In an increasingly globalized world, the need for safe and efficient shipping methods has become more important than ever as consumers and businesses search for the best way to transport their products. Interestingly, the humble pallet has proven to play a fundamental role in the modern logistics landscape and has become the most reliable method of transporting goods. Today, of course, pallets have almost countless uses that extend beyond shipping applications, but if you are not yet immersed in the world of wooden pallets, read on to find out what they are and what their uses are. To know more check on the Material used to make pallets.
A pallet is a horizontal platform, generally attached to a superstructure and a lower platform, which provides the basis for assembling, storing, handling and transporting materials and products; in addition to providing protection to the product that is on top of it. It is also the most common basis for the unit charges. That is, a system that includes the pallet, the goods stacked on top, as well as the stretch wrap, adhesive, pallet collar, and other load-stabilizing means.
Types of Wooden Pallets
Although you have probably believed that the wooden pallet is one and unique in its shape and material, the truth is that there are three types of pallets that differ from each other in terms of their creation and components.
Traditional Wooden Pallet
These are undoubtedly the most common type of pallets in the world today. They are quite strong and durable and can be easily repaired. Due to the type of material, these platforms provide much greater friction than plastic or metal pallets and are therefore easier to handle.
They are mainly used to load heavy products and in a one-way flow. If they deteriorate at any point in their useful life, they can be easily repaired for reuse, or simply recycled to create other wood products.
Pressed Wood Pallets
Presswood, also known as engineered wood, is made from wood fibers that are processed under high temperature and pressure to form a strong, solid block. These pallets are very light and provide pretty decent strength. However, they are very prone to water damage and are not as strong as traditional wood.
Plywood Pallets
These wooden pallets are ideal for shipping light to medium weight products. Plywood is slightly more resistant to moisture than presswood, and is also more resistant to insect infestations than regular wood. However, plywood can easily degrade over time if it is not maintained in proper situations.
Benefits of Wooden Pallets
While all pallets offer certain benefits, there are some good reasons why wooden pallets have gained such popularity.
Simplicity
One of the main adOne of the main advantages of wooden pallets is their simplicity. Thanks to their simple and ingenious design, they are very easy to manufacture, disassemble and use, whether for industrial or personal use.
Affordability
Because of their basic design, Wooden pallets for sale are very inexpensive, especially if you get them from a second-hand sale. Also, they are very multifaceted and can be part of the decoration of a space.
Portability
The main benefit of using pallets is that they make it easier to transport the items, which provides less complicated tracking. Goods are also protected against damage due to possible violent manipulation by drivers. The pallets also follow one of several universal shapes and sizes, making them easy to lift and stack using a forklift or pallet jack.
Endurance
Despite the simple design, wooden pallets are strong enough to withstand the daily challenges of the logistics industry, coupled with heavy product loads. They are also sturdier than other shipping containers, such as cardboard boxes or plastic wrap. This allows shippers to stack more heavy objects on a single platform without worrying about the platform breaking. In addition, the pallets can support the weight of materials at a high height and off the ground, to keep them safe from dirt and debris.
Ecological
As the need for sustainable practices grows around the world, people are constantly looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact that some products bring. Wooden pallets shine in this category because they can be easily recycled or transformed into something completely new and functional.
Uses of wooden pallets
Wooden pallets have many uses in different areas of life, be it in industrial companies, in warehouses, in product shipments or at home.
Transport
The main use of pallets is undoubtedly the transport of products safely and efficiently. They are commonly used in the food and processing industries, medical products, vegetable transport and transport of light material or small machine parts in the manufacturing or assembly industries.
Storage
Many industries use pallets to store their products in an efficient and compact way. Block stacking is one of them, and allows the load units to be stacked on top of each other, being stored on rails or blocks. Frame stacking is another strategy that allows pallets to be stored at various heights and they are particularly useful for storing non-stackable items. The final form of storage is the single-depth pallet rack, which provides access to each pallet stored in the rack. This solves stacking problems and, in turn, improves space layout through pallet relocations.
