We are not all knowing, but we know everything about plastic pallets.

The continuous increase in the number of plastic pallets used in the most varied industries worldwide speaks in favor of this product’s versatility, quality and economic efficiency. But the benefits offered by plastic pallets are still unknown to many companies.

We would like to make our sound know-how available to you and provide you with an easy understanding of the characteristic data of plastic pallets. Considering the experience we have obtained as a specialist in this field for more than 30 years, we have summed up the most important factors to you.

01 - Width and 02 length define the pallet‘s basic dimensions.
03 Stiffness and thus load capacity increase with rising pallet height in general. Pallets commonly available on the market have a height of between 120 mm and 160 mm (4.7" and 6.3").
04 Typical underclearance values are 89 (3.5"), 95 (3.7") and 100 mm (3.9").

05 The block width is adapted to the conditions in automated conveyor systems. To guarantee unrestricted four-way capability, the center blocks should not exceed a width of 150 mm (5.9").
06 The entry width is adapted to the distance between the fork arms of industrial trucks. The standard pallet dimensions applicable to this are defined in ISO 6780.

Top deck

Perforated deck: To have more lightweight pallets and ensure better air circulation for cooling applications. Closed deck: To prevent dry bulk goods from trickling through and to cause less pressure marks on the cargo.

The bottom support

depends on the requirements to be met by the pallet.

The safety rim

avoids cargo slipping during transport and secures pallets in empty stacks.

Rounded edges

protect the pallet against damage due to cuts by tightening straps.

Stretch wrap edges

provide for the safe fastening of stretch film on the plastic pallet.

Customer marking

Plastic pallets may be marked as company property by screenprinting, hot stamp printing or using punch inserts.

Bar code / RFID transponder

allows the tracking of transport routes and cargo. Contrary to bar codes, RFID transponders are embedded in the pallet‘s plastic material and thus protected against damage or contamination.

Nesting

Plastic pallets equipped with tapered feet allow the nesting of pallets, which leads to volume reduction during storage and transportation.

Snap-on runners

may be attached by the customers themselves. To reduce transport costs, these plastic pallets will be nested when delivered.

Designs

Manufacturing

Design Principles

More than 80 % of all plastic pallets produced in the world are manufactured by injection molding. According to this procedure, the material is plasticized, injected into an injection mold under high pressure, and finally cooled down for curing. The cavity created by this tool, which consists of two mold parts, determines the shape of the completed pallet. Less widespread manufacturing methods include thermo forming, compression molding and rotational molding.

Design Principles

Pallets manufactured using an injection molding procedure are divided into two categories. Monoblock pallets are manufactured in a single piece. Although the major part of nestable plastic pallets comes under this category, pallets with skids manufactured as single pieces are mainly known as monoblock pallets.
The second category comprises pallets manufactured from two or more parts. The parts that make up these pallets are only connected to one another by snap-on connections, screws, glue or welding after the injection-molding process is finished. Plastic pallets with snap-on skids or food hygiene pallets are classical examples of this category.

Plastic pallet with closed deck

Endur US7 (CD-6R)

Pallet in non-metric units 48" x 40"

Nestable plastic pallets

Nest E5.1 (OD-9F)

Euro pallet

Monoblock pallets

Eco i7 (OD-3R)

Special sized pallets

Dapter S3 (CD-9F)

Special pallet for the transport of bobbins

Custom solutions

BPP i9 (OD-6R)

Container size pallets

Nest C5 (OD-9F)

Footprint: Standards and Dimensions

The predominant part of the pallets that are used in the European market refers to the modular dimension of 400 x 600 mm, which has been included in the German DIN 55510 standard.

Thanks to such "modular design", standardized pallets make optimum use of high-bay storage facilities and truck interior space to ensuring cost-effective transportation.

Quarter-Pallets

These pallets have the size of one modular unit, while their name reflects their proportion in size as compared to a euro-pallet. Since they are mostly used for dis- playing goods in the retail trade, these pallets are also referred to as display pallets.

Half-Pallets

These pallets have the size of two modular units, while their name reflects their proportion in size as compared to a euro-pallet.

Euro-Pallets

The wooden euro-pallet (also called the EUR flat pallet) were introduced by the International Union of Railways (UIC) back in 1961. A plastic euro-pallet is a pallet comprises four modular units and for a total size of 1200 x 800 mm, but differs from the wooden exchange pallets known in the European region in its overall height and other properties.

Industrial Pallets

An industrial pallet has a size of 5 modular units or 1200 x 1000 mm. It is most widespread in the United Kingdom, where it mostly has 5 skids. However, it is also used as a standard along with the euro-pallet in other European countries. The advantage offered by the industrial pallet is its bigger load area.

