Custom Foam Inserts for Pelican Cases: 7 Equipment Types

Protective cases are designed to keep valuable equipment safe during transport, storage, and use in demanding environments. However, even a robust Pelican case can only provide part of the protection. Equipment inside the case can still move, knock against other items, or become damaged by repeated vibration and handling.

Custom foam inserts provide a way to protect the contents as well as the case itself. By creating individual recesses around each item, the foam can hold equipment securely in position while keeping components organised and easy to access.

So, what types of equipment benefit most from custom foam inserts for Pelican cases? Here are seven common applications where bespoke internal protection can make a difference.

Custom Foam Inserts: A Quick Look

Custom foam can be designed around different types of equipment, from precision instruments to complete specialist kits. The table below summarises the main applications covered in the sections that follow.

Equipment type	Main consideration	How a custom insert can help
Precision instruments	Delicate components and controls	Supports the instrument while leaving clearance around vulnerable areas
Test and measurement equipment	Multiple components and accessories	Keeps the complete kit organised and separated
Engineering tools	Irregular shapes and frequent handling	Creates dedicated recesses for individual tools
Cameras and AV equipment	Delicate and varied components	Separates cameras, lenses, microphones and accessories
Electronic equipment	Connectors, screens and controls	Provides support without unnecessary pressure on sensitive parts
Scientific and laboratory equipment	Specialist shapes and fragile components	Creates cavities suited to unusual equipment profiles
Specialist kits	Multiple items used together	Organises the complete system within one case

1. Precision Instruments

Common examples: Surveying instruments, optical equipment, inspection devices and specialist measuring tools.

Precision instruments often need to be handled carefully, particularly when they are used for testing, inspection, measurement, or calibration. Even relatively small impacts or movement during transport can affect sensitive components or make equipment more vulnerable to damage.

A custom foam insert can be designed around the exact shape of each instrument, providing support where it is needed while leaving clearance around delicate areas. This can be particularly useful when an instrument has controls, connectors, displays, or other parts that need to remain accessible.

Keeping sensitive equipment secure

A bespoke layout also helps prevent instruments from moving around inside the case. Instead of relying on loose foam or packing materials to fill empty space, each item has a dedicated position.

This can make the case easier to pack and unpack, while also making it clear whether anything has been left behind. For engineers or technicians carrying several instruments between sites, that organisation can be just as useful as the physical protection.

2. Test and Measurement Equipment

Common examples: Multimeters, analysers, data loggers, sensors and thermal imaging equipment.

Test and measurement equipment is often transported between laboratories, production facilities, construction sites, and other working environments. These items can vary considerably in size and shape, making a standard foam configuration less suitable.

Custom foam allows the interior of a Pelican case to be designed around the complete equipment set rather than a generic layout. This provides support for individual items while making better use of the available space.

Protecting the complete kit

A single case may need to hold the main instrument alongside probes, leads, adapters, batteries, and other accessories. Individual compartments can keep these components separated during transport and make them easier to identify when the case is opened.

For equipment that is regularly moved between locations, this can create a more practical system for transport, storage, and day-to-day use.

3. Engineering Tools and Equipment

Common examples: Torque tools, diagnostic equipment, specialist hand tools and measuring equipment.

Engineers often need to carry a collection of tools and equipment from one site to another. Keeping everything secure and organised becomes more important when the case is regularly loaded into vehicles, carried between locations, or used in demanding working environments.

Custom foam inserts can give each tool its own position within the case. The foam can be shaped around handles, irregular profiles, and other features that would be difficult to accommodate with a simple flat insert.

Making tools easier to organise

A well-designed insert can also make it easier to see what is inside the case at a glance. If a tool has not been returned to its allocated position, the empty recess makes it immediately obvious.

This approach is useful for specialist engineering kits where the contents need to remain together and ready for use. Trojan Crates identifies engineering tools among the common applications for Peli cases, making this a natural use for bespoke internal protection.

4. Cameras and AV Equipment

Common examples: Cameras, lenses, microphones, monitors and recording equipment.

Cameras and audiovisual equipment can contain a large number of individual components, many of which have unusual shapes or delicate surfaces. Putting everything into a case without a defined layout can allow components to move around during transport.

