A wood pallet is a wood pallet, Right?

You can see pallets in just about every warehouse or shipping area.    Most people don’t think a lot about them and probably believe that all pallets are the same.

Pallets do tend to come in several basic sizes:

• 48x 40
• 42 x 42
• 48 x 48
• 36 x36

They also tend to come in 2 basic designs, the block design and the stringer design.   The images are shown below.

The main difference between a stringer pallet and a block pallet is a stringer pallet uses 2 side boards that may be notched out for forklift tongs while  the block pallet uses a block of wood in each corner and the middle of each side.  There is a stringer board that goes around the perimeter to hold the pallet intact.   The block design is maybe more convenient and universal, but it is a little more labor intensive to build.

Pallets are available in different types of woods.

Custom Pallets

There are lots of supply choices if you are looking for a pallet in the 2 basic designs and the typical dimensions.    One can probably find several sources of used pallets in these sizes and configurations. However there are many cases where you may need to have a custom pallet.   Here are some examples of custom pallets that Packnet can design and build in just about any volume.

Foam Cushioned Pallets:  For products or equipment that is vibration or shock sensitive, a foam cushioned pallet is a good option.   The foam cushion absorbs shock and protects that product from a significant amount of handling trauma.

Packaging Kits Using Pallets:  The pallet may be standard, but other materials may be assembled to the pallet.  Examples of this include nested boxes or containers,   foam inserts glued to the base or different types of hardware assembled to the pallet.   Packnet can build/assemble these systems and deliver in a JIT fashion.

Special Sizes:  Sometimes the need is for a pallet with dimensions that are well outside the dimensions of the typical pallet.  Packnet can custom design these pallets to fit the exact size needed.

ISPM 15 Compliant Pallets:  Any wood pallet that is used for international shipments must be ISPM 15 complaint and be built by a certified manufacturer.   Packnet is licensed and audited by Timber Products Inspection Agency.

Heavy Duty Pallets/Skids:  Sometimes pallets need to be stronger and more durable for items like heavy machines.  Most available pallets have weight limitations that won’t allow them to be used for some heavyweight applications.  Packnet can engineer a heavy duty custom skid using denser and thicker materials with appropriate reinforcement to handle ultra heavy loads.

Combination Wood Pallet Containers:   A packaging system may be built or integrated with pallet features so that standard forklifts and loading docks can easily handle the loading and unloading.   These would be highly custom engineered designs for specialty applications.

Packnet can custom engineer any kind of a pallet system to meet your needs.    For more information on our pallets, call 952-944-9124 to speak to a technical representative or go to our industrial pallet web page.