EVA Case FAQ — 170+ Answers From Our Factory Floor

We are the source factory. Our manufacturing entity is Dongguan Lianping Luggage Co., Ltd. (established 2011), operating a 10,000+ m² plant in Gaobu Town, Dongguan with 100+ sets of equipment, 6 production lines and 100+ staff. Our business licence and Unified Social Credit Code 91441900MAKR47YX5C are verifiable in the public registry, and we support unannounced video factory audits.

All contracts and invoices are issued by Dongguan Lianping Luggage Co., Ltd. The same company runs the factory (operating since 2011) and handles both domestic and export business; our Unified Social Credit Code 91441900MAKR47YX5C is verifiable in the public registry.

We have 20+ years of bag and case manufacturing experience, with EVA hard cases as our core category. Our current catalogue covers 4 main families — EVA hard cases, makeup & beauty cases, fabric bags, and plastic tool cases — with 200+ active models in production.

Yes to both. In-person visits are welcome by appointment (about 40 minutes by car from Shenzhen airport). If you cannot travel, we run live video walkthroughs covering cutting, thermoforming, sewing, QC benches and finished-goods storage, and we will show a dated time marker on camera on request.

We are in Gaobu Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China — roughly 40 minutes from Shenzhen airport and about 1 hour from Yantian / Shekou ports. Most export orders ship FOB Shenzhen (Yantian or Shekou), and the exact port is stated on your quotation.

Capacity is design-dependent, so we do not quote a single number. Structurally, we run 6 production lines with 100+ sets of equipment and 100+ staff across a 10,000+ m² plant. For a firm monthly allocation on your specific model, please confirm with our sales team — we reserve capacity against a rolling 60-day forecast rather than promising an open-ended number.

We have served 120+ brands and shipped to 40+ countries, concentrated in North America, Europe, Japan/Korea and Southeast Asia. Because most programmes are under NDA, we can only show named references after written consent; what we can share immediately is anonymised category experience — medical, tool, electronics and beauty cases.

Yes. Our in-house team handles DFM (design-for-manufacture) review, 3D modelling, foam insert layout and tooling drawing before any mould is cut. This is why we can return a structural feasibility opinion on your drawings before you commit to tooling.

Four families: EVA hard cases (tool, earphone, pencil, medical, eyeglasses, electronic accessories, tablet/laptop, game console, backpack), makeup & beauty cases (aluminium vanity, trolley, handheld cosmetic, jewellery), fabric bags (Oxford pencil bags, laptop bags) and plastic tool cases (PP and ABS).

Both, but customisation is our main business. Existing catalogue models can be ordered with logo and colour changes at lower MOQ; fully new shapes require tooling. Which route applies to your project will be stated clearly in the quotation so you are not surprised by a tooling line you did not expect.

We sign an NDA before drawings are exchanged, mark client-owned tooling with the client code and store it separately, and never photograph or list your moulded design in our public catalogue. Tooling ownership and the conditions for its release are written into the purchase contract.

Yes. Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading are standard; Certificate of Origin (CO / Form E where applicable), material compliance statements and test reports are provided on request. Export documentation scope is confirmed with your forwarder before shipment.

We work in English and Chinese, GMT+8 business hours, with replies within 3 hours on business days for inquiry-stage questions. For running projects we assign a single point of contact so you are never re-explaining your spec to a new person.

Send a tech pack: product dimensions, target quantity, outer material, foam layout or device drawing, logo method, colour reference (Pantone code) and destination market. With those six items we can usually quote without a second round; without them, any number you receive is a placeholder.

EVA is ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer foam. It is used because its closed-cell structure absorbs impact, resists water, holds a moulded shape and weighs a fraction of an equivalent hard-plastic case — typically 30–40% lighter than an ABS or PP shell of the same volume.

Density (kg/m³) is mass per unit volume and drives stiffness, weight and cost. EVA sheet for cases typically runs 30–250 kg/m³; protective case shells most often sit in the 100–220 kg/m³ band. Specifying density in your tech pack is the single cheapest way to prevent "sample good, bulk soft" disputes.

Shore hardness is indentation resistance measured with a durometer; for EVA foam the industry commonly quotes Shore C. Practical bands: 20–35C soft (linings, delicate items), 38–50C medium (general trays, dividers), 55–65C firm (case body, moulded inserts), 70C+ extra firm (structural layers, heavy tool trays). Always state the scale — "hardness 60" is meaningless without it.

VA content typically runs 10–40% by weight. Higher VA gives softer, more elastic, better low-temperature foam; lower VA gives higher rigidity, better wear and chemical resistance. If your case must survive cold-chain handling or winter outdoor use, ask for the VA content on the material data sheet.

Thermoforming heats an EVA sheet to roughly 100–180 °C and presses it in an aluminium mould into seamless shells — best for contoured, splash-resistant shapes, but it needs tooling. Lamination-and-sew bonds foam to fabric and sews the shell — lower tooling cost and easier to add pockets, but seams need sealing for moisture resistance.

