'ound the artist's pallet?
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Although operators may automatically associate timber with pallets, it does not have to be this way. David Wilcox summarises the pros and cons of other materials on the transport scene
(-FIVE to 50 million pallets ,ed in the United Kingdom; verwhelming majority are r and about 60 per cent of measure 1,000 x 1,200mm most popular size.
uming that you need this rid that you want a pallet vill last (as opposed to a sable or so-called "one)allet), your choice of pallet )rial is by no means :ted to timber. Here are e of the alternative rials, but starting with non-or-garden timber to what they are up against. ?r: Timber pallets generally spruce deck boards and Dlocks. In real terms the of timber pallets has fallen he past few years, but they :ely to rise again.
average four-way entry x 1,200mm example will around £4.50, while a ium version with thicker lers and deck boards such GKN Chep "Blue" pallets ie nearer £6. Most have a -nic load rating of between and two tonnes — the rmance testing for pallets .ered by BS 2629 Part 3.
e main advantages of ir pallets are their low cost, nous range of sizes and and their ease of repair. It )rth noting that the repair be correctly carried out, .1rwise the original fication of the pallet is :ed.
life-span depends on many Ts; the weight of goods on mber of times it is handled and so on, but a reasonable average figure would be around a couple of years in most industries.
On the minus side there is loss and theft. Because timber is so useful and easily worked into dog kennels, firewood and so on, pallet losses are high, particularly if they are used for delivering to outside customers. You can view the problem from the opposite angle and say that if you are going to have your pallets stolen/mislaid it is better to lose timber pallets at £5 a time rather than the more expensive varieties.
In some industries a constant pallet weight is desirable and here the timber -pallet is not ideak A quality 1,000 x 1,200mm example will weigh in at around 25kg when dry, but this will increase appreciably when wet.
Almost the universal pallet material, timber is sometimes ruled out on hygiene grounds because its absorbent nature can be a breeding ground for germs. It is no good where foods like uncooked meat are likely to come into contact with the pallet and certain chemicals like sodium chlorate should not be stored on timber pallets. Pallets treated with fungicide have to be used for exports to Australia.
Plastics: Plastic is probably the nearest competitor to timber. There are two main types available; polypropylene and polyethylene. Polypropylene is suitable for conventional pallet usage while polyethylene is better at very low temperatures and so ideal in cold stores.
The selling point of both types is hygiene; they are nonabsorbent, non-rusting, non
splitting and can be steamcleaned. They have therefore found favour in industries such as food and pharmaceuticals where these qualities are most appreciated.
Their load rating and robustness depends on the design of the mould used as well as the material. Most of the 1,000 x 1,200mm sizes will have a dynamic load rating comparable to a good timber pallet (between one and two tonnes) but have the advantage of a low and constant weight; 1 1-1 6kg is typical. Their lightness and lack of sharp edges make them particularly suitable for production-line use where female labour has to handle the pallets. Ultra-light versions (about 7kg) are also available but they have low load ratings.
They should comfortably outlast a timber pallet. The lighter plastic types (around 'Mg) which use less material, but an intricate moulding pattern to achieve their load rating, are probably good for about four years in most circumstances. They are impossible to repair and will cost around £20 each.
A premium type of plastic pallet will use more material in a strong box-section moulding and may offer dynamic load ratings of up to two to four tonnes. It will probably weigh around 16kg and putting a figure on its life-span would be fairly arbitrary — perhaps eight or 10 years is reasonable. Price is around £35 each.
The high initial cost of plastic pallets reflects the expensive moulds that are used and so far has limited their appeal to users who need their hygienic qualities and where they are on a "closed circuit" such as a production line where the pallets will not be lost.
Optional extras available on some plastic pallets include the customer's name moulded on the side, special colours, nonslip surfaces and rubber inserts to reduce the chance of the pallet slipping on the forks of a lift or pump-up truck.
Steel: There are several types available, the most versatile of which is the pressed steel variety. These are available with or without bearers on the underside; without bearers they have the advantage of being able to nest when empty. You can typically get about 30 nested pressed steel pallets in a one metre high stack, the equivalent height of six or seven timber pallets.
Their strength is derived from ribs pressed into the decks and/or a stiffened edge roll, and their dynamic load ratings range from two to four tonnes, depending on the construction. For a 1,000 x 1,200mm size pallet the weight is similar to a timber equivalent — about 25kg.
These pressed steel pallets are available in galvanised form to eliminate rusting and so are sometimes used in the food industry where wood is not suitable. Some are not as good as plastic in this application because the clinched edges may act as a trap to harbour dirt or germs. Un-galvanised, they are used in the engineering industry or anywhere a long-lasting pallet is wanted and where the price of f20-£25 is not a deterrent.
Even tougher and longerlasting are the steel pallets made from welded box-section steel. Found principally in the engineering industry for use in the movement/storage of heavy metal components, they may form the base of steel bins or cages. They will typically weigh 40-50kg and cost around 00 each.
Stainless steel versions of these pallets have found a very limited market in the food and drug companies. Priced at £150£200 each they will probably outlast the man whose decision it was to buy them...
Aluminium: An attractive material, aluminium gives pallets a number of advantages. They will be light (around 15kg for a 1,000 x 1,200mm size), corrosion-free and hygienic. Not as strong as steel, aluminium pallets will usually have a dynamic load rating of around one tonne. A harder than normal type of aluminium is used so that the pallet is not too easily scored by the steel forks.
A life of four or five years is probably about right with average handling. Prices start at around £40 for a flat, 1,000 x 1,200mm size. A fairly recent development, aluminium pallets are once again used in the food and drug industries.
Conclusions: Of all the alternatives, plastic seems to offer the most potential. It can be used anywhere a timber pallet can go and its easily cleaned hygienic nature gives it an
entrée into the food proc, industry where timber I welcome. Good plastic I can also be strong, long-I and, because they are ligl splinter-free, nicer to hand
The drawback is their But if your pallets move on a closed circuit su through a production proc to other in-company depo hence losses are negligibl the whole-life cost of a pallet can be similar to tirr you have pallet control yoi not be deterred by the initi of a pallet and if the value goods is high you can justify top quality pallets.
Plastic pallets should bi cheaper if more industrie to them. With the econon scale in mouldings, numbers mean lower uni and would bring prices cic more widely acceptable le is a vicious circle that ne be broken if plastic is going to win widesj acceptance. A degree of s in the food and pharmac industries is not enough.
The other mate mentioned have thei strengths and weakness( make them eminently s for certain applications an higher prices may be rec with a longer life. Althou widest range exists in the 1,2 0 Omm pallet mor available in other sizes a But as soon as you start I at pallets for external del the inescapable fact arise are so expensive that yo not let them out of your si!
Unless plastic pallets I produced at significantly prices, I cannot see an material challenging tim the basis for the truly ye go-anywhere pallet. It is that one of the major hea with timber pallets — tl that you will lose them — one of their biggest points.