Pallets or also known as Transport pallets are flat load-bearing structures that are used to transport products that can be stacked. Different designs are available in a variety of materials, including wood, plastic, and stainless steel (such as Flat Pallets or Drum Pallets). The Europallet is the most popular palette. The assembly that is fastened to the pallet's supporting foundation is known as the superstructure.
Since its inception in the years following World War 2, pallet pooling has grown in popularity. It often takes the form of pallet rental, pallet hire, or alternatively, pallet exchange, as done in the EPAL system. Instead of paying for the pallet completely, pallet users who rent them can use a high-quality pallet for a price that is only tied to their use of it. In this way, pooling can eliminate the need for disposable pallets, lowering travel costs while removing solid waste and improving operating efficiency throughout supply chains.
In the course of being handled by materials handling equipment like forklifts, pallet jacks, or conveyors, being stored in racking or bulk storage, or being placed in transport vehicles, pallets are used to stack, store, protect, and transport items. The most frequent foundation for a unit load is a pallet, which is followed by goods placed on top of it. These items are often stabilized with reusable wraps, straps, and nets in addition to stretch wrap, strapping, shrink wrap, adhesive, or other ways. There are several pallet selection considerations that include: Expendable or Reusable, Pallet materials (wood, plastic, metal, paper composites), Block or Stringer directions of entry, Pallet styles and pallet sizes.