Denier (D) is the linear mass density of the yarn: higher D means thicker yarn, heavier fabric and better abrasion resistance. 600D polyester or Oxford is the mainstream choice for EVA case shells; 1680D ballistic nylon is specified when the case will be dragged across concrete or steel gratings.

Common options are Lycra/spandex, velvet, polyester tricot, non-woven, PU leather and anti-static fabric. Anti-static lining is recommended for PCBs and bare electronics; soft velvet for optical surfaces and jewellery; wipe-clean PU for medical and field service.

A foam insert is any internal cushioning shape; a die-cut insert is produced by a shaped cutting die (fast, low unit cost, good for simple outlines), while a CNC-routed insert is cut by a router (better for deep, multi-level cavities and tight tolerances). Complex device sets usually need CNC.

Compression set measures how much foam fails to recover after prolonged compression (commonly tested to ASTM D395). A low compression set means your case will still grip the device after a year of storage; a high one means the cavity goes loose and the device starts rattling. It is one of the two numbers we recommend locking into your spec, alongside density.

Yes, EVA foam is closed-cell and does not absorb water; but a finished case is only as water-resistant as its weakest path — needle holes, binding seams, zipper teeth, zipper ends and handle attachments. "Water-resistant" and "waterproof" are not interchangeable, and a waterproof claim needs a defined spray or immersion test, not a material statement.

IP ratings come from IEC 60529: the first digit is solid/dust protection (6 = dust-tight), the second is liquid (4 = splashes, 5 = low-pressure jets, 7 = immersion up to 1 m for 30 minutes, 8 = continuous submersion). Most zippered EVA cases realistically achieve IP54-level splash protection; IP67 requires a sealed enclosure and a tested finished product, so only specify it if your device itself is IP-rated.

OEM means we build to your drawing, spec and brand. ODM means you start from one of our existing tooling platforms and change size, colour, logo and interior layout — faster and cheaper, because the mould already exists. Most first orders start as ODM and move to OEM once volumes justify dedicated tooling.

MOQ is the minimum quantity per style/colourway that makes a production run viable, and our standard figure is 500 pcs. It exists because foam, fabric and hardware are bought in lot sizes and because machine setup is fixed cost. Lower quantities are sometimes possible on catalogue models — please confirm with our sales team.

A pre-production (PP) sample is built on the actual production tooling with the actual bulk materials, after the prototype but before mass production. It is the physical reference sealed by both parties and used to settle any later dispute about bulk quality. We recommend signing and retaining two.

AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) is the sampling standard under ISO 2859-1. The industry convention for bags and cases is AQL 0 for critical defects, 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor defects. Writing these three numbers into your purchase order converts "good quality" from an opinion into a pass/fail rule.

Tooling amortisation means spreading the one-off mould cost across the order quantity instead of invoicing it separately. Whether the mould fee is refundable, and at what cumulative volume, is a commercial term that must be written into the contract — please confirm the arrangement with our sales team before you pay the deposit.

Choose by the value and weight of the contents and the transport environment. EVA is right for most consumer and field-service items under roughly 500 USD — light, shock-absorbing, mid-cost. Injection-moulded PP/ABS is right for heavy crush loads, submersion or military/industrial handling. Soft bags suit low-impact accessories where weight matters most.

Practically from mini earphone cases around 100 × 60 × 40 mm up to large equipment cases around 600 × 400 × 250 mm. Very deep draws (over about 130 mm) usually need steel tooling and carry higher defect risk, so we review draw depth during DFM before quoting.

For impact-critical contents, plan on roughly 10–15% clearance around the device so the foam can actually compress during a drop. A cavity cut to exact device size looks precise but transmits most of the shock straight to the product.

Yes. Send STEP/IGES 3D files or a physical device, and we will propose cavity layouts, divider positions and mesh-pocket placement, then validate with an actual fit test on the first sample. Fit testing with the real device is the step that prevents "perfect drawing, loose cavity" problems.

3 mm is the standard wall for consumer cases and resists roughly 30 kg of distributed pressure; 5 mm is specified for warehouse pallet stacking or freight, resisting roughly 50 kg; 5 mm plus internal rib structure reaches 70 kg and above. Thicker is not automatically better — it adds weight and volumetric freight cost.

Use a mesh pocket or elastic loops on the lid side and a die-cut cavity on the base side. Cables stored loose in the same cavity as the main unit are the most common cause of scuffing complaints, and elastic loops keep adaptors from tangling.

Yes. Common configurations are a device layer plus an accessory layer, or a removable tray that lifts out. Note that each additional layer adds material, labour and height — and height is what drives volumetric weight, so we will always show you the freight impact before you commit.