Container Pallets

The dimensions of the 20-foot and 40-foot ISO containers common in overseas trade are based on the American non-metric system of dimensions, and are thus not compatible with the modular dimensions customary in Europe. Pallets having specific container dimensions allow better utilization of the space available in ISO containers. This minimizes both transport costs and the use of filler material for securing cargo. The common dimensions of such container pallets include 1100 x1100 mm, 1100 x 1300 mm and 45"x 45" (1143 x 1143 mm).

Pallets In Non-Metric Units

The core market for pallets in non-metric units is the USA. In this country, a common standard is a footprint of 48" x 40" inches (1219 x 1016 mm). In this respect, they are very similar to the European industrial pallet but not suitable for cargo units in modular sizes. Pallets in non-metric units are available in various other sizes.

Special Pallets

The size and design of these pallets depends on their cargo. Special pallets have become established as a standard in many industrial sectors: chemical pallets, drum pallets or pallets for coils.

Bottom Support: Of Feet and Runners

The term bottom support essentially determines the stability and field of application for plastic pallets.

A difference is commonly made among pallets that are nestable, stackable or suitable for high-racking systems.

9 feet

Pallets equipped with tapered feet allow the nesting of pallets in a stack, achieving a volume reduction up to 75 % during storage and transportation. Without runners, these pallets cannot generally be used on roller tracks or in high-racks. These pallets do not normally carry more than small or medium-sized loads of up to 1500 kg.

3 runners

Pallets with three lengthwise runners are stackable and compatible with automated conveyor and high-racking systems. The runners may be reinforced by metal to provide for the storage of particularly heavy loads.

5 runners

The perimetric bottom decks without a central transverse runner (5 runners) allow for better four-way entry and offer excellent block stackability.

6 runners

Plastic pallets with a fully perimetric bottom support (6 runners, cruciform perimeter-base) meet the highest demands in terms of block stacking. Their large supporting surface protects and avoids pressure marks on the cargo stored below and also ensures long-term stability for the plastic pallet.

Load Capacities

The load capacity of a pallet is the term used to describe the maximum allowable total weight of the cargo being conveyed. A wooden euro-pallet that is either new or as good as new may be expected to have a high maximum load capacity of 1500 kg. Considering the admissible load is an important criterion when selecting the right plastic pallet. However, the load capacity alone does not reveal anything about the pallet‘s quality.

There are plastic pallets that have a very low load capacity but present a low pallet weight and are nestable, thus meeting the requirements of their application in an optimum manner. Plastic pallets with a good design may be recognized by their high load capacity relative to their weight. Three typical load conditions are distinguished in practice.

Static Load Capacity

The static load capacity describes the permissible weight of the cargo on a pallet resting on a firm and level floor surface. In practice, up to four units, each consisting of pallet and cargo, are stacked one on top of the other for storage. To allow this four-level stacking, our plastic pallets provide a static load capacity that corresponds to four times the dynamic load in general.

Dynamic Load Capacity

The dynamic load capacity describes the permissible weight of the cargo on a pallet during transport using a fork-lift truck. Since pallets are mostly used for transporting goods, the dynamic load capacity is an important parameter for assessing whether a pallet is suitable to carry a particular cargo.

Load Capacity in Racking Situations

The load capacity in racking situations indicates the admissible weight of the cargo on a pallet that is supported only by the outer ends of its bottom support, which rest on two steel beams. Plastic pallets will bend due to its so-called creep behavior. This might occur depending on the temperature and the length for which the pallet is stored. Therefore a load capacity is indicated that takes into account admissible deflection (see bending test pursuant to ISO 8611).

Nominal Load and Working Load

A nominal load and a working load may be determined for every typical load condition described (static, dynamic, high-racking). To understand the load capacities published, it is necessary to differentiate between these two terms and definitions. Both are determined in accordance with the ISO 8611 standard and defined as follows:

Nominal Load

The nominal load is determined under defined test conditions and ensures the comparability of test results. The nominal load is the reference load of a pallet independent of the cargo and corresponds to one half or less than one half of the lowest value for the ultimate load (also see “Plastic Pallet Test Methods”). The ultimate load is described as the test load that causes damage to the pallet or a fracture in one of its elements, or which produces excessive displacement, deformation or deflection.

Working Load

The working load (or payload) is the maximum allowable load capacity for a specific use case. It depends on cargo, cargo securing and other conditions of use. The working load may be higher, equal to or lower than the nominal load.

Plastic Pallet Test Methods

ISO series 8611 (Pallets for materials handling - flat pallets) is applied in order to ensure that the testing and assessment of the operative capability and safety of pallets are comparable on a worldwide basis.

Bending Test

The bending test is performed to determine the admissible load in racking situations. To do so, the pallet‘s ultimate load and bending behavior are tested in a simulated high-rack. The ultimate load indicates the force that leads to the failure of a pallet when acting on it from above. After this, half the ultimate load is applied to test the bending behavior. A maximum deflection of 2 % is admissible across the free length between the pallet‘s support points. This corresponds to a maximum deflection of 21 mm when applying a free length of 1050 mm as usual in high-racking. After a relaxation period without load, the pallet may only present a maximum deflection of 0.7 %. Half the ultimate load may be indicated as the permissible nominal load capacity for racking situations, provided that the deformation is within the above-mentioned limits. The test weight must be reduced further if the deformation limits are exceeded.

