Salem · Tamil Nadu
Plywood, crates and pallets for Salem's steel and textile-machinery despatch.
Salem's packing is rarely about furniture and almost always about industrial despatch — stainless and carbon steel, magnesite, textile machinery. We manufacture the packing-grade plywood, crates and pallets that move it, on an overnight lane from Perumbavoor our group has run since 1986.
The industrial picture
Steel, engineering and the textile corridor
Three buyer clusters in and around Salem drive most of our enquiries.
Stainless steel and the downstream cold-rolling belt
Salem's large stainless-steel plant on the Salem–Mettur Dam Road anchors a wider ecosystem of stainless cold rollers, polishers and tube makers around Pottaneri, Suramangalam and the SIDCO estate. Coil-edge protection, slit-strip pallets and export crates for sheet stock are the common asks — the packing is unforgiving, since stainless shows every dent.
Forging, foundry and engineering — SIDCO Kannankurichi
The SIDCO estate at Kannankurichi and the pockets at Ayothiapattinam carry forging shops, foundries and general-engineering units shipping pump components, valves and steel castings. These are the classic export-crate buyers — heavy, dense parts that need a stiff base, gusseted corners and a 12 mm or 18 mm packing-grade skin.
Textile and home-furnishing — the Salem–Erode–Tiruppur corridor
Salem sits on the same yarn-and-fabric corridor as Erode and Tiruppur. Mill expansions, second-hand machinery imports through Chennai and Tuticorin, and finished made-ups exports all generate plywood case demand — larger in volume but lighter in density, which changes the panel choice.
What we ship
Packing-grade ply, crates, pallets, flooring
The bulk of what leaves our yard for Salem is commercial / rubberwood packing-grade plywood in 8 ft × 4 ft. Thickness is driven by the load:
| Load profile | Typical thickness | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light textile-machinery cases, made-ups, finished goods | 6 mm / 8 mm | Skin only — the frame carries the load. |
| General engineering, pump and valve crates | 10 mm / 12 mm | The default for SIDCO Kannankurichi enquiries. |
| Stainless coil edge protection, sheet-stock cases | 14 mm / 15 mm | Stiff enough to absorb forklift contact. |
| Steel casting, forging, heavy machine bases | 16 mm / 18 mm | Used with hardwood runners; takes the weight directly. |
All rates are ex-factory; GST and freight extra. Thickness follows the trade norm — what is sold as 12 mm is the standard packing 11+ mm, and 18 mm is 17+ mm; the 6 mm and 8 mm panels are dispatched at face value. For buyers who want fully built crates, we build to drawing using heat-treated jackwood or rubberwood runners with packing-grade skinning, stamped at the factory for export consignments via Chennai, Tuticorin or Cochin. Two-way and four-way pallets and 18 mm container-flooring / case bases round out the range.
Logistics
Kochi to Salem — 360 km, an overnight run
Salem is roughly 360 km by road from our Kochi / Ernakulam yard via NH-544 through the Walayar–Coimbatore corridor and NH-544 / NH-44 onward. Loaded transit on a 32-ft or 22-ft truck is typically one overnight run — vehicles leaving Ernakulam in the evening clock into Salem the following morning. We dispatch single-customer full loads and consolidated part-loads where the order doesn't justify a full vehicle. For Salem buyers exporting via Tuticorin or Chennai, we can consolidate the crate-build at our end and truck the finished crates straight to the port.
Choosing a grade
Which panel for which job
- Packing grade vs Okoume — for domestic despatch within India, the commercial / rubberwood packing panel is almost always right. Okoume comes in only when the consignee specifies a lighter, cleaner face for an export crate; most Salem packers don't need it unless dealing with a European or GCC buyer.
- Packing grade vs shuttering — shuttering ply is film-faced BWP for concrete formwork, not crate-skinning. Salem's site-infrastructure contractors use shuttering; everyone else stays on packing grade.
- Single-batch vs running supply — one-off crate jobs run on spot quotes; weekly cratemakers (the SIDCO engineering shops, the stainless cold rollers) usually move to a monthly indent at a fixed price with the thickness mix locked in advance.
FAQ
Common questions from Salem buyers
Do you supply ISPM-15 stamped crates ready for export?
Yes. Crates are built using heat-treated wood and stamped at the factory before despatch; the crate documentation is provided with the consignment.
What is the minimum order for a Kochi-to-Salem despatch?
Full-truck loads are the cleanest economics. For smaller volumes we look at part-loads on shared vehicles running into Coimbatore and Salem; the freight per sheet is higher, but workable for trial orders or single-crate jobs.
Can you build crates to a drawing, or only standard sizes?
Built to drawing. Send the case GA — outer dimensions, gross weight, lifting points and any sea-worthy callouts — and we quote against that. Standard pallets we hold to known footprints; crates are job-specific.
Get a quote
Planning a Salem despatch?
Send the thickness, sheet size, monthly quantity and delivery point and we will revert with a Salem-landed price and a despatch window. Request a quote or browse the panel specs, crate-construction notes and packing-ply price card on our resource hub. Rates are ex-Kochi with GST and Salem freight quoted separately, so you see the full landed cost before confirming.