Yes — medical instrument cases, first-aid kits and portable diagnostic kits are one of our core applications. For these we specify wipe-clean linings, tighter cavity tolerances and, where required, biocompatibility documentation under ISO 10993 and packaging validation aligned with ISO 11607. Confirm your regulatory scope early, because it changes material selection.

Yes, and these are engineered differently from standard cases: insulation thickness, calibrated phase-change material (commonly melting at 4 °C or 18 °C to avoid freezing the drug) and a gel pack with a valid SDS. The performance question to ask any supplier is how many hours the case holds 2–8 °C at a stated ambient temperature, with a recorded temperature curve.

Yes. We use anti-static lining fabric and can add anti-static foam on request. What we will not do is quote a surface-resistivity figure without testing it on your actual bill of materials — ESD performance is a measured property of the finished assembly, not a material name.

Yes. Shoulder straps and handles are routine; wheels and telescopic handles are used on trolley and large equipment cases. For any load-bearing feature we specify bartack reinforcement at stress points and validate with a load test — handle pull-out is one of the most common field failures, so we test for it rather than assume it.

We build to your specification: mainstream options are YKK, SBS and equivalent domestic coil zippers, with waterproof-coated or reversed-coil versions for outdoor use. The number to specify is the cycle life — the industry benchmark is 5,000 open/close cycles with slider pull strength above 80 N. Naming the brand on the PO is what prevents silent substitution.

We match to a Pantone (PMS) reference and send a physical colour swatch or sample for approval before bulk. Textile substrates cannot be expected to match a printed Pantone chip perfectly across foam, fabric and thread, so we agree an acceptable tolerance on the sealed sample instead of promising an exact match.

Standard MOQ is 500 pcs per style/colourway, and we handle repeat programmes into the tens of thousands. For quantities below the standard MOQ on a catalogue model, or for very large programmes needing reserved capacity, please confirm with our sales team — both are handled case by case.

As a working rule: 40–55 Shore C shells protect to about 0.8 m onto concrete, 55–70 Shore C to about 1.2 m, and 70–80 Shore C to about 1.5 m. The real result depends on shell thickness, lining and how tightly the cavity holds the device — a precision cavity in a softer shell regularly outperforms a sloppy cavity in a harder one.

We test against ISO 2248 (filled transport packages), ASTM D5276 (drop test of packages), GB/T 4857.5 (China national drop test), ISTA 1A/2A/3A for parcel and e-commerce distribution, and MIL-STD-810G Method 516.6 where a customer requires transit-drop validation. Tell us the required standard during the enquiry, because the wall thickness and corner reinforcement follow from it.

A standard EVA protocol is 1.0 m height, 6–10 drops covering flat faces, edges and corners, with or without contents as agreed. Loaded drops are the meaningful ones, so if you have a heavy product we recommend testing with the real payload in place.

Roughly 30 kg distributed pressure for a 3 mm shell, about 50 kg for a 5 mm shell, and 70 kg and above for a 5 mm shell with internal ribs. If your case will be palletised, tell us the stack height and we will design to the actual load rather than to a generic figure.

EVA shells are routinely validated between about -20 °C and +60 °C. Outside that band the material softens with heat or stiffens with cold, so high-temperature service vehicles and cold-chain use need a specific material selection — state your real exposure range and we will match the grade.

It can. A dark case in a closed vehicle can reach well above ambient temperature, and if it is tightly packed or stacked while warm, temporary deformation can become permanent. We recommend a heat-exposure check on the finished, packed case; soft spots, zipper-path waviness and lamination bubbles are the three things to inspect afterwards.

With mainstream materials and normal duty, the shell typically keeps its shape and protection for several years; the components that wear out first are the zipper, elastic loops and printed logo. That is why we treat zipper cycle life and logo abrasion as specified test items rather than cosmetic details.

Colour fastness depends on the fabric and print method, not on the foam. For outdoor programmes we specify UV- and colour-fastness testing on the actual fabric and print, and we will quote the standard used rather than a generic "fade-resistant" claim.

Flame-retardant EVA grades and fabrics are available and are commonly tested against UL 94 for plastics or FMVSS 302 for automotive interiors. Because FR additives change foam feel, colour and cost, tell us the required standard at the enquiry stage so we can quote the right grade.

Typically 30–40% lighter than a comparable ABS or PP shell of the same external volume. The saving matters twice — once in the user's hand and once in your freight bill, because empty cases are light-and-bulky cargo priced on volumetric weight.

Yes, the closed-cell structure gives useful passive insulation, which is why EVA is used for short-duration transport of temperature-sensitive items. It does not create cold: for 2–8 °C holding you need insulation plus a calibrated phase-change pack, and the performance must be shown as a temperature curve at a stated ambient temperature.

For moulded EVA shells a practical tolerance is around ±1 mm on external dimensions and around ±0.5 mm on cavity fit for CNC-cut inserts. Tolerances tighter than this are achievable on specific features but raise cost and scrap, so we agree them feature by feature on the drawing.

