A typical oversight that some people make when purchasing wooden pallets for their needs, be it for freight packaging or storage, is taking load tests for granted. What these individuals are overlooking is that pallets are not built the same. And since not all pallets are equal, it is critical to ensure that the ones you are buying for your specific needs will be able to withstand the conditions that you will be exposing them to.
Fortunately, your pallets do not have to go through rigorous testing. Instead, you should perform three main load tests. Read on for highlights of the three types of load tests that you wooden pallets should pass before being put to use.
1. Pallet strength
Although wood is a favourite pallet material, you should take note that the various species of timber will perform differently. Therefore, it is advisable to out the pallets through strength tests to determine their load-bearing capacity. One of the tests that the pallets will undergo is a static compression test, which refers to how the pallets will perform when they are fully supporting a weight, such as when you utilise the pallets for storage.
The second strength test that the pallets will undergo is the dynamic compression test, which refers to the pallets performance when they are subjected to external elements such as vibrations in a moving truck. The last strength test is the racked compression, which seeks to determine the amount of weight the pallets can withstand when the solid ground is not supporting them, for example when transporting products on a conveyor system.
2. Pallet functionality
All types of pallets need to meet government regulations before they can be put to use. Nonetheless, the functionality of the pallets can only be determined on an individual case basis. Some of the functionality tests you may want to put your wooden pallets through include pest-resistance, fire-resistance and even deciding whether the size and design of the pallets are compatible with your warehouse.
3. Pallet durability
Wooden pallets, granted, are usually designed for single use. However, if you want to save on costs and avoid having to buy pallets on a routine basis, then you may want to select wooden pallets that have passed a durability test. The main aim of the durability test is to establish if the pallets can endure different hazards without succumbing to permanent damage.
Some examples of the types of dangers that you want to make sure your wooden pallets can withstand are compression forces, forklifts use, vibrations and so on. Wooden pallets that have passed a durability test are more likely to complete several trips without buckling or breaking altogether.
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