Firework Tube Inspection Checklist for Incoming Shipments

1. What a firework tube inspection is meant to catch

An arrival inspection is not a repeat of the factory's own quality control. It is a check that what left our floor is what reached your floor. Between the two, three things can go wrong: the goods were packed or counted incorrectly, they were damaged in transit, or the dimensions you asked for are not the dimensions that arrived. A short, fixed routine catches all three before the pallets are broken down and the cartons are absorbed into your warehouse.

Molded firework tube blocks are pressed, non-explosive components. They carry no pyrotechnic composition, so they are inspected, handled and stored like any other pressed part. That makes an arrival check straightforward: you are measuring a solid part and comparing it with a drawing.

2. The five-minute carton and pallet check

Start outside the cartons, while the load is still on the pallet. Transit damage is easiest to resolve when it is photographed before the cartons are redistributed.

• Pallet condition and wrap. On full-container loads, pallets are wrapped before the doors are closed. Confirm the wrap is intact and the pallet itself is dry and sound.
• Carton condition. Look for crush damage, water staining, or cartons that have been re-taped. Photograph anything you may need to raise later.
• Carton markings. The model code should be printed on the carton. An unmarked mixed pallet is the most common cause of a count dispute three weeks later.
• Carton count. Count cartons against the packing list before opening them — it is far quicker than counting blocks afterwards.

3. Counts, block footprint and run-out

With the cartons open, the first three things to confirm are the count, the block footprint and the alignment of the bores.

• Count. Each model is packed to a fixed quantity per carton, so a spot count of a few cartons is usually enough. Model codes follow one pattern across the range — D for nominal bore in millimetres, the number before F for shot count and the number before H for block height in millimetres — so D20*36F*180H is a 20 mm nominal bore, 36-shot, 180 mm block.
• Footprint. The pressed block should match the drawing for that model. Nominal block sizes are shown on each product page; if the footprint matters to your crate or magazine layout, check it against the drawing rather than the listing.
• Run-out. Sight down the bore array, or pass a straight rod through a few bores, to confirm the holes are straight and in line. A block that has been stacked under load can be pressed out of line, so it is worth sighting down a few bores rather than assuming.

4. Bore, wall and height against the drawing

Dimensions are where an arrival check earns its keep, because they are the numbers your assembly line actually feels.

• Bore. Our molded range is built on a 20 mm nominal bore. The mould is made to that bore class, and the finished bore, outer diameter and base depth are fixed on the model drawing. If your jig or shell fit depends on exact figures, ask for the drawing of the size you are considering and check the shipment against it.
• Wall. Stock blocks are pressed with walls across the 3–20 mm range. For combination blocks, our published reference for the wall between adjacent holes is 3 mm or more for holes up to 20 mm, 4 mm or more for 20–30 mm holes, and 5 mm or more at the outer edge. A wall that varies from bore to bore matters as much as the nominal wall, because the block will not seat the same way in a jig.
• Height. Blocks in the current range are 180 mm tall, and we produce tube lengths up to 1.2 m. Finished tube height and block height are separate numbers, so note which one your check is measuring.

5. The batch pressure test report and shipping documents

Every batch is pressure-tested before packing, and the test report ships with the goods rather than staying in our office. On arrival, that report is the first document to check.

• Batch pressure test report. Confirm the report covers the batch on the pallet in front of you. A report for a different batch number tells you nothing about the blocks you have just opened.
• Packing list. Model codes, quantities and carton counts should match what you have unpacked, line for line.
• Commercial documents. The invoice and packing list are the two you will need alongside your customs file; the wider set is set out on our resources page.

6. Agree the acceptance criteria before the first order

The simplest way to make an arrival check useful is to agree the acceptance rules before the first order ships. Write three things into the specification: which dimensions are checked, against which drawing, and what happens if a sampled carton fails.

Two more details are worth settling up front. First, whether the batch pressure test report and the model drawing travel with the goods — we supply both with the shipment on request. Second, the sampling rule: how many cartons out of the pallet get opened. Agreeing a fixed number up front avoids a discussion later about how the check was done.

Stock models are pressed from stock moulds, which is what makes dimensions repeat from order to order; custom sizes are quoted subject to tooling. MOQ is 1,000 pcs per size from a stock mould and 5,000 pcs where a custom mould has to be made, and samples are free, with freight collected. The commercial terms buyers ask about most — payment, lead time and packing — are answered on our FAQ page, and the blocks in production today are collected in the molded firework tube range.

If the open question is which dimension your line can tolerate, send us the drawing you are working to. We press on our own line in Shangli County, Jiangxi — one of China's four main fireworks-producing regions (about our factory) — so we can usually say from the model whether your figure sits inside what the mould can hold. Quotes are issued FOB Shanghai or Ningbo, with CIF and DDP on request, and we aim to reply within 24 hours.