We can run spray and rain simulation on the finished case and, for sealed constructions, support third-party IP testing to IEC 60529. A standard Oxford 600D shell with a coil zipper is splash-resistant, not submersible; achieving IP65 or IP67 requires a coated or welded shell with a protected closure and a tested finished unit.

It scales with volume and wall thickness: a small earphone case is typically 60–120 g, a medium tool or medical case 300–700 g, and a large equipment case 1.2–3 kg. Give us your target weight and we will engineer the wall thickness and density to it, because weight targets and drop targets pull in opposite directions.

Six steps: material preparation and pre-heating, mould loading, the compression or thermoforming cycle, cooling under pressure (dwell time), de-moulding and trimming, then assembly — zipper, lining, hardware — followed by inspection. Skipping the cooling dwell is the single biggest cause of warped shells.

Sheet forming is typically 100–180 °C depending on grade and thickness, with platen temperatures commonly 150–170 °C for hot pressing, and press force scaled to part surface area. The exact window is set per material during process validation and recorded as a process parameter, not left to operator judgement.

Aluminium for most projects, because it heats and cools fast and suits flat to moderate draws; steel for deep draws (typically beyond about 130 mm) and for very long runs. Aluminium tooling has a shorter life than steel, which matters only if your lifetime volume is very high.

Either die-cut with a shaped steel rule die — fast and economical for simple outlines — or CNC-routed for multi-level, deep or tight-tolerance cavities. A third option, moulded EVA inserts, is used when the cavity depth and shape must repeat exactly across large volumes.

By lamination — hot-melt adhesive or flame lamination bonding fabric to the EVA sheet before or after forming — or by covering the moulded shell during assembly. The bond strength is a specified check, because delamination is one of the most visible defects and usually traces back to adhesive selection or lamination temperature.

We specify stitch density (commonly 7–9 stitches per inch on structural seams), bartack reinforcement at all handle and strap stress points, and back-tacking at seam starts and ends. Handle pull-out is a top-three field failure, so reinforcement is treated as a specification, not a finishing detail.

Six main methods: silk-screen printing, heat transfer, embossing/debossing into the moulded shell, rubber or silicone badges, metal nameplates, and embroidery on fabric panels. The right choice depends on substrate, colour count and abrasion requirement — embossing lasts longest on EVA shells, printing gives the most colour freedom.

Yes, and it is the most durable option because the logo becomes part of the moulded surface rather than a layer on top. It requires the logo to be machined into the mould, so it must be fixed before tooling is cut — late logo changes after tooling mean either a mould insert or switching to a printed method.

We retain the approved physical standard (colour swatch or sealed sample) and check each incoming lot against it before it enters production. Residual shade variation between lots is normal in textiles, which is exactly why a retained physical standard, not a printed colour code, is the reference we measure against.

100+ sets across the plant: sheeting and cutting, thermoforming and hot-press lines, CNC routing for inserts, lamination, sewing, and a QC bench with zipper cycle, load and drop test capability. Six production lines are organised by product family so a medical kit and a tool case are not competing for the same setup.

Yes, and we keep the material specification identical between them. The risk to watch in this industry is sample-to-bulk substitution — thinner grammage, a different zipper brand or a downgraded foam — so we hold the sealed PP sample as reference and invite your own or third-party inspection before shipment.

Core forming, assembly and QC are in-house. A small number of secondary operations such as special plating or complex packaging printing may be sourced from audited partners, and we will disclose any outsourced step on request rather than let you discover it later.

We operate to ISO 9001 quality management, with documented IQC (incoming), IPQC (in-process) and FQC/OQC (final and outgoing) gates. Each gate has recorded check items and a rejection rule, so a defect found at assembly is traceable back to a material lot or a process parameter.

Foam density and hardness against the specification, fabric grammage and colour against the retained standard, zipper smooth-operation sampling, and hardware corrosion and pull-strength checks. Materials that fail IQC never reach the line, which is cheaper than discovering the problem at final inspection.

Forming uniformity (warping, bubbles, thin spots), cavity fit, zipper alignment and smooth operation, stitch density and reinforcement, and logo position and sharpness. These are exactly the five defects that dominate EVA case complaints, so we inspect them in-process rather than only at the end.

Finished goods receive 100% visual inspection before packing, on top of AQL sampling for dimensional and functional checks. AQL sampling and 100% visual inspection solve different problems: sampling catches statistical trends, visual inspection catches the individual unit with a glue stain that would otherwise reach your customer.

Yes, and we encourage it for first orders. SGS, QIMA, TÜV and similar agencies are regularly hosted in our facility. We ask that the inspection standard (AQL level and defect classification) is agreed before production starts, so the result is a measurement rather than a negotiation.

We track by defect class rather than quoting one number, and we report the actual result of each batch on request. What we commit to contractually is the AQL threshold and the remediation for a batch that fails it — a percentage quoted without a sampling plan is not a commitment.

