Techniques by Which to Make Pallets
Unlike traditional wood shipping pallets, there are a number of methods that exist by which to produce durable plastic pallets. All techniques come with their associated benefits and expenses. The process used ultimately factors into pallet performance, capacities and cost.
Injection Molding
High performance plastic shipping pallets are typically injection molded. Injection molding is accomplished using either virgin or high quality recycled polyethylene resin. The injection molding process can be pricey, but it is also the fastest process by which to produce pallets, and pallets can be made quickly once the mold is sent to press. Due to these explained factors, it makes a lot more sense to choose injection molding when you need to put in an order for a large number of pallets at one time.
Injection molded plastic pallets offer:
- Quality dimensions.
- High impact resistance from fork abuse.
A cost associated with injection molded pallets s that you need to be looking for a relatively standard type of plastic shipping pallet. If the pallet is unusual or unique, it is likely a manufacturer will not invest in the equipment required to fabricate the pallet. Their reasoning is that a one-of-a-kind injection molded plastic pallet is a design that is unlikely to be implemented on a regular basis. In order to justify investment in a specialized injection molded plastic pallet, orders will need to exceed a specific unity threshold. Remember that this is more of an idea or a guideline, not a hard-and-fast rule that is followed every time.
Structural Foam Molding
Durable plastic pallets may also be manufactured using structural foam molding, a process that is often employed in the production of models because it is less expensive than injection molding. Available models do all this while offering nearly similar benefits across the board to injection molded plastic pallets.
Pallets produced through structural foam molding are fabricated under a lower pressure than injection molded plastic pallets, in a process requiring gas. The process renders the inside of the plastic partially porous rather than solid. The porous nature of the pallet allows for thousands of rigid bridges inside the plastic, making structural foam an excellent option for ensuring high weight capacities when a pallet is used in racking.
The fault is that its porous nature renders the plastic somewhat more susceptible to any potential damage caused by an impact. If hit with force, plastic pallets made from structural foam will break off in chunky pieces. Pallet damage can be a problem in a sensitive operation that will suffer if foreign materials are introduced.
Thermoforming
A third process used in the production of pallets is thermoforming. This method is a much less expensive process than injection molding or structural foam molding.
In the thermoforming process, sheet plastic is heated until it reaches nearly liquid form, it is then pulled downward into a mold where it is vacuum formed into the available space. Space saving nestable pallet concepts were initially developed employing a thermoforming process.
One benefit of thermoformed plastic is that it is pliable, and it stands up to fork tine abuse quite well. On the flip side, being the most flexible plastic mentioned, thermoformed reusable pallets do not perform as well in heavy weight environments.
Additional Methods
A number of additional methods exist by which plastic pallets are manufactured including:
- Blow molding.
- Assembly molding.
- Extrusion molding.
- Rotational molding.
- Compression molding.
These processes for pallet production are not as common in the marketplace, but they can be efficient if they are a good fit for anything you intend to carry. They can also usually be produced at exceedingly low volumes.
Manufacturing process ultimately has a large impact on the cost of pallets and their performance, and it is a factor that needs consideration when determining the right durable plastic pallet for your application.
