Co-packing 4: hasenkamp, packaging and shipping with an artful mind

Hardly any other commodity requires as much expert knowledge, technical skill, improvisation talent and intuition as art. The fifth-generation, owner-managed family business hasenkamp is the market leader in Packaging, storage and Transport from especially sensitive and high-quality Goods.

Sometimes works of art also have to travel to spread their message. However, they are becoming increasingly valuable and the distances to be travelled in our networked world are increasing. That is why Packaging and logistics of works of art is attracting increasing attention. For companies that have gained national and international experience in this field over many years, even major cultural events are part of normal business. Nevertheless, the Planning The logistical prerequisites for minimising all risks are more important than for other goods.

Handling works of art during transport

Due to the fragility of the artworks and increasing values, the demands on the packaging and the underlying art logistics have become increasingly stringent.

The highest maxim of art logistics is the Sensitive handling with cultural assets and the preservation of their originality. After all, art is unique and cannot be restored. In the past, it was packed in boxes padded with straw and lashed down on carriages. Today climate-stable, sometimes Shock-absorbing special containers used for the transport of art.

Shielded from possible environmental influences, these packagings are produced in safe, environmentally friendly packaging, air-suspended, air-conditioned transported by lorry. In international returnable transport, the goods are then often transported onwards by plane. In order to comprehensively minimise all risks, planning the logistical requirements is far more important than for other goods. Accordingly, transport to individual object conditions planned and implemented. The following principle applies: Goods - route - packaging.

hasenkamp as a partner with the necessary expertise

Since its foundation in 1903, the hasenkamp company has developed into a European market leader in the field of Packaging, storage and the Transports especially more sensitive and of higher quality goods. With a brief interruption during the Second World War, the company was able to continuously expand its expertise in this field. Today, over 600 employees at the headquarters in Cologne, in the 13 branches established in the meantime (after 1990 also in Dresden) as well as in the branches within the EU, in Asia and the Middle East highest Quality, safety and Discretion for handling sensitive products.

Especially when it comes to handling art objects, the expertise includes not only pure transport by land, air and sea, but also, after thorough Research, concept development and Budget planning is also the Copacking, In other words, the construction of customised packaging that is designed according to the specifications of the museum staff and conservators, for example. Dismantling, transport, storage and assembly on site also follow special rules. Because every work of art is unique, it also requires a customised logistics solution, which is provided by the market leader hasenkamp.

Packaging as a prerequisite for the transport of art

The following are available for art handling A wide variety of packaging concepts The starting points are always the plant itself and the customer's requirements. Furthermore, it is extremely important to analyse the expected Loads during transport, handling and storage.

Sometimes only proper packaging allows transport. Transport packaging is always case-specific and cannot be generalised, as art is not standardised. For example, the surfaces of paintings are generally highly sensitive and must not come into contact with any packaging materials. For these cases, for example Transport frame in which the work is fixed using a patented hanging system. The overall portfolio ranges from simple Protective packaging through to shock-absorbing and fire-retardant Climate boxes, which guarantee constant temperature and humidity conditions inside the packaging. In addition, both strict conservation as well as Ecological requirements to be taken into account.

Packaging the irreplaceable

As early as 1965, due to the special features of the special packaging required, hasenkamp set up a special production facility in Cologne for the manufacture of this packaging. Own joinery and metalworking shop set up. Even today, all crate types are in-house developments that are used in the in-house manufactory can be produced.

It goes without saying that hasenkamp not only packs and transports paintings, but also three-dimensional objects. These supposedly „robust“ products can pose packaging and logistical challenges. One example is bronze sculptures, for which the highly sensitive oxidised layer - the so-called patina - is a key authenticity feature. If they are shipped, they must under no circumstances be damaged by the use of unsuitable packaging material. In some cases complex sculptures beforehand with the help of 3D scanners scanned in order to create individual Shell components, that can be put together like Lego pieces.

In the field of contemporary art, too, the Logistics of large sculptures new ways of thinking - as exemplified by the artist Jeff Koons, reports Hans-Ewald Schneider, Managing Director of Kunstspedition hasenkamp. Due to the dimensions of the objects, they hardly fit into any exhibition hall. In addition to the transport problem, these sculptures must not actually be touched at all due to their extremely sensitive, high-gloss painted surfaces. But even for this, a hasenkamp team of experts using the latest technology customised packaging and transport solution.

When the company collects works of art, it brings everything with it, from the tools to the forklift truck to the transport crane. The packing is carried out by employees who need to be experienced, have steady hands and patience and ideally have learnt a trade that enables them to work with Dexterity and Expertise to get to work. Examine and document beforehand Restorers the condition of the works in detail.

„The best packers have sensitivity because they have learnt a trade,“ emphasises Hans-Ewald Schneider, Managing Director of Kunstspedition hasenkamp.

Once the works of art have been placed in the transport containers labelled „Packed and shipped by hasenkamp“ they are stored at hasenkamp in Safety bearings.

In order to minimise any risk during onward transport, the principle is not to send all of a client's products together, but to separate the packages at the airport and distribute them across several cargo planes. After all, the order is only completed when all the artworks have arrived intact at their intended destination.

Successful present with a view to the future

In order to meet the growing national and international requirements and the increasing demand for concepts for particularly high-quality and sensitive assets, a New logistics centre which not only accommodates the increased transport volume, but also the high safety requirements corresponds. Accordingly, it goes without saying that Only certified quality in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:2016 and 14001:2004 and 50001:2011 as well as the international FAIM standard.

There is also constant further development in the area of speciality packaging, which is carried out in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) in Dortmund through the processing of research and development tasks.

After 115 years, hasenkamp is still going strong: If you don't move with the times, you move with the times.