By cycle testing on the actual zipper specified for the order, with the industry benchmark being 5,000 open/close cycles without jamming or tooth loss, and slider pull strength typically above 80 N. For waterproof zippers we add a coated-tape adhesion check, because coating failure is a more common problem than tooth failure.

Yes. We test loaded handles and straps with a static load — a common benchmark is 15 kg held for 3 hours, with permanent deformation counted as a major defect — and we add dynamic drop-fatigue for wheeled or heavy cases.

By comparing bulk units to the sealed pre-production sample on material, dimensions, colour, hardware and function, at the pre-shipment inspection. The sealed sample is held by both parties; if it is not sealed and signed, any later comparison is one party's opinion against the other's.

Yes. A standard report covers the quantity inspected, the AQL applied, defect counts by class, photographs of each defect type, and a pass/fail conclusion. We can also provide in-process and packing photos while your order is on the line.

The remedy is contractual and fixed in advance: rework or sorting at our cost, replacement production, or a credit against the defective quantity. We agree which applies before you pay the deposit, because negotiating remedies after a failed inspection is when relationships break.

Yes. Each production order carries a lot reference linking foam, fabric, zipper and hardware back to their incoming lots. Traceability is what turns a complaint six months later into a targeted check instead of a full recall, and we recommend buyers ask for it before the first order rather than after the first problem.

500 pcs per style and colourway is our standard MOQ. It is set by the lot sizes in which foam, fabric and hardware are purchased and by fixed machine setup cost. Some catalogue models can be run below this on request — please confirm the specific item with our sales team.

Usually not across different shapes, because each shape is a separate setup. Mixing colours within one shape is sometimes possible if the total reaches the MOQ and the fabric lot allows it. We will tell you which combinations are viable when we quote rather than after you order.

Our standard is 3 days from confirmed drawings to a first sample for straightforward designs without new tooling. Fully custom shapes requiring a new mould take longer because tooling comes first. The 3-day figure applies to prototype sampling, not to a new-tooling programme.

Aluminium tooling for a typical case shape is commonly 7–15 days from approved drawing to first moulded part, depending on cavity complexity and draw depth. We give a tooling date at quotation and treat any slip as a schedule incident you hear about the same day.

Typically 25–35 calendar days after PP sample sign-off and deposit, with repeat orders on reserved materials often 20–25 days. Lead time starts at sample approval, not at order placement — this distinction is the one most buyers get wrong when planning a launch date.

Sometimes, by reserving line capacity and materials in advance. Expediting is a capacity question, not a promise we can make unilaterally, so please confirm the target date with our sales team before you commit to your own launch date.

At the later of PP sample approval and deposit receipt. Design changes after that point restart the clock for the affected stages, which is why we ask for a formal change freeze before production release.

Catalogue samples are usually charged at unit cost plus freight, and the sample fee is commonly credited against the first bulk order. Fully custom prototypes requiring tooling are quoted separately. The exact arrangement for your project should be confirmed with our sales team.

For a new shape, not in the final material — the mould does not exist yet. What we can do is a soft prototype or a 3D-printed form check to validate fit and ergonomics before you commit to tooling, which is usually the cheaper way to discover a design problem.

Revision rounds are project-specific and stated in the quotation. In practice, foam layout and depth adjustments are quick, while changes to the moulded shell after tooling are not — so the earlier a revision happens, the cheaper it is.

Factory capacity tightens in Q3–Q4 ahead of Western holiday seasons. Finalising PP approval by August is the practical way to protect a Q4 delivery; after that, rushed orders are exactly when defect rates rise. Please confirm the current capacity window with our sales team.

Yes, for contracted repeat programmes we can hold agreed quantities of finished goods or reserved material. Stocking terms depend on volume and forecast commitment and are agreed in writing — please confirm with our sales team.

You get told on the day we know, with a revised date and the reason. Delay compensation terms, if any, are contractual and agreed before deposit; we would rather write an honest revised date than protect a number we can no longer deliver.

By material consumption, construction complexity, hardware selection, logo method and order volume, plus amortised tooling if applicable. We quote itemised so you can see which line moves when you change shell thickness, zipper brand or quantity.

It ranges widely with cavity complexity and draw depth — simple aluminium tooling starts in the low hundreds of US dollars and complex deep-draw steel tools run to several thousand. Because the spread is large, we quote tooling per drawing rather than quoting a "typical" figure that will not match your part.

Both are possible: billed as a one-off tooling line, or amortised into the unit price across the order quantity. Whether the fee is refundable at a cumulative volume threshold is a commercial term — please confirm the arrangement with our sales team before deposit.

T/T 30% deposit with 70% balance before shipment is our standard. L/C at sight is accepted for larger first orders, and 30-day terms may be offered once an account is established. Payment structure is confirmed in the proforma invoice, and the beneficiary name always matches the contracting entity.

