A pallet is one of the necessary equipment in warehousing, the purpose of which is to move and transport materials and goods easily. There may be a question for many people, what is a palette? What are the types of pallets? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each and what are their uses? Behin Anbar Group; The manufacturer of warehouse shelving systems will answer these questions and provide a comprehensive guide in this field.
What is a palette?
A pallet is a flat or edged and box-like structure that is designed and produced in different types of wood, metal and plastic. These structures are used for moving and storing goods and items in large warehouses and factories, and they make it possible to move them with a forklift. In other words, after placing the goods on the surface of the pallets, the forklift picks up the pallet from the ground and places it in the desired location. With the help of this structure, heavy goods of different sizes are all moved at the same time and the process of moving the goods takes place in the shortest time. Of course, it should be noted that in warehouse shelving systems such as the Pallet Rock shelving system, pallets are placed on the floor of each shelf so that product packages and various items can be placed on these surfaces without worrying about them falling.
What are the reasons for using pallets?
Considering the huge variety of pallets, the question may arise, why is this equipment used in storage? One of the most important reasons for using flat pallets, box pallets, etc. is to create better order in the warehouse environment. In addition, the use of equipment makes it possible to use the available space in the warehouse in an optimal way and to make it easier to access the goods and items placed on them. Most importantly, placing goods with small packages in box pallets or flat goods on flat pallets reduces the possibility of them falling to a great extent.
Types of pallets
In the division of pallet types, it is necessary to pay attention to various factors, such as the material of the structure and its shape and appearance! Based on this, the types of pallets can be divided into two general groups, flat or flat pallets and box pallets, based on their appearance, each of which has special features, which are:
Flat palette
The flat or flat pallet is one of the most widely used types of pallets, which are without walls and packages of goods and various items are placed on their surface. This type of pallet is a suitable option for moving and arranging packages of food, construction materials and household appliances, which makes the conditions for road, sea and rail transportation possible. As mentioned in what is a pallet, each type of these structures has special characteristics, and based on this, different applications can be considered for them. The flat palette also has various features, which include:
The dimensions and the size of the opening and the depth of the flat pallets are very variable and according to the needs, you can choose different options.
The materials used for flat pallets are wood, metal and plastic
They are produced in two-sided, two-sided, one-sided, two-sided, and four-sided types, the difference between which is the way to move each one by forklift.
Due to the fact that this type of pallet is without walls, it is used for arranging and moving goods and packages that have regular geometric shapes.
Pallet box
Other types of pallets include box pallets or pallet boxes. As its name suggests, it is a walled structure made of wood, metal and plastic, which is used for moving and arranging goods. In the design and construction of box pallets, mesh walls and a fence are considered for it, which prevents the falling of the goods and packages in it and makes it very easy to move them by forklift. The following options can be mentioned among the applications of Blacks palette:
- Food storage in cold storage
- Moving items and goods without packaging
- Moving goods and items with irregular geometric shapes
- Breakable goods everywhere
- Transportation of fruits and vegetables and their export
Barrel pallet
As it is clear from the name of this group of pallets, they are used to store and arrange items similar to barrels. The body of these pallets is metal and their appearance is such that several barrels can be placed in them in layers and it is very easy to move them.
Rubber pallet
This group of pallets are used in factories and industries for the production of car tires. Arrangement and transfer of car tires are done in layers on this very resistant metal equipment.
What is the most common type of pallet?
In addition to the general shape and structure of the body of the pallets, these structures have many variations in terms of the materials and materials used for the body, and the answer to the question of what is the most common material of the pallet includes the following:
wooden pallet
One of the most common types of pallets, which are widely used in the warehousing industry and moving goods and materials, is wooden pallets. The light weight and simplicity of its production and manufacturing process have made this type of pallet to be used in wide environments and have a special place in storage systems. Wooden pallets are divided into two-sided and one-sided types based on their overall shape and structure. It is clear that what is meant by two sides means that it is possible to arrange the goods above and below it, and on one side, the arrangement is done only on the side. In addition, the palette Wooden boxes are designed and produced in two-sided and four-sided types so that they can be easily moved by forklift.
Advantages and disadvantages of wooden pallets
As mentioned, wooden pallets are light in weight and their price is cheaper than their metal ones. In addition, their construction and repair is done in the shortest time. Of course, these structures have little impact resistance and have problems with moisture penetration. Other disadvantages include their possibility of fire and their short lifespan.
Metal pallet
Metal pallets are one of the most resistant types of pallets, which are produced in two types: flat, box and walled. Due to the very high resistance of this group of pallets, they are widely used for arranging and moving heavy goods. Metal pallets can be purchased in single-sided, double-sided, double-sided and four-sided types.
Advantages and disadvantages of metal pallets
One of the most important positive features of metal pallets is their very high strength against impact, which ultimately leads to an increase in their lifespan and durability. The impossibility of fire in metal pallets is a very effective advantage that greatly increases the safety of the warehouse. Due to the fact that metal pallets are washable, they can be used to transport sanitary and cosmetic materials and food and wash them regularly.
Expensive price, heavy weight and high repair costs are among the negative points of metal pallets, which can make its selection challenging for some environments.
Plastic pallet
Other types of pallets include plastic pallets, which are less useful for moving and arranging goods than wooden and metal ones. The material used to produce this type of pallet is sometimes polymer and sometimes it is produced from recycled materials. Plastic pallets have a cheap price, but they do not have good impact resistance.
What is the use of the palette?
The use of flat and wall type of pallets can be used to transport and arrange different products and goods. For example, the following options can be mentioned among the use cases of the palette:
- Transportation of bags of construction materials, food and agricultural products
- Transportation of home appliance packages with regular and irregular dimensions by flat and walled pallets
- Transportation and relocation of large mineral stones
- Transportation of heavy industrial devices and equipment
- Transportation of fruit and vegetables
- Arrangement of various goods in warehouse shelving systems
What are the important things in choosing a palette?
There are many types of pallets, and it is necessary to pay attention to several things in the process of choosing and buying pallets, which include:
- According to the type of goods and their weight, choose the right material for the pallet
- Metal pallets are a suitable option for moving food products due to their ability to be washed
- If there is a possibility of fire in the warehouse environment, it is better to choose metal pallets
- In environments where there is humidity, wooden pallets are not suitable and it is better to use metal and plastic pallets.