A pallet is a flat, portable platform that is mainly used to carry a load. pallets brisbane are important logistic equipment used by manufacturing and material-handling industries to transport and move their materials, machines, and products. The pallets protect the goods and speed up the loading and unloading process.
Custom Pallets are the ones that can be tailored according to the size, design, load capacity preferences and more. Pallets help in reducing warehouse costs as they allow the usage of air space along with floor space. The accidents that come along with manual handling and lifting can be reduced with the help of mechanical material handling.
A PALLET’S LIFE FROM A SEED TO A RECYCLED LUMBER:
Though pallets are a vital part of domestic and international trade, people know very little about them. So here is the life cycle of a pallet:
- Seedling: The starting line of wooden pallets is trees. Pallet construction is possible with hardwood (maple, oak, beech) and softwood (cedar, spruce, pine). These trees are usually planted in tree farms so they can be grown again and again without affecting the environment.
- Growth: Lumber is taken only from fully grown trees. Therefore, all the seeds planted are useful only when they’ve fully developed into trees. Softwood trees grow quicker and are usually planted in tree farms, whereas hardwood is logged from existing forests.
- Logging and Milling: When the trees grow to a sufficient height, they are cut down for the timber. The logs are taken to sawmills to reduce the lumber into fine particles by grinding them. These particles are used in the construction of bunded pallets.
- Construction: The lumber is then sent to the pallet manufacturers to use in the making of pallets. Different types of pallets are constructed for various applications and uses. Custom pallets with different lengths, widths, heights, weights, and thicknesses can be made to meet designs and performance.
- Distribution: After construction, the pallets are either directly sold to customers or sold to distributors. Companies can either sell their pallets or rent the pallets out. These rental programs are called “pallet pools”.
- Service: One of the main reasons pallets are purchased is to move commodities around the country and the globe. Pallets are a better option than a wooden box to transport cargo as they speed up the manufacturing and distributing process.
- Repair or Recycle: It is inevitable for the pallet to get damaged through the journey. Repairing the pallets can extend their life. The pallets that are damaged beyond repair are broken down into parts used to either fix other pallets or are recycled. About 95% of pallets are either reused or recycled.
BENEFITS OF WOODEN PALLETS:
- They have a low price. One can easily afford wooden pallets.
- They are easier to use and also require low maintenance.
- They are high-quality products with great strength and durability.
- Inevitably, wooden pallets may be damaged sometimes. But they are easy to repair. All you need is some nails, a hammer, and timber to replace the broken piece.
- They are recyclable.
- They have high friction that helps with the stability of pallets in the warehouse.
DISADVANTAGES OF WOODEN PALLETS:
- They are prone to bacterial attacks.
- They are neither waterproof nor fireproof.
- As the raw material used is timber, the construction of wooden pallets results in deforestation.
- The rough surface of the pallets makes it hard to clean them.
- They can leave dusty trails and residues.
- Wooden pallets have a shorter lifespan than other pallets like metal or plastic ones.