BLADE BOX STYLE CONTAINER
The rotor blade container (aka blade box) was developed by CRC over fifty years ago, as a high strength, low cost solution for packaging main rotor blades. CRC has been the world-wide leader in the design and manufacturer of blade boxes since. Our blade boxes are used on virtually every mass produced helicopter in the field.
This style container is a free breather (meaning it is not airtight and cannot hold a positive pressure). It does, however, provide a watershed environment. If water does happen to enter the container, it will not come in contact with the stored item. The free-breathing design allows any water that may enter to evaporate.
With most shipping container styles, shock and vibration protection of the packaged item is provided by various cushioning materials or a shock isolation system (unit suspended via a shock mounted frame). For a blade box, cushioning material is the preferred/recommended method of shock and vibration mitigation. The different cushioning mediums used are primarily polyethylene foam or rubberized curled fiber. Curled fiber (per PPP-C-1120) is our preferred method. Curled fiber is preferred since it can be easily fabricated or molded to fit the item, depending on quantity levels (low cost molds for repeatability). A molded cushion can be made to deliver the exact density needed for proper isolation. The other advantage of a curled fiber cushion is that it draws moisture away from the blade that is being packaged along with its other properties such as insect resistance, flammability resistance and recyclability.
This style of container gives the designer a flexible tool to provide maximum protection, along with high strength at a low cost. With a 20 year life cycle, it can be refurbished many times and still provide maximum protection. This lowers overall life cycle costs.
