Standard pallets work fine for standard products, but when your product does not fit standard pallet dimensions, then each shipment is an exercise in fitting the product onto the pallet in a manner that minimizes wasted space; maximizes stability; and ensures the product will rest comfortably in its position on the pallet.
Custom pallet design is not about designing something beautiful. Custom pallet design is about matching the pallet to the products that need to be moved or stored, rather than trying to force the products into a generic pallet size that was never intended for them.
Start by Understanding the Product Being Moved
The design process starts with the product being moved. However, it’s not simply the product’s measurements that are considered, but rather how the product needs to sit on the pallet; what kind of support the product requires; and how the product is handled throughout its journey.
Large, heavy products are designed to move differently than lightweight products; fragile products may require a specific deck board spacing to prevent the product from coming into contact with the pallet; and oddly shaped products may require a custom pallet to allow the product to rest comfortably in a corner, without having to leave a large gap in the pallet where the product can potentially fall or tip over.
While product dimensions determine the basic pallet size, product dimensions do not tell the entire story. Other factors include: How many units per pallet; How units are stacked on top of each other; and Are there packaging requirements that add bulk to the product or create stability concerns?
Understanding all of the above information before purchasing custom pallets, can help prevent the most common problem of purchasing custom pallets that meet the product’s technical specifications but still do not function well in the field due to oversight of critical handling details.
Weight Distribution Can Be Critical
A great deal of custom pallet designs go awry if the company has not thoughtfully addressed weight distribution. While total weight capacity is certainly an important consideration, it is equally as important to consider how that weight is distributed across the pallet.
Items with weights concentrated in a single location may require reinforcement to the pallet in those locations. Items that are long and narrow may weigh differently than items that are square and compact. Containers filled with liquids may subject the pallet to different stress patterns than solid manufactured products.
Therefore, it is essential to design the pallet’s deck board spacing and stringer placement (i.e., the support pieces running underneath the pallet), to correspond to where the weight is actually located on the pallet. Weight distributions that are poorly designed will result in cracked boards, warped pallets, and/or unstable loads during transport.
Businesses that are responsible for moving extremely heavy or awkwardly weighted products, would greatly benefit from working with suppliers of Custom Pallets in Melbourne that have experience in helping businesses address their weight distribution issues. In doing so, these companies can help avoid costly errors in which the pallet fails to perform, because the design did not adequately address real-world weight distribution.
Height Considerations Often Overlooked
There is little doubt that pallet manufacturers and designers focus on length and width of a pallet. However, pallet height is an equally important consideration. Pallets that are too tall will limit the amount of vertical storage available, and/or pallets that are too tall will limit the number of pallets that can be stacked on top of one another. Conversely, pallets that are too short, may cause problems for forklift operators, as the forks of the forklift may not reach high enough to pick up the pallet safely, or the pallet may not be able to provide sufficient protection for the product from the elements and moisture from the floor.
In addition to determining what type of equipment can be used to lift and move a pallet, the gap between the pallet’s deck and the pallet’s bottom frame also plays a role in determining how secure a pallet is on racking systems, and/or in vehicles.
There are instances where products benefit from pallets that are taller to provide greater clearance, and conversely, there are products that will only fit in a warehouse bay, or ship in a container, if the pallet is kept as low as possible to allow maximum layering.
Deck Board Spacing Options
Standard pallets have deck boards spaced a specific distance apart. Custom pallet designs can modify this spacing to better meet the unique requirements of a given product.
Wider deck board spacing can lead to reduced pallet weight, and lower production costs, if the product does not require a densely supported surface. Tighter deck board spacing can improve support for smaller items, or for items that may sag between the gaps in the standard spacing.
Additionally, some custom pallet designs may eliminate deck boards entirely in areas of the pallet where the load pattern will allow for such a configuration.
The thickness of the deck boards is also important to consider. Heavy loads may require thicker deck boards to provide the necessary strength. Lightweight products can utilize thinner deck boards to minimize pallet weight, and to make handling the pallet easier.
In some cases, the edge boards (the outermost deck boards) of the pallet may need to be flush with the stringer edges; extend beyond the stringer edges; or be inset from the stringer edges, based upon how the product attaches to the pallet, and/or how the pallet interacts with the equipment used to handle it.
When to Incorporate Additional Features
While modifying the pallet to fit the product is certainly beneficial, in many cases, incorporating additional features into the pallet design will also be beneficial.
Additional features may include: Collars or sides to enclose loose items, and/or to protect the product from stacking damage. These collars or sides may be permanent, or removable based upon the requirements of the customer. Skids instead of stringers may be more beneficial for some products, and/or for some types of handling equipment. Corner reinforcements can prevent damage to the pallet in high-traffic warehouses, where pallets are subjected to a great deal of wear and tear.
Entry/exit points for pallets also need to be carefully planned. Two-way or four-way forklift entry, and/or hand pallet jack entry from designated sides of the pallet, can provide great benefits to the operation. Additionally, pallets designed to interface with automated handling equipment can provide even greater efficiencies.
The point is to incorporate only those features that will truly provide a solution to a real-world problem, and not simply to make the pallet more complex than it needs to be. Each additional feature added to a pallet increases the cost of the pallet, and may introduce new complexities into the design of the pallet.
Handling Irregular Shaped Products
It is here that custom pallet design can prove to be especially valuable. Many times, irregularly-shaped products will consume a tremendous amount of space on a standard pallet; or the product will sit precariously on a standard pallet; or a tremendous amount of packaging will need to be used to protect the product and keep it upright on a standard pallet.
Circular products may be best suited for pallets with hexagonal or octagonal surfaces. Long, thin products may be best suited for narrow pallets that mirror the shape of the product. Nested products may be best suited for pallets with custom shapes that will allow for efficient stacking.
However, while it is ideal to design a pallet to perfectly fit the product, it is also essential to balance the design of the pallet with the limitations of the supply chain. If a pallet is designed to fit a product perfectly, but cannot be easily moved using standard equipment, then it has created a new set of problems.
Material Choices that Affect Design
While custom pallets are generally made of wood, the type of wood and quality level of the wood used can affect the design possibilities. Hardwoods are better-suited for carrying heavy loads and will last longer, but are more expensive than softwoods, which are suitable for lighter products, and are less expensive.
All pallets shipped internationally are required to be made of heat-treated wood. Therefore, the type of wood used, and the design of the pallet, may be affected by the requirement for heat-treatment. Heat-treatment may weaken certain wood configurations, and therefore, may impact design considerations.
Hybrid designs, which combine different materials, such as wood frames and plywood decks, or metal reinforcements in high-stress areas, can provide solutions to specific problems, but will add complexity and expense to the design of the pallet.