Yes — the standard structure is deposit, then balance released after your inspection passes and before shipment. This is the buyer-protective sequence we recommend, and it is the reason we never ask for 100% in advance.

We quote in USD or CNY. CNY is our base costing currency, and non-CNY quotations are converted at an agreed rate stated on the quotation, so a currency move between quotation and payment does not silently change your cost.

Because setup, tooling amortisation and material lot pricing are fixed or step-wise costs. Setup spreads over more units, and larger fabric and foam lots buy better. The curve is steepest between 500 and 2,000 pcs and flattens beyond that.

Budget for tooling, sampling and sample freight, third-party testing if you require it, inbound duty and freight on your side, and any special packaging. We list these as separate lines so your landed-cost model is built on numbers we both saw, not on a single unit price.

Typically 30 days, because foam, fabric and hardware prices move. The validity period and the rate used are stated on the quotation itself so there is no ambiguity about which price applies if you come back later.

Yes, through volume tiers and annual framework pricing rather than one-off discounts. Framework pricing works because it lets us reserve capacity and buy material forward, which is where the real saving comes from.

Yes, we quote EXW, FOB, CIF and DDP. DDP is the most convenient but usually costs more because freight, duty deposits and forwarder margin sit inside it; for cost transparency we generally recommend FOB with your own forwarder.

No — FOB and EXW prices exclude all destination-country duty, VAT/GST and clearance fees. Duty rates depend on your HS classification and country of import and should be confirmed with your customs broker; we supply the documents needed for that classification.

In order of impact: raise the quantity band, simplify the interior layout, reduce colour count in the logo, and use standard hardware instead of custom-moulded parts. Cutting foam density or zipper grade reduces cost too, and it is also the change most likely to generate complaints — we will tell you which is which.

Six stages: requirements and DFM review, quotation and tooling plan, prototype sampling, PP sample approval, mass production with in-process QC, then pre-shipment inspection and shipment. Each stage has a named output, so you always know what you are approving and what comes next.

Yes, and we recommend it. We sign mutual NDAs before drawings are exchanged, and your tooling is stored under a client code rather than a product description so it is not identifiable on the factory floor.

If you paid the tooling fee, you own the tool — this is written into the contract together with the conditions for release or transfer. What we ask in return is that the tool is not used for anyone else's product, which protects you as much as it protects us.

We can reverse-engineer dimensions from a physical sample for a compatible design, but we will not reproduce protected shapes, registered designs or branded logos without written authorisation. Unauthorised logo or licensed-pattern production is a real detention risk at customs, not a theoretical one.

Yes. Barcodes, QR codes, serial numbers and variable data can be printed, woven into labels or applied as stickers, and we can pack to your SKU structure. Tell us the symbology and where it must be scannable so we validate readability before packing, not after.

Yes — colour boxes, hangtags, inserts, barcode labels and master carton packing to your specification. For e-commerce and Amazon FBA we can pack to the receiving requirements, including carton weight limits and label placement.

Yes. Our engineers propose cavity layouts, divider systems, opening mechanisms and hardware selection, and we will tell you when a feature is not manufacturable at your target cost rather than quoting something that will fail in tooling.

STEP or IGES for 3D, DXF or PDF for 2D dimensions, AI or PDF vector for logos, and a Pantone reference for colour. A physical device or sample is even better than a drawing, because it lets us validate fit with the real object.

Changes to foam layout, colour and logo are still possible; changes to the moulded shell geometry generally mean new tooling or a mould insert. We flag which category a change falls into before you decide, because the cost difference between the two is large.

Yes. Our catalogue platforms can be branded with your colour, logo and interior layout, which removes tooling cost and shortens lead time. We will tell you honestly when a modified ODM platform is the better commercial choice over a new tool.

Yes — same fabric, colour family, logo treatment and hardware finish across several sizes, which is how brands build a recognisable accessory range. Consistency is easier to achieve when the line is planned as one programme rather than ordered model by model.

No. Client-owned designs are not added to our public catalogue, not shown in factory tours, and not offered to other buyers. Tooling release to a third party happens only with your written consent.

Yes — rPET fabric with GRS certification, water-based PU and halogen-free foam grades are available. Note that certified materials add documentation requirements and cost, so tell us at the enquiry stage if your ESG or retailer programme requires them.

A stock case is sized for someone else's product; a custom case is sized for yours, which is why fit — not material — is the main reason contents get damaged. Custom also lets you control colour, logo and interior layout, the three things your customer actually sees.

We operate under ISO 9001 quality management, and our product and material documentation covers RoHS and REACH substance compliance, with CTI material test reports, SGS factory audit reporting, ECOCOMPASS eco-compliance verification and a LÉKO membership certificate on file. Certificate copies with numbers and validity dates are provided on request.

