Automation from manufacture through assembly and coating keeps US military in shipping and transport containers When military equipment such as weapons, ammunition, ordinance, missiles, PCs, or radio/communication gear is shipped or stored, special containers must keep it secure, prevent damage, and ensure it is ready when needed, anywhere around the world.   This often requires protection from shock, vibration, temperature, moisture, pressure, dust, or other environmental intrusions, which can compromise sensitive components or electronics as well as function.  Other factors such as portability, weight, and ease of deployment also come into play. As a result, defense contractors frequently need such specialized containers manufactured in volume at the highest levels of quality, customized for the application, often with environmental seals or sophisticated control systems.  Consequently, they need suppliers they can rely on. Today this often involves utilizing contractors with highly automated, robotic manufacturing capabilities with a capability to do most of the work and testing in-house, since traditional manual manufacturing techniques can be slow and introduce human error. As such, some contractors can produce at high volume with the utmost repeatability in an essentially “lights out” fashion.  The upside of this approach is that such automated processes can not only increase precision and reliability, but also reduce cost while meeting demand. Optimizing Container Manufacturing  Manufacturing military shipping and storage containers can be a complex process, much more so than putting together a simple shipping crate.
Automated paint Line
For instance, manufacturing a missile container can involve cutting sheet metal to the right sizes, embossing it with a punch press, forming it into the right shapes, cleaning and welding it, followed by coating, and then assembly of various components. Missile containers are actually quite complex, and involve a wide range of components, according to Gregory S. Wilson, Jr., Vice President and General Manager of Precision Metal Industries (PMI), a Pompano Beach, Florida-based sheet metal and precision machining contract manufacturer that has fabricated tens of thousands of missile containers for the U.S. military. Based on its experience with one of the leading defense contractors in the country, the company is already configured to run on an automated, 24/7 basis with capacity to produce more than 500 high quality military containers each month.  
According to Wilson, missile containers are complex, multi-faceted assemblies.  In fact, these containers typically include a custom container cover, container base, external fastening devices, lifting handles, missile suspension system (cradle, missile latches, and shock isolators), environmental seal, desiccant bags, pressure gauge, and manual and automatic pressure relief mechanisms (to equalize internal pressure during changes in atmospheric pressure).