Receiving, Storing and Handling Coated Aluminum Coil.
Coated coil spends days to weeks in transit before it reaches a dock. What happens in the first hour after arrival, and in storage afterward, decides whether the coating surface reaches the line in the condition it left the mill.
Key takeaways
- Orbit packs coil with kraft paper and protective layers as appropriate, eye and edge protection, radial and axial strapping, pallets or skids, and lot and specification tagging. The packaging specification is confirmed per order.
- On arrival, inspect for wetness and damage, ideally while the coil is still on the vehicle, and record what you find on the receiving papers.
- Lift from the eye with the correct tooling, store indoors, keep the coil dry and off the ground, and leave the wrapping on, if it is intact and dry, until you are ready to run.
- Condensation is a storage risk to plan for: water trapped between wraps can stain aluminum, and cold coil moved straight into a warm space can sweat.
- Keep prepainted coil clear of moisture and abrasion.
How is coated coil packed for shipment?
Each coil is wrapped with kraft paper and protective layers as appropriate. The eye and edges are protected, radial and axial strapping binds the wrap, and the coil is mounted on pallets or skids and loaded for container shipment.
Each coil is tagged with lot and specification details. Coil ships from Aqaba. Port-to-port transit estimates are typically 5 to 13 days to Europe and around 25 days to the USA, and nearby markets are served by land. The packaging specification is confirmed per order.
What should I check when the coil arrives?
Inspect incoming coil for wetness and physical damage, ideally before it leaves the vehicle, and write what you find on the receiving papers.
Then read the lot and specification tag on each coil against the certificate and the purchase order. The post on reading a mill test certificate sets out that check. Photograph any damage to the wrapping, the edges or the eye before anything is moved, and report it to the supplier with the lot reference.
How should the coil be lifted and moved?
Lift from the eye with the correct tooling. Keep tooling and slings away from the edges and the coated surface, and keep the coil secured whenever it is moved or stored.
Where and how should the coil be stored?
Indoors, dry and off the ground, away from condensation. Keep coil away from outside doors and humid areas, and keep the wrapping intact. Storage outdoors under wrapping alone is not what Orbit's guidance describes.
Coils stored eye-horizontal should rest on clean padding or cradles, not directly on the floor. Leave the wrapping on, if it is intact and dry, until you are ready to run the coil, and open it only as far as the job requires.
Leaving the wrapping on assumes it is intact and dry. If the packaging is torn, wet or shows moisture, photograph it, note it on the receiving paperwork, and contact the supplier before the coil goes into storage.
Why does condensation matter, and what about cold coil?
Water trapped between wraps can stain aluminum, and with no airflow to carry the water away, prolonged contact causes a reaction with the metal. Condensation forms when the metal is colder than the dew point of the air around it, which can happen when cold coil is moved straight into a warm space.
Hold cold metal in a cool indoor area, away from drafts, until it warms gradually, and only then move it into a heated warehouse.
What changes for prepainted coil?
Keep prepainted coil clear of moisture and abrasion, and leave the wrapping on, if it is intact and dry, until you are ready to run it. Protective film and lubrication are available from Orbit to guard the surface through forming, handling and transit.
If your process involves long storage or several handling steps before the coil is run, ask for protective film in the RFQ so it is part of the packaging specification from the start.
What if the coil is only partly used?
Partially used coils should be tightly rebanded. The same storage rules apply to what is left: indoors, dry, off the ground and wrapped. Cover any exposed coating surface before the coil goes back into storage, and keep the lot reference on the remaining coil so traceability is not lost.
How do I tell Orbit what packing I need?
The packaging specification is confirmed per order, so put the details in the RFQ:
- How the coil will be handled: forklift or crane
- The coil inner diameter your uncoiler needs (Orbit's is 406 to 508 mm) and the maximum coil weight you can take (rolled coil is up to 10 metric tons at maximum width)
- Labeling and tagging requirements
- Whether you want protective film
- The destination, so container loading can be planned
Orbit's packaging and handling page shows the packing steps, and the buyer's checklist covers the rest of a complete RFQ. We respond to RFQs within one business day.
Common questions
How is Orbit coil protected in transit?
Coil is wrapped with kraft paper and protective layers as appropriate, with eye and edge protection, radial and axial strapping, pallets or skids, lot and specification tagging, and container loading. The packaging specification is confirmed per order.
Can I store coil outdoors under its wrapping?
Orbit's guidance is to store coil indoors, dry and off the ground, away from condensation, with the wrapping left on, if it is intact and dry, until you are ready to run it. Storage outdoors under wrapping alone is not what that guidance describes.
Should I unwrap coil when it arrives?
Inspect the wrapping, tags and edges on arrival, and leave the wrapping on, if it is intact and dry, until you are ready to run the coil.
Can Orbit supply protective film?
Yes. Protective film and lubrication are available to protect the surface through forming, handling and transit.
How is coil traced from dispatch to receipt?
Each coil is tagged with lot and specification details, so it can be matched to its certificate and specification on arrival.
References
- The Aluminum Association: Guidelines for Minimizing Water Staining of Aluminum: general guidance on water staining of aluminum.
- The Aluminum Association: Handling of Aluminum Plate, Flat Sheet & Coil: general guidance on handling, storage, processing and inspection.
Packing requirements for your handling setup?
Tell us your handling equipment, labeling needs and destination. We respond to RFQs within one business day.