Yes, from the material supplier or an independent laboratory, scoped to the actual bill of materials of your order. The important detail is scope: a report on one unprinted EVA sheet does not cover fabric, zipper tape, metal sliders, print inks or adhesives, so we issue reports against the full BOM.

Social compliance audits are customer-driven and our current audit status should be confirmed with our sales team for your specific programme. Where a retailer requires BSCI or Sedex SMETA, we will tell you the actual status and date rather than implying a certificate we cannot produce.

As a general consumer product, REACH (SVHC) substance compliance plus the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) obligations on traceability and technical documentation. CE marking is not automatically applicable to a storage case — it applies only where a specific directive covers the product or its contents, so classify before you test.

For general adult-use cases, applicable CPSC rules and California Proposition 65 exposure review. For children's products, CPSIA applies: lead in substrate at or below 100 ppm, lead in coating at or below 90 ppm, and each of the eight restricted phthalates capped at 0.1%, with a Children's Product Certificate and tracking label required.

Yes, and we treat them as a separate compliance track: wipe-clean and disinfection-resistant materials, tighter cavity tolerance, biocompatibility documentation aligned with ISO 10993 and packaging validation referencing ISO 11607. Whether your programme requires ISO 13485 depends on how you classify the finished device — confirm this early because it drives documentation cost.

Yes — insulation performance is documented as a temperature curve showing hold time at a stated ambient temperature, and gel or PCM packs carry a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). If a supplier cannot produce an SDS for the cooling pack, that is a red flag about the chemical, not a paperwork delay.

Yes, substance and performance testing is placed with independent laboratories such as SGS, CTI and TÜV. We do not ask buyers to accept an internal factory certificate as compliance evidence, because internal documents are not independently verifiable.

Conventionally 12 months, and many retailers require reports issued within the last year. Validity also resets whenever the bill of materials changes, so a report is valid for a specific construction, not for your brand in perpetuity.

Yes. Send the list and the required test methods and we will scope the test to the relevant components. Retailer lists usually go beyond legal minimums, which is why the cost depends on how many substances and components are in scope, not on a flat fee.

Quality EVA has only a mild neutral smell; a strong chemical odour usually indicates low-grade or poorly controlled material. Odour is a legitimate incoming-inspection check, and we assess it on foam before it is laminated, because odour trapped under fabric cannot be fixed later.

Destination country, end-user age group, whether the case has powered functions, and whether the lining is in direct food or skin contact. These four answers determine which regulations apply, and confirming them before sampling is far cheaper than retesting after production.

Standard packing is individual polybag, then master carton, with corner protection and desiccant for sea freight. For light-and-bulky cases we offer split-shell or nested packing to cut volume, because cases ship mostly air and volume is what you pay for.

For air and express freight, chargeable weight is the greater of actual and volumetric weight, commonly calculated as length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6,000. Empty cases are light and bulky, so volumetric weight often decides the freight bill — sometimes doubling it on nested-unfriendly designs.

Most textile or leather outer-surface cases and bags fall under heading 4202, with common subheadings 4202.12 (outer surface of plastics or textile materials), 4202.19 (other) and 4202.92. The correct line depends on the outer surface material and construction, so confirm it with your customs broker — we supply the product description and material declaration they need.

International express (3–7 days) for samples, sea freight LCL or FCL (commonly 15–35 days depending on lane and port), and air cargo (3–7 days) for urgent launches. Transit times are route-specific, so we quote the lane rather than a generic number.

Yes. We pack to FBA receiving requirements including carton weight limits, label placement and pallet configuration, and we can ship under DDP to a 3PL or FBA address. Send the receiving requirements with the order so they are built into the packing plan rather than added later.

Yes for export clearance out of China, which is included in FOB terms. Import clearance, duty and taxes on your side are yours unless we quote DDP, and we will tell you which documents we provide so your broker is not waiting on us.

Yes, we can deliver to a nominated consolidation warehouse in China for mixed container loading. Tell us the deadline and the warehouse address at order stage so we schedule to their cut-off rather than to ours.

Yes — wooden pallets, crates and dunnage carry the ISPM 15 heat-treatment or fumigation mark, and cartons are kept free of soil, seed and insect matter. Non-compliant wood packaging can hold an entire container at the port, which is a cost far larger than the pallet.

Yes, for established accounts with a written shipping schedule we can split shipments to multiple destinations. Splitting adds documentation and handling, so the cost is quoted per destination rather than absorbed.

Polybag plus desiccant inside the master carton, a moisture-resistant carton grade, and pallet stretch-wrap with a top sheet. For long lanes we can add a container desiccant plan; tell us the lane and we will size it rather than putting one sachet in and hoping.

Sometimes, depending on wall thickness and hardness. Compression packing reduces volume but risks temporary deformation on arrival, so we only offer it after a compression-recovery check on your specific shell. Saving freight is not worth arriving with dented stock.