Custom foam inserts can create individual spaces for each item, helping keep the equipment separated and secure. The insert can also account for components that need additional clearance or support.

Creating a practical equipment layout

The foam can be designed around how the equipment is used. Frequently accessed items can be positioned where they are easy to reach, while smaller accessories can have dedicated compartments to prevent them from becoming lost among larger equipment.

This can be particularly useful for production teams and touring professionals who regularly pack and unpack equipment between locations. A Pelican case with a bespoke foam interior can become a reusable equipment system rather than simply a container for transporting gear.

5. Electronic Equipment

Common examples: Control units, circuit testing equipment, communications devices and specialist electronic instruments.

Electronic equipment can range from specialist devices and control systems to communication technology and other technical components. The equipment may need protection from impact and movement, while connectors, screens, switches, and other exposed parts may require additional care.

Custom foam can be cut around these features to provide support without placing unnecessary pressure on sensitive areas.

Supporting components during transport

Where several electronic components travel together, a bespoke insert can also separate individual items and accessories. This reduces the likelihood of equipment coming into contact during handling and makes the contents easier to manage.

The layout can be designed around the equipment rather than forcing the equipment to fit a standard arrangement. This is particularly useful where the case needs to carry a complete working kit.

6. Scientific and Laboratory Equipment

Common examples: Laboratory instruments, sampling equipment, optical devices and specialist research equipment.

Scientific equipment is often highly specialised, with individual components that may be expensive, fragile, or difficult to replace. Some equipment can also have unusual dimensions that make standard protective packaging unsuitable.

A custom foam insert can provide a closer fit around instruments and components, helping reduce movement inside the case during storage and transport.

Protecting unusual shapes

The flexibility of CNC-routed foam makes it possible to create different cavity sizes, depths, and profiles within the same insert. This can accommodate a mixture of equipment while still keeping individual items separated.

For research and development work, where specialist equipment may need to travel between facilities, this can provide a practical way to protect equipment throughout its journey.

7. Specialist Kits and Multi-Component Equipment

Common examples: Field kits, inspection kits, service kits and equipment sets combining tools and instruments.

Some equipment does not fit neatly into a single category. Specialist kits may combine tools, instruments, electronics, components, and accessories that all need to travel together.

In these situations, the main advantage of custom foam is the ability to design the complete interior around the kit.

Designing around the whole system

Rather than creating protection for one item, the foam can incorporate separate recesses for every component. The layout can also take account of how the equipment is packed, removed, and used.

This can make a significant difference where a case is opened regularly in the field. Each item has a defined position, making it easier to check the contents, return equipment after use, and identify anything missing before the case is closed.

What to Consider When Planning a Custom Foam Insert

The equipment itself should be the starting point when designing a bespoke foam insert. Its size and shape are important, but so are the way it is handled, the components that travel with it, and how often the case is opened.

Before an insert is designed, it can be useful to consider:

• Everything that needs to fit in the case: Include the main equipment, accessories, cables, batteries, tools, and other components that need to travel together.
• The most vulnerable parts: Identify screens, controls, connectors, lenses, probes, handles, and other areas that may need additional clearance or support.
• How the equipment is handled: Consider which items are removed frequently and which need to remain firmly supported during transport.
• How the case will be used: A case travelling between sites every day may need a different layout from one used mainly for storage.
• Future changes: If equipment or accessories are likely to change, consider whether the insert needs to allow for additions or modifications.

Taking these factors into account can produce a more practical layout and reduce the need for loose packing materials inside the case.

Protect Your Equipment with a Bespoke Case Interior

The right foam insert can turn a standard Pelican case into a protective system designed around the equipment it carries. Whether the case holds precision instruments, engineering tools, electronics, cameras, or a complete specialist kit, a bespoke layout can keep everything secure, organised, and ready to use.

At Trojan Crates, custom CNC-routed foam inserts can be designed around the size and shape of your equipment and fitted to the appropriate Peli case. This allows the case and its internal protection to work together, providing a solution built around the equipment and the journey it needs to withstand.

Need custom foam inserts for a Pelican case? Talk to Trojan Crates about your equipment and transport requirements, and we’ll help you create the right protective solution.