History of Pallets
Pallets came into existence in the 20th century. People adopted the system of primarily using these pallets for storage and handling in logistics around the same time. As the pallets developed, they, in turn, helped modernize the system of logistics today. Earlier, loose stacking of goods was performed, which was inefficient and caused severe damages to the products. With the advent of pallet storage, there was a significant impact on the efficiency of transport and shipping of goods. Due to urgent requirements, several additions were made to the design of the pallet during world war two hence improving it manifold. Companies made the following changes at that time-
Reuse of pallets was started.
Double stacking was done using pallet collars for fragile materials.
They introduced the pallet pooling concept.
Types of pallets
a) Based on dimensions
Europallet: Its measurements are 1200mmx800mm. Primarily used in Europe, the European Pallet Association runs it and claims that about 500 million such pallets are in circulation. The International Organization for Standardization(ISO) has provided certification to this type of pallet. The measurements are usually decided based on the vehicle that will carry it to cover maximum space. It has its own weight of 25kg and can support a load of 1500kg when it is being moved.
American Pallet: Its dimensions are 1200mmx1000mm. These are primarily used in American and Japanese supply chains. They are also known as universal pallets or isopallets. They also weigh approximately 25kgs and can carry 1500kg on the move. When kept on a static, solid and smooth surface, not more than 6000kg can be held on the pallet.
Few other measurements that the ISO has standardised are 1016x1219mm, 1165x1165mm, 1067x1067mm and 1100x1100mm. Their usage is much less than American and Europallet.
Benefits of Palletisation
Using pallets always give a strategic and competitive edge to warehousing companies over their competitors. Manual storage that needs to be done in the absence of palletisation can lead to several human errors and faults. Therefore, pallets help in reducing the difficulty in handling goods by increasing their efficiency.
The benefits of using pallets are as follows-
Faster unloading and loading – This helps in better transportation and on-time arrival or dispatch of goods. Delivery vehicles are better organised and easy to manage.
Decreased Labour Requirement – Since palletisation helps mechanise the process of storage and transportation. Thus, manual handling and its problems are significantly reduced.
Temperature-sensitive products are better protected – Goods that are perishable and are being stored in warehouses that do not have temperature control run a lesser chance of being spoiled when stored in pallets.
Lesser risk of damage – Pallets are like protective equipment that keep the goods safe. Since they are appropriately stacked up in storage and transport, they are prevented from falling or being knocked up.
Workers are safer – Since the engagement of labour is lesser, the possibility of injuries to workers is lesser. This way, goods will not fall on the workers, or irregular edges will not cause abrasive injuries.
Standardisation – Since, almost all pallets have predetermined sizes prescribed by standard guidelines, stacking of pallets can be precisely planned before dispatch or even during transport.
Nature’s Packaging is an ongoing project supported by the Pallet Foundation. It educates the procurement and packaging professionals about the sustainability of wood packaging. The website provides tools and answers to the most pressing questions about wood products and manufacturing on the economy and the environment.
To know more visit: https://palletfoundation.org/research/
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