Have you heard of palletization but aren’t sure what it is?
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What Is Palletization?Palletization is a logistical process that involves placing goods on top of a pallet to secure and consolidate the load and ease its handling during transportation, storage, handling and distribution.
Why Is Palletization Important?The core advantage of palletization is that it consolidates multiple smaller products into a single unit load, which is moved as one unit rather than multiple ones, making it easier to handle and transport.
How?
First, a single pallet containing several items is easier to manage during loading and to track during shipment. Second, the universal shapes and sizes of pallets also allows for easy lifting and stacking by forklifts or pallet jacks.
The benefits of palletizing products include:
Ever wondered how pallets became foundational to logistics today with billions in use?
The demand for pallets continues to run high to transport a wide range of items, from consumer products to industrial ingredients. This eCommerce explosion also drives the growth in demand.
Today, an estimated 5 billion pallets are in use worldwide, 2 billion of which are in the United States. About 90% of these pallets are made of wood, with the rest being out of cardboard, plastic, or metal materials.
What came before the pallet?
Before pallets, wood barrels, crates, and skids were commonly used for handling goods.
People may confuse pallets and skids, but they have a difference.
What are skids?
Skids are wooden (sometimes plastic or metal) single platform on which products are sometimes shrink-wrapped for storage and/or transportation.
Considered the precursors to pallets, skids have been used as early as the 1st Millenium BC.
The key difference between skids and pallets is the deck boards (platform) where you put the items you’re palletizing. Skids only have a top platform, while pallets have both top and bottom platforms, leaving them to rest on the floor/ground on their stringers.
(Stringers are the two boards running between the bottom and top deck platforms on two ends of the pallet).
There were many problems with the olden days’ wood barrels, crates, and skids, including being labor intensive, inefficient, risky to workers and goods, and difficult to use in moving heavier products.
This necessitated finding a way to easily stack goods, lift heavier products, and move them quickly.
Thus, pallets were invented.
Pallets are one of the greatest material handling innovations (along with forklifts) of the 20th century.
While the earliest known patent on a skid (pallet precursors) was in 1924, the modern pallet wasn’t patented until 1939.
Then, pallets came into wider use during World War II when forklifts also became more common. The military pioneered the use of both.
The modern pallet was developed out of the need for efficiently handling large quantities of military goods and supplies and quick transportation to troops on the front lines.
After WWII, pallets became established in the freight and supply chain industry. They expedite product movements in various phases such as storage, shipment, and delivery.
Pallet definition: A pallet is a wooden structure (sometimes plastic or metal) with horizontal top and bottom platforms where items are stacked for storage or shipping.
Pallets provide a base and pockets for the forks of a forklift or pallet jack to pick it up, move the load as a whole, and put it in storage, load, or offload.
The modern 2-direction stringer pallet, first introduced in 1925, underwent various modifications from the 1920s to the 1940s to become what it is today.
This pallet impacted the rail car transportation system immensely, taking the 3-day unloading of about 13,000 unpalletized cases to just a 4-hour task.
Pallets come in different sizes and dimensions based on the materials they handle, weight, shapes, and industry.
According to the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association), the standard pallet size is the GMA pallet 48 x 40-inches.
They’re the most common pallet sizes, versatile, and widely used pallets. These pallets can hold up to 4,600 lbs. loads.
GMA 48 x 40-inch pallets represent 35% of all pallets produced and used.
They’re usually 6.5-inches tall and weigh an average of 37 lbs., (or heavier) with deck boards of 3.25-inches wide, 40-inches long, and 0.31-inches thick.
Common GMA standard pallet sizes in the U.S. include:
Other than the standard pallet sizes, more pallet sizes can be used in the market, depending on the industry.
Here is a classification of pallet sizes based on their use:
Pallet designs are specifically meant to allow them to be lifted by forks on forklifts or pallet jacks.
While most pallets have the same configurations, there are different pallet materials, namely:
The difference in materials is because some industries have particular requirements for pallets and pallet composition based on the materials they handle.
Other than their materials, pallets also have different designs based on the items they handle:
Pallets have undergone some key advancements since their invention. These improvements are seen in their design, handling, material, weight, and sizes.
Computer and software also allow the digital design and testing of pallets, making them more diverse, versatile, and useful. These designs also allow the use of palletizing machines.
The key advantages of modern pallets include:
Compared to other holding equipment like cardboard and plastic, pallets are more versatile, allowing them to carry much heavier items without damaging the product or pallet.
A single pallet allows stacking of heavier items on top of one another without worrying about breaking them.
What is the average pallet capacity?
A standard GMA pallet 48 x 40-inches pallet can hold up to 4,600 lbs. But pallets’ weight may vary depending on size and material.
Pallets allow rapid transportation of large quantities of items and faster loading and unloading of items. Indeed, part of their popularity is because the military used pallets to transport weapons and supplies quickly to soldiers on the frontline.
Since pallets work well with many material handling equipment, like forklifts, they enable quick and efficient product lifting without much manual labor. This reduces injury risk and the chance of product damage.
