Pallets and how to handle them has always been a challenge for the transport and logistics industry. They are heavy, bulky and can be difficult to manage especially when they are in bulk.
They stack easily however they take up a lot of room. Well a new pallet that has been designed in Australia is set to change all that.
It is a design that addresses many of the long standing issues with pallets and will be able to make the old wooden pallets obsolete once they are introduced to the industry in bulk.
The http://www.tandlnews.com.au/ had this to say about the new pallet type:
The 1-PAL pallet, an innovative Australian-designed and manufactured pallet system, is set to provide companies with significant warehousing, freight, environmental, safety and cost benefits.
The high-performing plastic 1-PAL pallet is the world’s first stackable, nestable and rackable pallet. 1-PAL’s innovative design is an evolution of the traditional pallet ‐ a combination of features available in various designs incorporated in one unique pallet.
The 1-PAL pallet features carefully designed slots in its top surface, allowing the solid legs of the nesting pallet to nest inside when it’s rotated 90 degrees. This gives the 1-PAL pallet a 3:1 height ratio when nested, compared to standard pallets. The 1-PAL pallet can also be stacked similar to traditional pallets, permitting easy forklift access.
The solid leg design gives it the ability to safely rack 1,000 kilograms in temperatures as high a 60 degrees Celsius and as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius. Notches in 1-PAL’s four high-strength legs allow it to safely locate in standard beam racking.
“The logistics industry is tied to the use of pallets and we’ve seen very little innovation in pallets in the past century,” said 1-PAL director Ryan Groom.
“1-PAL is a true total cost solution and we estimate that its warehousing and freight benefits will enable businesses to save up to 65% in operational costs.
“Warehousing is a significant operating cost for many companies and the 1-PAL system reduces the amount of warehousing and freight required due to its innovative and space-saving design.
“We’ve also received feedback from industry that the ability of pallets to withstand large loads in high temperatures is becoming an increasing concern, especially for companies storing large amounts of inventory with varying climates.”
The 1-PAL pallet is made from a newly developed long-grain glass fibre polymer that gives the pallet superior strength to weight ratio, high-impact strength designed to absorb reoccurring forklift tyne collision and it also ensures it maintains integrity under extreme environmental conditions.
The 1-PAL pallet weighs less than 13 kilograms, about one third the weight of a traditional hardwood pallet. This is a weight saving of 3,200 kilograms per 100 pallets transported when compared with hardwood pallets. It is also occupational, health and safety approved to be lifted by a single person.
1-PAL can also be fully recycled at the end of its life, cleaned at high temperatures and has drainage holes that prevent water collection, making it an ideal solution for food and beverage industries.
1-PAL recently won the Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia’s (Victoria Division) Environmental Award, and was a runner up for BASF Australia Ltd Plastics’ Award for Design and Innovation.
The 1-PAL pallet is designed and manufactured in Cheltenham,Victoria.
Source: http://www.tandlnews.com.au/2012/12/11/article/15344/
These award winning pallets are light and easy to use and eco friendly at the end of the day. They are set to really address some of the ongoing safety and logistics issues that have been around for as long as the old stable wooden pallets have been used.
Peter Cutforth is a Director at Urban E-Learning, a global elearning and web strategy firm based in George St Brisbane. Peter's interests extend to training, safety and compliance, online marketing, and Mobile Apps.
