The History of Pallets
Pallets are structures that form a surface to hold and transport goods. They are
designed to be sturdy with space for various devices to grab and lift them.
Among the devices designed to work especially well with pallets are pallet jacks
and forklifts. Items fit securely on top of the pallets by virtue of gravity for
short transports. For longer trips, they are usually fastened down by sturdy
plastic wrap or straps made of plastic or metal.
You probably see wood pallets quite often, but you may not be aware that pallets
made of paper, metal, and plastic also exist. The type of pallet used depends in
large part on the weight of the materials to be transported and the locations
where the materials will be stored on the pallets.
Pallets started out as simple wooden planks. These early planks had to have
spacers placed between them and the forks on fork lifts when they were to be
moved. The next generation of pallets consisted of wood on stingers, forming
skids.
In 1925, boards were placed underneath to form the box-shaped pallets similar to
what we have today. This new form solved all of the major problems with the skid
pallets. The pallets now had some give to them, providing for lighter jolts to
the products on top of the pallets. Additionally, the pallets could now be
lifted and stacked in a more balanced fashion. Many pallets could be stacked up
without any risk of collapse. This led to more efficient use of vertical space
in industrial plants and industrial storage areas. |
