TLDR: Pallet weight ratings ensure packaging solutions can safely support their loads while maintaining supply chain efficiency. Properly rated pallets prevent product damage, injuries, and operational downtime. Discover the logistical impact of supplying your business with the correctly rated plastic pallet.
- Acknowledge the different load capacity types and how each of them affects how you package your products.
- Understand the packaging materials available, discover their pros and cons, and choose which best fits your project.
- Learn about the key benefits and enhanced load management by using thermoformed plastic pallets.
Understanding the weight load limit of a plastic pallet goes beyond whether it can support the weight of its contents. Other considerations, such as different load classes, packaging design, and the materials used, affect pallet weight capacities. Utilizing correctly rated plastic pallets throughout your supply chain ensures efficient inventory management.
Demanding environments, like warehouses and distribution centers, can’t afford packaging mishaps. A fallen-down or broken pallet can halt your logistical processes by requiring time to clean and limit damage. Pallet failures can cause harm to operators, damage to products, and a loss to your overall bottom line.
This read will expand on the importance of pallet weight limits and how they streamline supply chain efficiency.
What is Pallet Weight Capacity?
The weight limit capacity of a pallet refers to the maximum amount of weight the packaging solution can safely hold without failure or damage. This goes for both the pallet and the products being carried. Utilizing the correct plastic pallet load rating can be the decision-maker between smooth material handling and loss of inventory.
Different Load Capacity Types
Your shipped products undergo various movements and shifts during transit to their destination. The plastic pallets protecting the finished goods must be properly rated to ensure no damage occurs at any stage of the supply chain. This refers to inventory being moved within a 53’ trailer over the road, stationery within a warehouse, or resting in a racking system.
Regardless of the method used to ship, receive, and store products, you must be aware of these pallet load capacity types:
- Static Load – This load type pertains to the maximum amount of weight the plastic pallet can withstand while sitting still.
- Dynamic Load – This capacity rating relates to the maximum weight the pallet can transport under different forces experienced while in motion.
- Racking Load – This load rating refers to the weight a pallet can hold while utilized in a racking system.
Pallet Load Limits with Different Materials
The material used to form your pallets has a big impact on the overall carrying capacity. Paper and other expendable options don’t have the strength that more durable packaging options do. They typically hold around 1,000 lbs and are used for moving smaller goods.
Standard wood pallets are popular and used throughout a variety of industries. Wood pallets can hold around 2,500 lbs and can easily carry most of your common-sized commodities.
Plastic, depending on the design, can hold over 5,000 lbs without any concern about the pallet failing or damaging the goods. Due to their impressive strength-to-weight ratios, plastic pallets are a great choice for safeguarding automotive, aerospace, and other industrial components.
Significance of Properly Rated Pallets
Surface level, the main benefit of using accurately rated pallets is protecting the goods they hold. However, it’s the prevention of other issues that keeps a logistics system from slowing, stopping, and failing. An ill-fitted packaging solution, whether it’s too big or too small, can result in serious health and operational concerns.
Your operators are the bloodline of the business, and maintaining a healthy workforce is important. Amidst fast-paced operations, ergonomic pallets help continue seamless workflows and enhance safety precautions. Pallets with inadequate load ratings are at risk of tipping, falling, or breaking, which could harm people and products.
Thermoformed Plastic Pallets Help Load Efficiency
Thermoformed, or vacuum-formed, plastic pallets provide your supply chain with strong and stable packaging solutions. This process enables the production of high volumes of durable pallets without compromising load ratings. The versatility of thermoformed pallets, compared to traditional one-way wood, offers:
- Full customization capabilities to tailor the pallet size, weight, and structural features to enhance load stability.
- Flat and smooth pallet surfaces to avoid product shifting, moving, and slipping while transported.
- Dimensional accuracy to ensure each pallet is properly formed to safely store and move the products it was designed for.
- Repeat use without the fear of the pallet failing due to swelling, warping, or chipping.
- Eco-friendly alternatives that can be recycled and repurposed at the end of the lifecycle.
Upgrade to Peninsula Plastics’ Sustainable Plastic Pallets
Your business’ workflows and supply chain efficiency depend on utilizing the correct pallet for the job. Effective load management is the difference between downtime and loss of inventory, or seamless operations and successful deliveries. Supplying your business with durable plastic pallets from Peninsula Plastics allows you to ship what you want, how you want. Whether you need standard in-stock sizes or custom designs for unique applications, our packaging is built to perform.
