Shipping disasters are a nightmare we all hope to avoid. However, when caught in an unpredictable situation with a new machine, what do you do? From vehicle accidents to cargo ship mishaps, Orbitform stands ready to support you through any shipping challenges.
Cargo Shipping Challenge
Recently, a customer contacted us after a machine shipped via cargo ship through the Atlantic Ocean was mishandled and left crated for an extensive amount of time. Due to the high humidity of the region and the length of time the machine remained crated; the machine became covered in rust. Prior to shipment, Orbitform applied a rust preventative and covered the machine in special packaging to help prevent this very incident. However, while sitting in a hot and humid environment for over a month, our standard rust prevention measures were not able to keep the rust out.
Prolonged Shipment
Shipping via cargo ship can be a lengthy process. A typical shipment process can take around a week for machines to travel to ports around the U.S. and Caribbean. However, this ship experienced challenges that prevented it from arriving in a timely manner. With challenges outside of Orbitform and the customer’s control, the prolonged shipment created a hostile environment for the machine.
Covered In Rust
Once uncrated the entire machine was found to be covered in rust. Orbitform and the customer worked together to create a plan to repair the machine. While legally the shipping mishap could be covered under the customer’s business insurance, production needed to be completed in a timely manner and building a replacement machine would prolong this timeline.
Fast Response
Initially, Orbitform shipped rust remover overnight to the customer and held a video conference to educate them on how to apply the remover to bring the machine back to life. Unfortunately, the amount of rust was too extensive, and the remover was not enough. Next, Orbitform and the customer agreed on a plan to ship the machine back for a quick tear down, clean up and reassembly. We worked with the customer on shipping and labor costs and applied our fast response team to do the job. The rust was completely removed, and the machine was brought back to new condition. The machine was shipped back using a different, quicker shipping method to prevent any further mishaps.
When shipping a new machine, rare disasters can happen even when every precaution has been taken to prevent such incidents. While we strive to manufacture great machines, challenges beyond the control of Orbitform and the customer can occur. With our dedicated service and rapid response team, Orbitform stands ready to support your fastening, forming and assembly equipment needs for the entire life of your machine. Contact us today to find how we can best support you.