Transporting goods is not easy, especially if you are moving them over long distances. In the olden days, crates and wooden barrels were used to ship goods. With the arrival of the pallet, the handling of goods became much easier. One could use a forklift to lift pallets and move them from the truck to the warehouse or from the shipping warehouse to the truck.
The Usefulness of Pallets for Moving Goods
The pallet is a flat transport structure that supports goods arranged on it stably. Some of the products need drainage and air circulation. Pallets provide this because they have an open structure. In Brisbane, pallets are used extensively because it helps organize the movement of goods and keep the transportation activity streamlined. While most pallets are made of wood, they may also be made of plastic, paper, metal, or recycled material. They work well with the intermodal containers and corrugated boxes used for bulk shipping.
Shipping containers have a smooth surface without any means to hold and lift the boxes. This is why the pallets are so useful. They provide space, two-way or four-way, to hold the containers, lift and transport them to the vehicle or their allocated space in the warehouse. Different countries and transport agencies use pallets of different sizes. These range from 1200x1000x165 to 1165x1165x160 (all dimensions in millimetres). The pallet consists of three to four stringers. On top of this, you have deck boards to support the cargo. Usually, the pallet is square or almost a square because this will resist tipping.
Improved Efficiency through Pallets
When you palletise a product, you gain several advantages. The first is that it helps one move large containers fast as compared to if you were to move them manually. By moving the cargo faster, you are able to achieve faster turnaround times. This allows the trailer to be available in a shorter time for the next delivery. The operational efficiency improved, and there is a good decrease in the need for labour. Quick transportation helps reduce the risk of damage to perishable products.
The companies use Brisbane pallets as this kind of handling reduces the risk of damage to the products. Also, there is a lower risk of injuries to the workers. Palletised products are easier to handle and store. So, customers prefer to get palletised products. Most of the warehouses are optimized for the use of pallets for storing purposes. Compared to slip sheets the pallets are easier to handle because the slip sheets will require the use of specialized equipment.
Different Aspects of Palletisation
Palletisation is done in three ways. One is the manual palletisation, the second is the semi-automatic palletising, and the third is the automatic palletisation. Other than the stringer pallet, other types of pallets include the block pallet, flush pallet, and the perimeter base pallet. In the flush pallets, the stringers are flush with the deck boards.
The block pallet has cylindrical posts that keep the bottom deck separate from the top deck. There is the use of parallel and perpendicular strings so as to facilitate easier handling. In the stringer pallet design, there is the use of runners that are present along the entire length of the pallet. The top edge of the stringers remains attached to the top deck. Notches are provided for four-way entry. When the pallet is present in both the top and bottom decks, it is known as double face pallet.
Use of better nails will improve the quality of the pallet. If the pallet is made of some substance other than wood, it is prone to slipping, so provisions must be made for this.
Thanks for sharing the information. Great picture.