Destination port or door address, incoterm, target ship date, carton dimensions and weight, and whether it moves as LCL, FCL, air or express. With those five we can quote the actual lane; without them any freight number is a guess that will be corrected later.

We provide a 6-month quality warranty covering manufacturing defects in workmanship, seams, zipper tracks and structural hardware, counted from the date you receive the goods. Extended warranty periods can be agreed contractually for specific programmes — please confirm with our sales team.

Normal wear and tear, damage from misuse, overloading, exposure beyond the agreed temperature range, and any modification made after delivery. Wear items — zipper sliders, elastic loops and printed logos — are expected to age with use and are handled as spares rather than warranty claims.

Send the order reference, quantity affected, photographs or video showing the defect, and, where possible, the carton or lot marking. We respond with a classification — manufacturing defect, wear, or handling damage — because the remedy follows from the cause, not from the complaint.

Replacement units in the next shipment, a credit against the defective quantity, or rework where the defect is repairable — whichever is agreed in the contract. We settle confirmed defects rather than argue about whether a broken zipper on arrival is your problem.

The usual causes are an under-specified cycle rating, misaligned zipper tape during assembly, and coating wear on waterproof tapes. We specify cycle life and brand on the PO, check alignment in-process, and test smooth operation on finished units before packing.

Delamination traces back to adhesive selection, lamination temperature or surface contamination on the foam. It is avoided by controlling the lamination window and by testing bond strength on incoming laminated material, which is exactly why it is an IQC item rather than a cosmetic surprise at final inspection.

In most cases it is compression or heat during transit: tightly stacked cartons in a hot container can set a temporary deformation into a permanent one. We address it by specifying carton strength, stack height and, where relevant, split-shell or un-nested packing, and we will review the packing plan with you after any such incident.

Yes. For contracted programmes we can supply spare zippers, sliders, handles and elastic loops with the shipment or as a separate small consignment. Planning spares at order time is far cheaper than air-freighting them after a customer complaint.

Returns are handled case by case and only for confirmed manufacturing defects; custom-made goods in good condition are not returnable, which is standard for made-to-order manufacturing. The practical protection is inspection before shipment, not returns afterwards.

By going back to the sealed pre-production sample held by both parties and comparing the disputed attribute against it. If a sample was never sealed, we settle on the written specification in the order; this is why we push for sealed samples on every first order.

Within 3 business hours on business days for the first response, with a classification and proposed remedy. Fast first response matters because it stops your customer from escalating while the root cause is still being checked.

Accepting a quote before the spec is frozen. A price is only comparable when density, hardness, wall thickness, zipper brand, lining and logo method are all named — otherwise the cheapest quote is simply the one that cut something you did not specify.

Three steps: seal a physical PP sample with both parties holding one, write fabric grammage and zipper brand into the contract, and hold final payment until inspection passes. Sample-to-bulk substitution is the single largest category of quality dispute in this industry, and it is prevented by procedure, not by trust.

Ask for a live video walkthrough of cutting, forming, sewing and QC, and ask them to show the most similar case they have produced and how they controlled its highest-risk seam or performance claim. A real factory answers specifically; a middleman answers in generalities and hesitates on the walkthrough.

Because the variables that are invisible in a unit price — foam density, fabric grammage, zipper brand, adhesive quality — are exactly where cost can be removed without changing the photograph. The cheapest quote usually wins on one of those, and you pay for it in returns rather than in the invoice.

Waterproof or IP ratings, drop-height claims, load ratings and "anti-static" or "flame-retardant" statements. Each is a property of the finished tested assembly, not of the material name, and each should come with the standard used and the test conditions.

Usually not. Device makers rarely run foam forming and case assembly, so the "bundle" is typically resold at a markup with less control over the interior fit. Buying the case from a case specialist and shipping the device separately for fit validation costs less and fits better.

When you need crush resistance under heavy stacking, true submersion (IP67/68), or repeated rough handling in industrial and military logistics. EVA wins on weight, cost and shock absorption for everything else, and choosing hard plastic without one of those three reasons usually just doubles your cost.

Nine items: external dimensions and tolerance, foam density and Shore hardness with the scale named, wall thickness, outer fabric and denier, lining material, zipper brand and cycle life, logo method and position, Pantone reference, and the required test standards. A spec with these nine is comparable across suppliers; one without them is not.

During device design, not after it is frozen. Interior layout, cavity clearance and overall dimensions are cheapest to change on a drawing and most expensive to change after tooling — and involving us early often removes a millimetre that saves a freight band.

Tooling, sampling and sample freight, inbound freight and insurance, duty and taxes at your HS rate, customs broker fees, destination delivery, and inspection cost. Modelling these before ordering is what separates a working margin from a surprise, which is why we quote itemised rather than as one number.

Freeze the spec, seal the sample, and inspect before you pay the balance — in that order. Nearly every dispute we are asked to fix started with one of those three steps being skipped, and none of them cost anything to do.