weights and marks all have to match the invoice and packing list exactly — an amendment after issue costs money and time, and a mismatch can hold the cargo at the destination.
Incoterms, in plain words
- EXW — you collect from the seller’s door and arrange everything. Maximum control, maximum work.
- FOB — the seller delivers to the port and clears export; you take over from the vessel. The most common term for machinery from China.
- CFR / CIF — the seller arranges sea freight (and insurance, under CIF) to your port. Simplest for a first import; compare the freight component against your own forwarder’s quote.
- DAP / DDP — delivered to your premises, with DDP including duties. Convenient, and you pay for the convenience. Be careful with DDP: the seller must be able to act as importer of record in your country, which is not always legally possible.
Get every quotation onto the same incoterm before you compare prices. An EXW price and a CIF price are not the same number with a different label.
Insurance
Marine cargo insurance for a used machine is inexpensive relative to the value at risk — typically a small percentage of the insured amount. Insure for the landed value, not the invoice value: replacement means buying another machine and shipping it again. Read what the policy actually covers; “all risks” cover normally still excludes inherent defect and inadequate packing, which is another reason the packing photographs matter.
If damage is discovered on arrival, note it on the delivery receipt before signing, photograph everything before anything is moved, and notify the insurer and carrier immediately. Claims fail more often on procedure than on merit.
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Tell us the destination port
We will quote the machine with freight, name the container type and send you the loading photographs when it goes.