HPE is the German federal association for wooden packaging, pallets and export packaging (Bundesverband Holzpackmittel · Paletten · Exportverpackung). Its best-known output is a packing guideline for technical goods, which sets out how export crates and cases should be dimensioned, built, treated and secured. Member companies commit to building to these specifications, which gives buyers of machinery and equipment a common technical reference.
What HPE is and what the guideline is for
HPE represents manufacturers of wooden packaging in Germany: pallets, crates, cases and packaging for industrial export. The association publishes a guideline for packing technical goods, and member firms agree to manufacture export packaging in line with its requirements. The guideline is not a law and not an ISO or EN standard. It is an industry document, used in contracts and in the purchasing rules of equipment makers, which can make it binding between the parties that refer to it.
The edition widely circulated among plant builders is the second revised edition of 2010. It covers load assumptions for the different transport modes, protection against atmospheric influences, materials, construction types and dimensions, corrosion protection, stowage in containers, air freight, load securing and markings. Readers should check with the association whether a newer edition applies to a given project.
The guideline sits alongside, not in place of, other rules. ISPM 15 governs the phytosanitary treatment of the wood, and the international CTU Code governs how finished packages are stowed and secured inside containers and vehicles (see load securing standards).
Crate construction types
A crate in the HPE logic is a box assembled from a base, side and end walls and a lid, joined at right angles and designed to protect the goods and carry the loads of handling. The guideline sorts crates into construction types by the mass of the packed goods:
| Construction types | Mass of goods | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A1 to A6 | Up to 500 kg | Lighter equipment, components, instruments |
| B1 to B3 | Over 500 kg | Heavy machinery, large assemblies |
Within each family the types differ in how the walls are framed, whether the sides are boarded or closed with sheet material, and how the base takes the load. The principle is that the lighter types may rely on the packaging walls for part of the stiffness, while the heavy types use a load-bearing base frame with the goods fixed to it. The wider family of crate styles is described in export crates and wooden boxes and cases.
Dimensioning rules
The guideline gives practical design values that make the difference between a crate that survives the journey and one that does not. Figures from the 2010 edition include:
- A minimum clearance of about 3 cm between the goods and the packaging wall, so that shocks do not transmit directly into the product.
- Batten spacing of roughly 80 cm, and not more than 100 cm.
- Edge boards at least 10 cm wide.
- Forklift openings at least 10 cm high.
- Static stacking load of 10 kN/m² (about 1 tonne per square meter) as a design basis where stacking is possible.
Each of these is a minimum or a typical value for the standard design. A packing engineer may deviate where a calculation shows it is safe, for example for very heavy or unusually shaped goods. The point of the guideline is to give a defensible starting point.
Timber and materials
HPE refers to German timber grading under DIN 4074 for sawn softwood. In the 2010 edition, boards are specified as grade S7 or MS7 (the M indicating machine grading) and battens and joists as S10 or MS10. Higher grades are required where the member carries bending or lashing loads. The background to grading is covered in lumber grading.
Wood-based panels are permitted where weather resistance is assured. The guideline names weather-resistant plywood and OSB/3 or OSB/4 boards; see engineered wood in packaging for how these materials behave.
Moisture matters because wood that is too wet can mold in a sealed crate and shrink after the goods are fixed. The guideline refers to semi-dry timber for most packaging use; see wood moisture content for the physics.
All solid wood of 6 mm thickness or more used for export must be ISPM 15 compliant: debarked (small bark residues under 3 cm width are tolerated), treated by heat treatment or methyl bromide, and marked with the standard stamp. Methyl bromide is now rarely used, and heat treatment is the usual route. Plywood and OSB made with glue and heat are generally treated as processed wood and are outside the scope of the mark, but this should be confirmed for the destination country.
Load assumptions and securing
Packaging must withstand forces from every transport mode on the route. The 2010 guideline lists design accelerations by mode, for example 1.0 g forward and 0.5 g backward for road transport, and 4.0 g for rail shunting. Real routes are often multimodal, so the governing value is the highest one the crate will meet.
Securing the goods inside the crate is treated as a separate task from securing the crate in the vehicle or container. The goods are normally bolted or blocked to the base through runners or skids, because friction alone does not hold heavy items in shunting or sea conditions. The guideline provides a method for calculating horizontal forces on the fastenings, taking into account the acceleration, the mass and the friction between the goods and the base.
Corrosion protection is part of the package design. Depending on method, such as polyethylene film, aluminum sandwich film or vapor-phase corrosion inhibitors (VCI), the protection is rated to last from about 6 to 24 months. Humidity indicators and shock monitors are recommended for sensitive equipment, and the markings of the crate should follow the symbols in ISO 780 handling symbols.
Using the guideline in practice
For a buyer, referring to HPE in a purchase order is a short way of specifying build quality. For a packer, the guideline provides a checklist: determine mass and center of gravity, choose a construction type, select grades, calculate the fastening forces, define the corrosion protection, then mark and document. Packages for sea routes also need to account for condensation; see seaworthy packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HPE guideline mandatory?
No. It is an industry guideline, not a law or an ISO standard. It becomes binding only when a contract or purchasing specification refers to it.
What do the crate types A and B mean?
In the 2010 edition, types A1 to A6 cover goods up to 500 kg and types B1 to B3 cover goods over 500 kg. The heavier types use a load-bearing base frame.
Does an HPE crate need ISPM 15 treatment?
Yes, if it contains solid wood of 6 mm or more and goes into international trade. The guideline requires debarking, an approved treatment and the ISPM 15 mark on the wood.
Which timber grades does HPE call for?
The 2010 edition specifies S7 or MS7 for boards and S10 or MS10 for battens and joists, graded to DIN 4074.
Sources
- HPE Guideline for Packing, 2nd revised edition 2010 — HPE (hosted by Primetals Technologies)
- Bundesverband Holzpackmittel Paletten Exportverpackung (HPE) e.V. — renewable-carbon.eu
- CTU Code: a quick guide (2020) — Cargo Integrity Group, via IPPC
- Marking goods, Part 2 — GDV Container Handbook