|
A stunning 95% of the companies that use pallets choose wood. That's according to the 12th Annual Pallet Report released last month by Modern Materials Handling. Now, that's not to say companies exclusively use wood. 31% of survey respondents use plastic and another 17% reported using wood composite, for example. But, clearly, pallets made from wood still hold a commanding lead for transporting goods.  Many companies take a hybrid approach when selecting a pallet material based on various factors including destination. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-survey-says-wooden-pallets-dominate.cfm In the US alone, it's estimated that 1.9 billion pallets are hard at work on the daily. Essential to supply chains, these unassuming platforms are busy transporting everything from your morning coffee to the high-tech components helping to lift rockets into space. Roughly 90% of US pallets are made from wood. That's according to the latest Annual Pallet Report published by Modern Materials Handling. With so many wooden pallets in circulation, you may be asking if wooden pallets are really a sustainable choice. Yes, yes they are.  The industry-average wooden pallet is the only product in distribution packaging to achieve a UL certified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-yes-wooden-pallets-are-environmentally-friendly.cfm Choosing a pallet fastener can be a delicate balancing act. Ideally, you want to land somewhere between a lower price-per-pallet and a fit secure enough to safely do the job. Let's first look at nails. They're commonplace and often the fastener of choice. Why? Well, nails tend to flex with the wood and help maintain strength. Nails are usually cheaper. But, nails can also fail - especially if a lot of vertical force is expected on the load. We're talking product loss or handler injury. Yikes. So... are screws better? Sometimes, yes.  A case can be made for faster or cheaper pallet fasteners. When precision matters, screws provide the best drive accuracy. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-when-should-i-choose-screws-to-fasten-pallets.cfm CP pallets are available in nine standard designs manufactured in metric dimensions. You can easily identify these chemical pallets by one of the CP designations (CP1 thru CP9) stamped on the pallet. In this post, we'll take a closer look at three CP pallets popular in the US and examine why these block style pallets originally designed for the chemical industry are becoming more common when shipping products into our global economy.  Stacks of CP3 chemical pallets ready for handling drums and bulk bags. Wood is our most common material for building pallets because it is strong and durable. To make sure your pallets avoid rot and stay this way, proper storage is essential. First, consider how long you will be storing pallets made from wood. For short-term storage of a few months or less (most pallets out there), the effects of outdoor storage such as moisture, sun, snow, etc. will usually not have an adverse effect on wooden pallet performance. But, long-term storage under poor conditions can lead to pallets that "look" bad, grow mold and can even become rotten and unsuitable for use.  Avoid rot damage to wooden pallets by keeping them stored properly. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-how-to-prevent-wooden-pallets-from-rotting.cfm It has been a tough but successful year and you have decided to take the wife and kids to Disneyland. Yes, the original one in California. You're packing the kids into the hotel and you see this big sign next to the door that says something about the premises containing chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects. WHAT???? Gloria! Grab the kids! We are outta here!  According to a recent announcement by Governor Andrew Cuomo, Looking to California, New York will consider its Own Prop 65. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-what-is-california-proposition-65-and-what-does-it-mean-for-pallets.cfm The most popular standard pallet size in US inches is 48L x 40W. How popular? The 48x40 accounts for approximately 30% of all wooden pallets produced each year. The 48x40 standard was set by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) more than forty years ago. For this reason, you may hear it called a GMA pallet. But, not all 48x40 pallets are designed to GMA specs nor are they all used in the grocery industry. Interestingly, that's true of most any "industry standard" pallet. Even though a pallet may have originally been standardized for a specific trade, its use is often not exclusive to that industry alone.  Wooden pallet sizes are expressed in order of stringer length x deckboard length. For example, GMA pallets are 48x40 (not 40x48). Sizes for non-wood pallets are usually listed by the longest length first. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-industry-standard-pallet-sizes-a-complete-list.cfm Protecting rolled products from damage is one of the more challenging jobs for unit load material handling. If you work with heavy rolls of foil, film, paper, plastics or other high-value material, you know that damage during transport or storage can make the product unusable. That's a costly mistake no one wants to make.  This custom wooden roll pallet supports the entire length of cylindrically-shaped product. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-protect-roll-products-with-custom-pallet-design.cfm Recycled wooden pallets or remanufactured? It's a question that comes up often. Before we get into which pallet is better for your packaging needs, let's sort out the definitions of recycled vs remanufactured.  A popular recycled pallet is the 48x40 GMA grocery style pallet. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-should-i-choose-recycled-or-remanufactured-pallets.cfm Why is my 2x4 lumber not 2 inches by 4 inches? Many decades ago, lumber purchased from a sawmill physically matched the common dimensions we use today. So why does that pine or spruce 2x4 from your local lumber yard now come up short? The short answer is modern surfacing and shrinkage. Over time we've come to accept these nominal (approximate) dimensions as standard. But there's still a catch. Shrinkage can be highly variable. This makes it very difficult to manage and regulate dimensional accuracy.  Dimensional lumber is a term given to boards cut to standard sizes (specified in inches). This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-basic-rules-of-dimensional-lumber-nominal-vs-actual.cfm In my last post we discussed 7 basic types of pallet racks. Now that we know EVERYTHING (well, almost everything) there is to know about pallet racking, let's talk about how pallets interact with racks and why structure matters.  