Industries Served
Defence logistics need equipment that is secure, rugged and repeatable. Lowe builds lockable security stillages, transit cages and certified lifting frames engineered to a controlled specification and finished to survive handling, storage and deployment.
Every unit is UK-manufactured and UKCA-certified, engineered and load-tested, with the traceability and documentation regulated supply chains expect.
How Lowe helps
Made to order
Tell us what you handle and how it moves — we'll scope a load-tested, UK-manufactured solution and quote it, usually the same working day.
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Defence equipment is handled by people under time pressure, in poor light and on uneven ground, and it is expected to still be serviceable years later. Designs use heavy frame sections, robust corner posts and braced bases so a loaded unit does not deform, rack or lose its stacking interface after repeated hard handling.
Where the load case justifies it, finite element analysis is used to check the design against the forces it will actually meet — vibration in a vehicle, shock from rapid handling, point loading from awkward contents — before anything is fabricated.
The practical features come from how the equipment is used: stacking lugs so loaded units stack safely, drop-down access doors so contents can be reached without unloading, and tie-down points for strapping in transit. Finishes follow the same logic, with corrosion-resistant coatings and specified colours such as NATO green or desert tan where a contract calls for them.
Security in defence logistics is physical and administrative at once. Lockable lids, doors and mesh panels, durable hasps and padlock points or integrated locking mechanisms produce weapon racks, ammunition cages and sensitive-equipment containers that stay closed to anyone without authorisation.
Internal configuration does as much work as the lock. Racking that holds weapons in position, restraint that stops contents shifting in transit, and shock-mitigating interior fixtures — rubberised dunnage or foam lining — for radar components, radio systems, batteries and other sensitive electronics.
On the administrative side, permanent serialised identification, traceable materials and a complete certification pack mean a unit can be accounted for at every step and its provenance evidenced on demand.
Units are UKCA marked where applicable, and where a stillage is designed to be lifted it is engineered with rated lifting points, load tested and documented in line with LOLER. Critical welds are performed by welders qualified to ISO 9606 and inspected against ISO 5817 quality levels, under an ISO 9001 quality management system. Structural fabrication is covered by EN 1090-1.
Where NATO interoperability matters, designs can conform to NATO guidance for dimensions and stacking, including STANAG 2828 for military pallets and containers, and products destined for NATO use can be assigned NATO Stock Numbers for inventory tracking.
Each unit is supplied with a technical file and certification package covering material certificates, welding procedures and load test reports, so a procurement or compliance team can verify a claim rather than take it on trust. Manufacture is in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.
Massive steel cages or pallets built to carry tank and armoured vehicle components (engines, transmissions, suspensions) both in storage and during transport. These stillages are designed to support very heavy parts and often include features like crane lift points and shock absorbing mounts to protect precision components.
Stackable, forklift friendly bins for combat engineer units and base personnel to move tools, spare parts, and kits. Often these are collapsible or have removable sides for easy access, and can be quickly deployed to forward operating bases to organise gear.
Lockable stillages configured as weapon racks or ammo boxes, used to safely store rifles, heavy weapons, and munitions. They ensure firearms and explosives are transported in compliance with safety regulations and remain inaccessible without authorisation. For instance, a weapons transport stillage might have internal racks to hold guns in place and padlock points to secure the lid.
Specially fitted cages for radar components, radio systems, batteries and other sensitive tech. These units often feature shock-mitigating interior fixtures (rubberised dunnage or foam lining) to protect delicate electronics from vibration and impact. They may be EMI shielded or weather sealed if needed for field conditions.
Sturdy stillages purpose built for military engineering materials like gabions (wire mesh baskets for fortifications), barriers or construction panels. They enable bulk handling of these items, making it faster to build fortifications or obstacles. Lowe Stillages, for example, has supplied frames for gabions and defence barriers to ease transport and deployment.
Portable racks and trolleys that hold tools, repair kits, or spare parts for maintenance crews. These can roll into a workshop or flight-line, keeping mission critical tools organised and then be lifted or secured for transport when the unit moves. Built with drawers or shelves, they ensure combat engineer
All such stillages are designed with the end user in mind – easy to handle, safe to use, and durable in harsh conditions. Features like stacking lugs (to safely stack multiple units), drop down access doors (to reach contents without unloading entirely), and tie down points for strapping equipment are commonly incorporated based on the operational needs. By working closely with military engineers and logistics personnel, manufacturers can incorporate feedback so that the stillage design truly streamlines the workflow – whether on a base, in a maintenance depot, or out in the field.
Defence procurement and compliance teams demand that any equipment meets all relevant standards – and military stillages are engineered for full compliance. Manufacturers ensure that every stillage is UKCA certified (and formerly CE marked) to meet UK/EU directives for structural integrity, welding, and safety. All critical welds are performed by certified welders and inspected to strict quality levels (e.g. ISO 9606 and ISO 5817 standards) to guarantee strength and consistency. Each unit typically comes with a complete technical file and certification package, including material certificates, welding procedures, and load test reports. This documentation gives MOD buyers confidence that the stillage meets legislative requirements and will perform reliably over its service life.
Recommended ranges
Our capability
Send a drawing, a sample or a photograph of the part. Our engineers size the unit around what it carries and how it is handled, then build it in Staffordshire to a specification you sign off before a single length of steel is cut.
Load-tested · UK-manufactured · certified where required
Talk to an engineer →Why Lowe
Designed and manufactured around your components, handling equipment and floor layout — made to order or fully bespoke.
Engineered and load-tested for safe stacking, forklift handling and demanding industrial duty cycles.
UK-manufactured to recognised standards, with certification available on custom builds and repeatable weld and build quality.
Manufactured in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire — short lead times and a direct line to the people building your kit.
Questions
Common configurations include frames for armoured vehicle components such as engines, transmissions and suspension units; deployable field storage bins that stack and move by fork truck; lockable weapon and ammunition cages; fitted cages for electronics and communications equipment; transport frames for gabions, barriers and construction panels; and maintenance tool and kit trolleys. Each is engineered to the application rather than adapted from stock.
Yes. Designs can conform to NATO guidance for dimensions and stacking, including STANAG 2828 for military pallets and containers, so units integrate with existing logistics handling. Products destined for NATO use can be assigned NATO Stock Numbers for inventory tracking.
Through lockable lids, doors or mesh panels with durable hasps and padlock points or integrated locking, combined with internal racking and restraint so contents cannot shift or be reached through the structure. The unit provides the physical control; site security accreditation and access procedures remain yours.
Only where they are designed as lifting equipment. A stillage intended to be craned is engineered with rated lifting points, load tested and supplied with the certification and records LOLER requires. Units designed for fork or manual handling are marked accordingly and should not be slung.
Repeat builds are made to the same controlled drawing and serialised, so units ordered later match those already in service. Spares, repair and recertification can be supported over the life of the equipment, which matters on long-running programmes.
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