Palletization allows monitoring of SKUs across all phases of the supply chain: goods receipt, storage, shipment, and delivery.
Types of PalletizingThere are 3 types or methods of palletizing:
Let’s go through each in more detail.
This palletizing method involves using manual force, such as by hand, to place items on pallets.
For example, a factory worker lifting boxes off an assembly line conveyor and stacking them onto a pallet on the floor, is manual palletizing.
The advantage of manual palletizing is that it requires no expensive machinery, and thus is the cheapest method.
The disadvantage is that it can be a long, drawn-out process that takes time away from other tasks. It’s also prone to injuries like back strain from heavyweights and can heighten the risk of damage to goods.
In semi-automated palletizing, the palletization process begins manually (by hand) and ends automatically using automatic palletizer machines.
For example, while the pallet wrapping is automatically done, building the pallet unit load is done manually by one or two workers.
The advantages of semi-automated palletizing include:
The main disadvantage of semi-automated palletizing is that it doesn’t completely eliminate the human element, which can result in worker injuries, mistakes, and inefficiencies.
Automated palletizer definition: Automated (robotic) palletizing is the full use of a palletizing machine or robot to load goods on a pallet. They typically work well in automated warehouses.
Common uses for automated palletizing include packaging, shipping, distribution and other handling applications. They’re used in many industries such as food processing, agriculture, electronics, warehousing, retail, commercial and pharmaceutical.
There are two basic types of automated palletizers:
Conventional palletizers were first introduced in the 1950s to support palletization. They’re currently used in many industries like food, automotive, beverage, paper, pharmaceutical, retail, chemical and personal care.
Robotic (automatic) palletizers were first introduced in the early 1980s. It’s the newest addition to palletizers.
Typically, robotic palletizers are stationed between a conveyor line of the incoming product units and a pallet dispenser.
The robot arms (end effector or gripper), sometimes controlled using palletization software, pick products from the conveyor (layer table) and put them onto a pallet.
Palletizing robots are currently used in various industries such as food, paper, automotive, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and consumer products.
It’s also common to see both types of palletizers in 1 facility. For example, manufacturing and logistics switching to omnichannel (i.e. single production line that handles many types of products).
An alternative solution to this is a hybrid robotic palletizer. This is where a robotic armature is integrated into a controlled entry conventional frame.
This type of configuration can achieve space saving, safety, and stretch wrapping features of a conventional palletizer to handle bags and other delicate products.
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Explore more:Pallet Configurations
How containers/items are stacked on pallets is referred to as pallet configuration.
Pallet configuration data is composed of the type and sizes of pallets used (e.g. standard, four-way, Euro pallet), stacking pattern, the height of layers, and the number of cases per pallet and per row.
There are different types/patterns of pallet configuration/stacking:
Other pallet configuration methods are split row, hybrid, and pinwheel patterns.
Let’s go through each one in more detail.
Column stacking is when cartons/cases are arranged to maintain the same footprint all the way up the pallet as they’re stacked directly on top of each other.
The cartons/cases are stacked in a manner that puts the corner of each carton directly on the corner of the carton below it. This pattern can sometimes allow economizing on the cartons’ board grade.
Advantages of column stacking include:
Disadvantages of column stacking include:
Typically, brick stacking is when the carton’s footprints are switched on every layer to form a brick-like architecture and allow the cartons to interlock.
Advantages of brick stacking include:
Disadvantages of brick stacking include:
An interlocking pallet pattern uses a rotating footprint stacking method where more than one box below supports the box above.
It’s a superior palletization method because of the increased stability of boxes.
Advantages interlocking pallet patterns include:
The main advantage of using the interlocking pallet pattern is that it’s slightly more complicated to construct than brick or column stacking.
Disadvantages of interlocking stacking include:
How do you palletize a product to ready it for shipment?
Not many people understand how to palletize boxes. But with practice, this process is simple and direct.
Palletizing a shipment has two phases:
Loading is the act of placing product cartons or cases on the pallet.
The key aspects of loading are:
Once the unit load is stacked correctly on the pallet, it’s important to secure it before it’s sent off for shipping.
This can be done by wrapping the unit load with stretch film, which relies on elasticity to hold the items together.
You can also use shrink-wrapping, except that the film will loosely cover your items, and then you’ll apply heat to shrink. This will enable it to hold the items tightly.
Both the wrappings protect the item from moisture and dirt, are cost-effective, and adaptable to all cargo shapes and sizes.
Alternatively, you can strap or band the product on the pallets. You can do this alone or in addition to the wrapping for extra security.
6 Palletizing Safety TipsA single carton shifting at the base can cause toppling, damage, and injury. Take all precautions to prevent the motion of the boxes or products.
Don’t stack empty boxes because they can be crushed during the pallet’s movement.
The gaps created by crushed corners can cause a shift in motion of the stacks, toppling, crushing, and other dangers. All boxes must be filled with products or additional packaging to help prevent crushing.