Rackable pallets must be stiff enough to safely bridge a span. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-rackable-pallets-structure-matters.cfm Rackable pallets are designed to be used in racking systems - but what does that really mean? Rackable pallets (plastic or otherwise) are pallets that are expected to bridge an open span. Much like the Brooklyn Bridge suspends high above the rushing waters of the East River, a rackable pallet spans a distance between supports in a rack. You may be scratching your head right about now so let’s back up a little. Pallet rack? What the heck is a pallet rack? Any conversation about rackable pallets needs to start with the various types of pallet racks found in industry. This post will identify seven of the most common racking systems used with rackable pallets. 1. Beam Rack This is a typical shelf-like structure with steel uprights and horizontal beams front and back. The pallet sits on the beams. The "span" being bridged is the distance of open space front to back  Many beams have a step on the inside edge for use with support structures. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-7-ways-to-use-rackable-pallets.cfm What happens to wood pallets in icy snow and rain? A major snowstorm named Jonas has its sights set on the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend. Could be snow. Could be rain. Maybe you're thinking about dusting off your snow shovel for the first time this winter. But... have you thought about how severe winter weather impacts your pallets?  Snow coverage on wooden pallets may lead to mold. All lumber can be graded based on its quality characteristics. When grading lumber, graders are looking for defects, such as knots. Lumber graders check the size and the frequency of defects within a certain linear length. Since there is a correlation between lumber grade and defects, higher grade lumber can have better performance characteristics than lower grade material, but sometimes the higher grade is more of an aesthetic.
This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-understanding-the-different-types-of-wood-grades.cfm While both stringer and block pallets can be made to work with most supply chains, determining which pallet to buy usually comes down to the following three questions:
Why are the lead boards on a pallet so important? The lead boards on a pallet are the deck boards that are located at the leading edges of the top and/or bottom of wooden pallets. The lead deck board performs critical functions in product protection and in material handling.  This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-why-are-lead-boards-on-a-pallet-so-important.cfm Why should I standardize my pallets? Pallet standardization can streamline packing operations, warehousing and distribution. With a packaging opportunity assessment, these standardized processes can lead to better throughput and lower costs.  The two most common wood types used for making pallets are southern yellow pine (SYP) and oak. A former study done by the USDA and Virginia tech determined that SYP made up 18.9% of all woods used while oak made up 17.1% (by volume). Both oak and SYP actually contain several species that make up the woods classification which is based on the density of the wood.  Pallet made of Southern Yellow Pine This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-2-most-common-wood-species-for-pallets-and-why.cfm What will pallets look like in the future?
Our industry is currently dealing with an unprecedented lumber shortage. As a result, wood pallet prices are quickly rising. We are faced with a big unknown. The sales team at The Nelson Company recently discussed the future of pallets including this important question: As wooden pallets become more expensive, will other options emerge as serious contenders in the global pallet markets? There is a stain on my wood pallet, now what? Don’t panic. Stains on pallets are usually not a concern. Find out why and how stains happen.
The Pallet Design System (PDS) is essential when designing custom wood pallets. Certain wood pallet manufacturers who lease the PDS software can use this powerful tool to help their customers reduce both costs and product damage. PDS also helps increase handling safety throughout the entire unit load system. Often overlooked, the pallet is a very important part of the global economy. PDS is the tool used to design and evaluate this key component of the economy.  Board placement is critical when supporting the corners of the boxes. Most pallets used in North America today are produced from solid lumber. But what happens when there is a lumber shortage? A lumber shortage can affect wood pallet supply in a number of ways. Wood pallets can be affected by: • reductions in availability • increased prices • require full or partial redesigns Each of these changes can present a challenge. However, they can potentially be turned into an opportunity for both the supplier and the customer.  Where does wood pallet lumber really come from?When we dispelled some common myths about the wood pallet industry, we revealed an answer that might have surprised you. Pallet lumber comes from a variety of sources but is mainly a byproduct of wood needed for other markets. The markets that trees are originally harvested for are: veneer production, grade lumber, furniture and paper. Any logs that are not deemed suitable for these more discerning markets could be sawn and sold as pallet lumber.  So... is "just a little" mold ever OK? Well, the answer depends on the pallet application and the customer preferences.  Most pallets in the US are produced from green lumber (30-40% moisture content) and mold spores are present everywhere. This page has been updated and permanently moved to:
https://www.nelsoncompany.com/blog-post-is-just-a-little-mold-ever-ok-on-wood-pallets.cfm |
Call Us: (410) 477-3000
Headquartered in Baltimore since 1918 Nelson Company is a trusted source for pallets & packaging materials.
NelsonCompany.com 
Is your packaging system costing more than it should? Find out how you can start saving with an analysis from Nelson Technical Center.
Our own web-based software for reverse distribution. Nelson-ART™ manages the entire life-cycle of your packaging assets.
|
RSS Feed
Tech CenterThe Nelson Technical Center finds savings. Solutions for the design, supply and recovery of transport packaging.
(443) 649-1049 |
Wood SalesCustom wooden pallets and crates are our specialty. Ask us about wood manufacturing, repair and recycling.
(410) 477-3000 |
|
