Damage found after the crate has been opened, the wrapping removed and the part carried across the workshop is very hard to attribute. The carrier's liability is limited and the evidence has already been disturbed. The first hour is the only hour in which the question can be answered cleanly.
Treat the arrival as an inspection rather than a delivery. Have someone with authority look at the crate before it is moved far, and give them time to write down what they see.
Photograph the crate on all faces before anything is opened. Photograph the label, the seals and any damage to the outer panels. Then open it and photograph the packing as it lies, before the part is lifted out, so that the position of the blocking and the state of the wrappings are recorded.
Photographs with something for scale and with the crate in frame are worth more than close-ups alone. A dent photographed out of context cannot be shown to have arrived with the crate.
Transit damage tends to be concentrated and directional: a dent on one face, a bend at a free end, abrasion where the part met its own support. A manufacturing fault tends to sit at a joint, a weld or a machined face, and to be consistent along the part.
Both can be present at once, which is why the inspection should record what is seen rather than what is concluded. A description of a mark, its position and its size is evidence. A judgement about its cause is an argument.
The carrier inspects if the loss is claimed against the carriage. The supplier inspects if the part is returned. The buyer inspects first in every case, and the quality of that first inspection decides which of the other two matters.
Note the damage on the delivery receipt before signing, and keep a copy. A clean signature followed by a claim is a difficult position, and it is entirely avoidable.
A scuff on a non-visible face may be acceptable. A dent at a flange usually is not. A bend in a straight section can sometimes be corrected, while a bend near a weld is a different proposition and may compromise the joint. The decision is technical, not commercial.
Ask before attempting a repair. A part that has been straightened by the buyer is a part whose original condition can no longer be demonstrated, and the claim becomes a discussion rather than a fact. Returning items from the fabricated parts range is straightforward if the crate has been kept intact.
Every damaged consignment carries information about the packing. Where the damage occurred, what the part was resting on, and which handling stage is implied by the marks all point to a specific weakness. Feed that back rather than simply replacing the part.
Suppliers who ship continuously tend to improve crates incrementally this way. A stainless steel exhaust system travels with different supports from a short section, and the difference is learned from failures rather than from drawings.
