How suitcases are made
A hard-shell suitcase starts as plastic sheet or pellets. Polycarbonate, ABS and their blends are extruded into sheet, heated and vacuum-formed into the two halves of the shell. Polypropylene shells are usually injection-moulded. The halves are trimmed, fitted with a zip or an aluminium frame, and riveted to the wheel housings, the telescopic trolley handle and the carry handles. A soft-side case is a fabric body sewn over a frame and base board, with the same wheels and handle system.
The bought-in parts decide most of the life of the case: four spinner wheels or two inline wheels, the trolley handle with its locking buttons, the lock, the zip and the corner guards. Shells look the same when new, but the material and the sheet thickness change how they behave when a bag is thrown at the airport. A polycarbonate shell flexes and springs back; a thin ABS shell can crack on a corner.
Trunks and suitcases with an outer surface of plastics (HS 4202 12) were exported at US$60.05 million in FY2025-26, of which moulded plastic suitcases (HS 4202 12 20) were US$27.15 million (Department of Commerce, TradeStat, provisional). Luggage is often sold as nested sets of two or three sizes, so one shipment carries several sizes that must match in colour and fit inside each other.
What we check on suitcases and trolley luggage
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Outer size and weight | Height, width and depth measured including wheels and handles; empty case weighed | Cabin size over the stated dimensions; weight above the specification |
| Wheels | Case loaded to your specified weight and pulled and pushed across a hard floor and over a step; each spinner rotated | Wheels wobbling, sticking, squeaking or not swivelling; housing loose |
| Trolley handle | Extended and retracted many times; each height position locked and loaded | Button jamming, handle not locking, tubes bending or wobbling |
| Shell | Corners pressed and the shell flexed by hand; agreed drop of a loaded case where the buyer specifies it | Cracks, whitening at stress points, rivets pulling through |
| Lock | Opened and closed at the factory code; code reset tried; any TSA-accepted mark checked against the lock supplier's licence | Lock not opening on the code, reset not working, mark without a licensed lock |
| Zip and expander | Main zip run round the full perimeter on a packed case; expander opened and closed | Zip splitting at corners, slider catching on the lining |
| Interior | Lining, straps, divider and pockets against the sample | Lining glue showing, loose straps, missing divider |
| Set nesting and colour | Sizes of one set nested; shells of each size compared under even light | Sets that do not nest; shade differences between sizes or halves |
Common suitcase and trolley luggage defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical cause | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Trolley handle collapses when locked and loaded | Faulty locking mechanism | Critical where it can cause a fall or injury, otherwise major |
| Shell cracks on flex or drop | Thinner sheet or a cheaper material than the sample | Major |
| Wheel not swivelling or housing loose | Poor wheel quality or loose rivets | Major |
| Lock does not open on the code | Assembly error at the lock supplier | Major |
| Cabin case oversize | Wheels or handle not counted in the design | Major (a broken sales promise) |
| Scratches or scuffs on the shell | Handling before the protective film was applied | Minor or major, by size and position |
| Lining glue stain, loose thread | Careless fitting | Minor |
Your defect list decides the final class.
Market rules and claims for luggage
No law sets how strong a suitcase must be. Performance is a contract matter between you and the factory, so the tests above must be written into your specification. The rules that do apply are about safety, chemicals and claims:
- General safety (EU). Luggage is covered by the General Product Safety Regulation, which requires a type, batch or serial number and the manufacturer's and importer's details on the product or packaging. See GPSR.
- PAHs and phthalates (EU). Rubber or plastic trolley grips and carry handles are in repeated skin contact, so REACH entry 50 limits on PAHs apply; PVC trims fall under entry 51. See REACH.
- Prop 65 (California). PVC trims and some coated handles can contain DEHP; brass zip parts and lock parts can contain lead. See Prop 65.
- TSA-accepted locks. A lock sold as TSA-accepted, so that US security staff can open it without cutting it, is made under licence from a lock system that TSA accepts, and carries that system's mark. Ask for the lock supplier's licence and keep it with the order.
- Cabin-size claims. Airlines set their own size limits. If you market a case as cabin size, state the airline limit it is designed for and measure with wheels and handles.
- Origin marking. See country of origin labelling.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
Hard shells scratch easily, so they leave the line with a protective film over the outer face and wheel covers or cardboard caps on the wheels. Sets are often nested to save container space, with foam or paper between the cases so the inner shell does not rub the outer. Nesting cuts freight cost, but a carton dropped on its corner can crack all three shells at once. The inspector checks a sample of packed cartons for crushed corners, wheels without caps and loose parts inside, and opens nested sets to check for rubbing marks.
Put these in your purchase order:
- Shell material, sheet thickness and texture; soft-side fabric and frame.
- Sizes with tolerances, measured with wheels and handles; empty weight per size.
- Wheel type and supplier, trolley handle supplier and number of positions.
- Lock type, supplier, default code and any TSA licence.
- The wheel, handle and drop tests you require, with loads and number of cycles.
- Colour reference per shell and how sets are nested and packed.
- Labels, warranty card and origin marking.
Travel backpacks and duffels follow the backpack checklist. Book an inspection anywhere in India.