Pack smaller boxes into larger cardboard containers to ensure they don’t create any motion.
Stack the heaviest items (in the load) at the bottom, and spread weight evenly across the pallet. Having larger/heavier boxes on the bottom of the pallet creates a solid foundation and resists leaning.
Ensure the edges of the boxes aligned are with the edge of the pallet.
Prevent overhangs, which can act as bumpers and cause toppling, crashing, and other dangers.
Keep the rectangular or square shape of the pallet up to the top and avoid making a pyramid.
The pyramid shape can compromise the stack’s integrity and cause toppling, falling, crashing, and other damages.
If you have smaller boxes, first place them in a larger stack. If possible, place the smaller boxes carefully into the stack to fill gaps and give it an overall cubic or rectangle shape.
Unless specified, alternate the stacking pattern between layers to make them tight and avoid creating gaps.
If left unattended, gaps can open up during the pallet’s motion and cause damage. Make sure there are no gaps vertically or horizontally.
Use flat cardboard sheets to create a level surface between layers if needed.
After tightly stacking, use 3 to 5 layers of plastic wrap when wrapping the goods to make them tight and bind them to the pallet.
If necessary, use cardboard corner protectors to protect items and further stabilize the load.
If you have smaller boxes, you can pack them into larger cardboard containers to improve their stability.
Palletization FAQsIn a warehouse, palletization of products refers to arranging goods/materials on pallets to improve and facilitate their storage, handling, and shipment. Goods are typically laid down on a pallet in a specific order, whether by size, weight, destination, or another criteria.
Palletizing a shipment involves stacking large quantities of similar products onto a pallet to make them ready for shipping.
The products’ stacking is done according to their weight and in a pattern that promotes their stability and integrity.
Palletizing is the process of stacking products onto a pallet to make them ready for shipping or storage
In a traditional order fulfillment process, a 3PL picks items (one or more), prepares and boxes the order, then ships it to the customer. But palletization is different.
In palletized shipping, multiple similar products (sometimes cases of merchandise) are stacked onto pallets and secured by wrapping with plastic film for bulk shipping.
Initially, palletization was manually done, but technology has improved, and now palletizing machines and robots make the process faster and safer.
The key difference between skids and pallets is the deck boards. This is the platform where you put the items you’re palletizing. Skids have only top platforms, while pallets have both top and bottom platforms leaving them to rest on the floor/ground on their stringers.
Palletization is a faster, surer, and safer way of shipping and transporting cargo. It eases the handling (loading and unloading) and storing of products on transportation vehicles.
Pallet deflection is the bowing of the footprints or corners. Deflection is typically a result of overloading. One way to reduce deflection is by using an interlocking pallet pattern, which helps protect the corners.
Bridging strength in pallet stacking is the ability of cartons to withstand a downward force and without deflecting, shifting, toppling, or crushing.
Pallet Ti Hi is a figurative representation of the layers and number of boxes on a pallet where:
For example, a 7 x 5 Ti Hi pallet configuration means the pallet is constructed with 7 containers per layer and 5 layers high.
A palletizer is a process machine used to stack and organize products onto pallets. A palletizer sorts, transfers, and stacks finished products onto a pallet automatically.
It can be a hand-operated, simple machine or a robotic machine for handling complex and heavy material handling tasks.
Fuji Yusoki Kogyo invented the first robotic palletizer in 1963, just 2 years after the invention of the first industrial robot. In the 1980s, articulated robot arms were introduced in palletizing.
Palletizers take containers from the end of a conveyor and assemble them on the pallet into a prescribed pattern, building layers of the product onto a pallet. This creates a unit load.
What is a unit load and why is it important?
A unit load is the assembly of materials stacked and combined on a pallet for efficient handling.
The concept of the unit load is important in logistics because it’s efficient, faster, and more economical to move large, single units (on a pallet) instead of several small, individual items.
Usually, palletizers are part of a bigger packaging process in a conveyor that includes other functions like counting, weighing, sorting, labeling, wrapping, and even metal detection.
Some palletizers have these functions integrated, while some of the activities are done by separate equipment.
A pallet is deposited into the pallet loading area, either by the palletizing robot or an automated pallet dispenser.
The palletizing robot picks products, one (or multiple), at a time, then accurately and quickly places them on the pallet. The palletizing pattern is constructed layer by layer, based on the chosen palletizer, utilizing tier or slip sheets if needed.
Pallets and palletizers are critical equipment for warehousing and transporting equipment. The palletizer size and loading capacity depend on your business requirements, in addition to:
Conclusion
That’s it: Everything you need to know about palletization.
Simply enter in your cargo’s dimensions and our pallet calculator will generate a visual rendering of your pallet load by layer, and upon clicking “select” it will visually render your full pallet load and calculate volume utilization statistics.
Our pallet calculator will calculate your utilization of available pallet volume based on the dimensions of your cargo. Such statistics include the number of cartons you are able to store onto a pallet, and the percent utilization of pallet volume, amongst other useful statistics.
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