A pallet collar is a type of wooden

packaging Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a co ...

that works together with a classic wooden

pallet A pallet (also called a skid) is a flat transport structure, which supports goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by a forklift, a pallet jack, a front loader, a jacking device, or an erect crane. A pallet is the structural foundat ...

or custom pallets. The main difference in comparison to a normal wooden box is the possibility to collapse a pallet collar when not in use. As such pallet collars have helped solve a problem in

logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

. Pallet collars have increased in popularity worldwide in the past 20 years, with approximately 20,000,000 new collars manufactured each year worldwide. Each of the pallet collars is stacked on one another to form a box type of packing, but because of the convenient design they provide several important benefits that have high value in the storage and

transportation industry Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, a ...

Overview

To provide better transportation opportunities for more types of products, pallet collars were introduced to the market and followed the increased use of classic wooden pallets as a result of the growing popularity of containerized transportation on sea and land.

Design

A single pallet collar consists of four or six wooden boards ( plastic boards can also used) and four or six metallic hinges that are used to hold the boards together. These hinges allow every pallet collar to collapse in order to save space, which is the main difference between it and other boxes. Pallet collars work together with classic and different types of pallets.

Benefits of pallet collars

When quality pallet collars are used in the right way it is possible to optimise space in both warehouses and when they are transported. They provide fast and easy handling and assembling. Also, the access to the goods that are stored is ensured to be faster and easier. When pallet collars are not used and there are no products in this packaging it is possible to collapse them. In comparison to wooden boxes, these save up to more than 80% of space. Different types of products can be stored on pallets without the pallet collars, but they are still used in order to ensure safe multi-level both shelf and non-shelf storage which ensures

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...

optimisation. Using pallet collars make it possible to store more types of products on pallets which would usually be stored in classic wooden boxes. For example, different friable products can be stored when a customised pallet is used.

Pallet collars construction

It also ensures the usage of pallet collars that differ in heights and sizes in order to adjust the needed capacity of every individual packaging.

Standardisation

Standard pallet collars are manufactured in four heights: 100, 200, 300 and 400 mm. By using the needed heights and combining them together it is possible to closely match every single package to particular products. Three standard sizes are manufactured: 600x800, 800x1200 and 1000x1200 mm. These standard sizes complement the majority of most commonly used standard pallets.

Customisation

In order to provide quality working conditions and efficiency it is possible to manufacture any custom height and size, which can provide precise packaging for any type of products. Hinges can be customised too in order to provide better working conditions. For example, one side of the collar may open as a door, to provide easy access to stored goods.

Materials

Standard pallet collars are manufactured from

plywood Plywood is a material manufactured from thin layers or "plies" of wood veneer that are glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another. It is an engineered wood from the family of manufactured ...

, which provides the necessary quality. OSB or plastic pallet collars are also often used. Each of the materials has advantages and disadvantages.

Avoiding risks

To form the needed packaging from pallet collars, only collars from one manufacturer should be stacked on one another. While the majority of manufacturers use standard sizes, minor differences can occur due to the technology used in manufacturing. Such differences can cause significant safety issues.

Creative uses

Used pallet collars are becoming popular for a variety of uses, following the popularization of pallets with the public. One of the most popular uses for pallet collars are as garden beds. The gardener may stack the pallet collars as high as needed and fill them with soil. Th Pallet collars are an inexpensive material available to the general public.

References

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External links

European Pallet Association
Pallets