Fork-Lifting Test

A fork-lifting test is carried out to obtain reliable information on a pallet‘s dynamic load capacity. Like the bending test, the fork-lifting test comprises two parts. At first, the pallet is loaded until it breaks, and then its bending behavior is tested by applying half the ultimate load. The test installation simulates a pallet placed on the fork of a forklift truck. Contrary to the conditions in practice, the pallet is not moved during the test. The deflection occurring between the pallet‘s bearing points and its outer ends must not exceed 20 mm or 4.5°, depending on which limit is reached first. After a relaxation period without load, the pallet may show a maximum deflection of not more than 7mm. If the deformation remains within the limits mentioned, half the ultimate load may be indicated as the nominal value for the dynamic load capacity. Otherwise, the test weight must be reduced.

Compression Test and Stacking Test

Two questions need to be answered to determine the static load capacity:

How much load may be applied to every foot or block of a pallet?
How much force may act on the top deck between the feet of a pallet?

A test method with the pallet resting on a level surface is available to check each of these load conditions. As during the bending test or fork-lifting test, the ultimate load is determined first followed by examining the bending behavior. But the values obtained may only be used as a guideline for determining the static load capacity since, in practice, a load is distributed both to the feet or blocks and to the top deck located in between at the same time. It is not possible to apply the test results directly to the nominal static load capacity.

Field Testing

In addition to the tests described above, simulated long-term tests are also performed to examine the pallets‘ wear and stability during transportation in automated conveyor systems. For instance, pallets need to withstand a drop from a height of 2 m and a crash with the prong of a fork-lift truck without suffering any damage. The most important test of a pallet takes place during practical application by the user. For this reason, we provide an opportunity for our customers to carry out field testing and try out the suitable plastic pallet.

Cargo Securing and load bridging effect

A pallet is always only the basis of the logistics. Safety during transport of goods always depends on the type of load, its arrangement and fastening. Optimum loading ensures that the cargo’s weight is distributed as evenly as possible over the pallet. This is achieved by interlocking and tightly securing the cargo to obtain a bond between the cargo units as stable and resistant to deformation as possible.

The positive impact these actions have on the transmission of forces to the pallet is referred to as the load bridging effect. The admissible working load may remain considerably below the indicated nominal load if loading is carried out in a particularly unfavorable or unprofessional manner. Plastic pallets will not necessarily break when they are subjected to an excessive working load but rather deform in areas that are relevant to their function so that safe cargo handling or transport is no longer guaranteed.

Economic Efficiency

Economic aspects are considered first when a company decides which load carrier will be used in its supply chain. A pallet‘s price must be convincing in spite of all ergonomic or environmental aspects. To determine the cost of a load carrier, it is not sufficient just to look at its initial cost. A sufficient evaluation can only be made by considering all costs that are incurred along every supply chain, and which are influenced by pallets.

Depending on the branch of industry concerned, follow-up costs (including e.g. breakage, handling, transport, shrinkage and inventory costs) may be expected to be considerably higher than the direct initial costs. For this reason, pallet systems made of wood or plastics need to be compared in order to arrive at a rational economic decision.

System Parameters of an Economic Comparison

Pallet properties
Properties like nesting and pallet weight may possibly have an impact on transport and storage cost.
Initial acquisition costs
Expenditure for purchasing the pallets.
Breakage
Percentage of pallets not available for further use due to damage.
Expenditure on repairs
These costs will only occur with wooden pallets to allow their further use, and ensure the pallet‘s useful life.
Cleaning
Guarantee the required hygienic properties.
Quality control
Inspecting the pallet's condition.
Administration expenses
Expenses for the administrative processes related to full or empty pallets.

Repacking costs
Expenses for repacking products from damaged pallets.
Follow-up costs
Expenditure caused by pallet damage like damaged goods and machine downtime.
Shrinkage
Percentage of pallets not returned to the supply chain.
Disposal
Both costs and revenue may be generated when disposing of pallets that may not be used any longer.
Cycle rate
Key figure for pallet inventory: The higher the cycle rate, the lower the total number of pallets needed.

Cost-neutral expenditures does not need to be included in the comparison, because it will have no effect on the difference in cost shown. Cost-efficiency evaluations with reference to these system parameters as offered by Fraunhofer IML (Institute for Material Flow and Logistics) focus on a comparison be- tween alternative pallets and do not only show cost drivers, but also help to identify weak points, thus providing important starting points for process optimization.

Your Contact

For specialist information on the subject of plastic pallets.

Iwona Kijewska

Area Sales Manager CEE

Phone: +48 736 242 086