ShapeArrays™ greater than 100 m in length are shipped in a reel crate. The bottom of reel crate is shaped like a pallet for easy lifting with a forklift. Once disassembled, the reel crate is designed to be used as a reel stand for installation and retrieval of the ShapeArray™. To get the most out of the ShapeArray™ reel crate, it must properly be disassembled. 

You must first identify which type of ShapeArray™ crate you have. The design and construction of our crates changed in July 2022. You can identify whether your crate is the legacy or modern design by looking at the side of the crate. Legacy crates will have two short channels cut out of the sides to accommodate a pole for lifting the reel inside the crate. Modern crates lack these channels and will have a solid covering on all sides. 

Figure 1. Legacy crates are identified by the channels cut into their sides

NOTE: Instructions for unpacking legacy crates appear near the end of this article.

Unpacking Modern ShapeArray™ Reel Crates

Proper setup and unpacking of the ShapeArray™ Reel is integral to the installation of long ShapeArrays™.

Step 1 - Build a Platform

For installation of very long ShapeArrays™, the inclinometer casing stick-up should be more than 150 mm (6 inches) above the ground. A platform will be needed around the casing stickup to accommodate the reel crate. For ease of installation, the crate must not be centered on the borehole and it is important that the platform not be built centered on the borehole. There is an alignment arrow approximately 300 mm (1 foot) from the edge of the crate on the right side, looking towards the front that should be used to align the crate with the borehole. 

Figure 2. Alignment Arrow for 164.5 m SAAV crate

The dimensions of the platform should extend all around the crate to have a safe working surface. A minimum of 1 m (3 feet) is recommended on the sides and a minimum of 1.5 m (5 feet) is recommended in front and back of the crate. An access hole should be placed around the borehole. The access hole should be approximately 300 mm by 300 mm (1 foot by 1 foot) centered on the casing.

Step 2 - Position the Crate on the Platform

The crate should be placed as close to the stick up as possible, with no more than 150 mm (6 inches) of distance between the front of the crate and the casing. Position the crate such that the crate label “ALIGN WITH BOREHOLE” (see Figure above) is aligned with the casing.

Step 3 - Prepare to Open the Crate

To open the crate, only certain screws should be removed. The screws that require removal are clearly identified on each side of the crate. They are circled with arrows pointing towards them in permanent marker. A drill with a #25 Torx bit should be used to remove the screws.

Figure 3. Use a #25 Torx bit to remove the circled screws on the crate

Step 4 - Remove the Screws Along the Top Edge of the Crate

Remove all screws circled in permanent marker on the top facet of the crate. There are screws on the top face of the crate that will need removed as well. Once the screws have been removed, remove the top panel of the crate and set it aside.

Figure 4. To remove the top panel, remove only the screws along the top edge of the reel crate

Step 5 - Remove the Side Panels in the Upper Section of the Crate

Once the top panel of the reel crate has been removed, remove the screws along the front and back edges of the top section of the reel crate to remove the top side panels. 

WARNING: Side panels should be removed one at a time. Be careful not to drop the top side panels as you remove the screws from them. Someone should hold these panels in place while the screws are removed by another to prevent injury. 

Figure 5. To remove the top side panels, remove the screws along the front and back edges in the top section of the reel crate

Once the screws have been removed along the front and back edges of the top section, remove the side panels of the crate, and set them aside.

Figure 6. The crate with side panels removed and set aside

Step 6 - Remove the Front Panel of the Crate

After the top section of the reel crate has been unscrewed and removed, the front panel of the crate can be removed. Remove the remaining marked screws along the front edge of the reel crate's side panels. 

Figure 7. To remove the front panel, remove the screws along the front edge of the bottom section of the reel crate

Once the screws along the front side of the reel crate have been removed, remove the front panel and set it aside.

Figure 8. The crate with the front panel removed and set aside

Step 7 - Remove the Small Side Panel

After the top, right and left sides, and front panels of the crate have been removed, you will need to remove the small side panels in the middle of each side. Unscrew the screws securing the small lower side panels.

Figure 9. Remove the screws from the small side panels

Once the screws have been removed, remove the small side panel and set it aside with the screws.

NOTE: Keep the screws and the small side panel nearby as they are used in the final step in the unpacking process

Figure 10. The crate with the small side panels removed

Step 8 - Remove Shipping Shims

Unscrew and discard the two plywood shipping shims that are in the guideways on the bottom left and right sides of the crate interior.

Figure 11. Two shipping shims on the interior left and right sides of the crate must be removed

Step 9 - Reposition the Reel Brakes

Unscrew the reel brakes from the center of the crate and reposition them to the guideways from which the shipping shims were removed in the previous step. Be sure to leave them out far enough to allow the reel to be rolled forward in the next step.

Figure 12. Reposition reel brakes into the guideways

Step 10 - Roll the Reel to the Forward Position in the Crate

With the help of another person, carefully roll the reeled up ShapeArray™ to the front of the crate. Stop when the axel tube reaches the position in the small side panel cut-out. 

WARNING: Make sure that the axel is all the way forward on both sides, as uneven rolling may cause the reel to bind in the crate.

Figure 13. Roll the reel forward evenly on both side as far as the side panel cut-out will allow

Step 11 - Replace the Small Side Panels

Replace the small side panels on each side that were removed in Step 7. Replace the screws in each of the holes that they were removed from to secure the instrument in the “install” position.

Figure 14. Replace the side panels and secure them with their screws

Once the small side panels are replaced and secured, you are ready to begin with the ShapeArray installation.

Unpacking Legacy ShapeArray™ Reel Crates

Figure 1: A legacy packing crate containing a 150 m ShapeArray

The legacy ShapeArray™ reel crate was assembled with Torx screws that can be removed with a T-25 Torx bit, as shown in the figure below. 

Figure 2: A T-25 Torx screw bit (left) and a Torx screw (right)

To disassemble the reel crate, only certain screws should be removed. The screws to be removed are clearly identified on each side of the crate. They are circled with arrows pointing towards them, as shown in the figure below.

Figure 3: A side view of a reel crate - the screws to be removed are circled with arrows pointing to them

Step 1 - Remove the Top Panel of the Reel Crate

To begin disassembling the reel crate, remove the screws along the top edge of the reel crate. The same screws on the opposite side of the crate will also need to be removed.

Figure 4: To remove the top panel, remove only the screws along the top edge of the reel crate

Once the screws have been removed along the top edge of the reel crate, remove the top panel of the crate and set it aside.

Step 2 - Remove the Side Panels in the Upper Section of the Reel Crate

Once the top panel of the reel crate has been removed, the top section of the reel crate can be fully disassembled. Remove the screws along the front and back edges of the top section of the reel crate to remove the top side panels. Be careful not to drop the top side panels as you remove the screws. Someone should hold these panels in place while the screws are removed to prevent injury.

Figure 5: To remove the top side panels, remove the screws along the front and back edges in the top section of the reel crate

Once the screws have been removed along the front and back edges of the top section, remove the top side panels of the crate and set them aside.

Step 3 - Remove the Front Panel of the Reel Crate

After the top section of the reel crate has been fully disassembled and removed, the front panel of the crate can be removed. Remove the remaining marked screws along the front side of the reel crate. The same screws on the opposite side of the crate will also need to be removed. Be careful not to drop the front panel as you remove the screws. Someone should hold the panel in place while the screws are removed to prevent injury.

Figure 6: To remove the front panel, remove the screws along the front edge of the bottom section of the reel crate

Once the screws along the front side of the reel crate have been removed, remove the front panel and set it aside, as shown in the figure below. 

Figure 7 - Remove the front panel after extracting the screws holding it into place