TAKEBOXHow to choose a flight case
A badly chosen case is an expensive mistake — it either doesn’t protect or gets in the way. Here’s the process we walk every order through: from the contents through transport method to hardware.
1. Start from what you carry
The foundation is a precise description of the contents: dimensions, weight, sensitivity and value. A mixer can take different treatment than a measuring instrument worth a fortune. The more sensitive and expensive the equipment, the more it pays to go for custom manufacturing with foam CNC-cut to shape.
2. How often and by what it travels
A one-off trip in your own car is a different discipline from weekly truck loading with a freight company. For repeated use choose a more robust construction: metal corners, aluminium edges, quality latches. With freight, assume the case will be handled by someone with no attachment to it.
3. Interior layout
- Custom foam insert — for sensitive instruments and anything that must not move (audio, measuring equipment, optics).
- Full-extension drawers — for tools, accessories and anything you need quick access to (service & industry).
- Compartments and dividers — for panels, displays and things loaded vertically (LED panels).
- Kombinace — drawers below, compartments above. Try it in the 3D designer.
4. Weight and handling
Can one person lift the loaded case? If not, you need braked castors (our standard is Blickle 100 mm), folding handles and ideally dimensions that pass through doorways and fit into a van. Measure this in advance — lifts and door frames decide more often than anything else.
5. Hardware decides lifespan
Latches, handles and corners are where cheap cases die first. We use genuine Adam Hall and Penn Elcom hardware — it’s replaceable, so the case lives for years even in daily use.
Case types by use
The same contents can travel in different types of case — the difference is how fast you reach the equipment and how you work on site. A quick overview that makes the decision easier:
- Transport case — a closed wheeled box for safely moving anything from equipment to parts. The core of our range — see custom transport cases.
- Transport trunk — low, carryable, with custom foam. For tools, measuring equipment, optics and accessory kits.
- Drawer case — every tool has its place and you see the contents without unpacking. The service-team standard — see drawer cases.
- Workstation — the equipment stays plugged in inside; you work on a slide-out worktop. Show control, broadcast, field service — example: mobile workstation.
- 19" rack — rails for standardised audio and IT equipment; your devices determine the number of U and the depth.
- Long trunk — tripods, profiles, poles; length exactly to the contents — see the long transport trunk.
Materials and construction in practice
The standard is 6.5 mm plywood with the tough Hexagon surface — strong, relatively light and easy to clean. For heavy duty (freight, construction sites, daily shows) go for the 9 mm panel and a reinforced floor; when every kilogram counts — airline limits, for instance — we offer the lighter Fusion build and a plastic sandwich. Edges are always held by aluminium profiles and the most stressed points are protected by metal corners.
We use genuine Adam Hall and Penn Elcom hardware — the same brands you’ll find on touring cases of major productions. What matters is that it’s replaceable: a torn-off handle or a dented corner isn’t the end of the case, just routine service. A repairable construction is what makes a flight case an investment for years, not a season.
Dimensions step by step
Interior case dimension = contents dimension + insert allowance. For sensitive equipment count on 30–50 mm of foam per side; tougher contents need less. The exterior dimension adds the construction — roughly 25–40 mm per side — and, on wheeled cases, the castors (100–125 mm of height). It’s the exterior dimension you compare against your limits: door height, lift cabin, the van’s load bed.
A real-world example: a 60 × 40 × 20 cm mixer with 30 mm foam needs an interior of roughly 66 × 46 × 26 cm; with the construction and castors the exterior height lands around 40 cm and the case passes through ordinary doors without trouble. Send us the equipment dimensions and your space limits and we do this whole calculation for you — including allowance for connectors and cabling at the back.
Castors, handles and latches by real-world use
Choose castors by terrain and weight: braked Blickle 100 mm are the standard; heavy rigs and rougher surfaces call for a larger diameter with higher capacity. Brakes belong on at least two castors — on a ramp or sloping floor they decide everything. Handles are recessed (don’t obstruct stacking) or corner-mounted for two-person handling; on tall cases folding handles at top and bottom help.
Latches: butterflies are the fastest and most common, optionally lockable with a key or combination — important wherever the case is left unattended (freight, warehouses, festival backstage). If you plan to stack cases, tell us in advance — we prepare the corners for safe stacking.
What a flight case costs and when it pays off
Three things drive the price: dimensions, material and equipment (drawers, CNC-cut foam, castors, marking). A simple trunk costs a few thousand crowns; a large workstation tens of thousands. But always compare against the value of the contents and the cost of downtime: a single dropped mixer or measuring instrument exceeds the difference between a universal trunk and custom manufacturing several times over.
Our design and quote are free and non-binding — we build from one piece to series for whole teams. For a detailed comparison of off-the-shelf vs. custom, read custom vs. off-the-shelf; for the most common missteps, see transport mistakes.
Quick checklist
- Dimensions and weight of the contents (interior case dimensions)
- Space limits: doors, lift, vehicle (exterior dimensions)
- Transport frequency and who handles the case
- Interior: foam / drawers / compartments / combination
- Running gear, handles, latches — by real handling
- Marking: logo, labels, asset tracking
Don’t want to figure it out yourself? Send a no-obligation inquiry with what you carry — we’ll prepare the layout design and the quote. Find more answers in the FAQ database.