palletizing
stacking of goods on a pallet
Palletizing is the technical term for loading a pallet. The packages are stacked so that they are as stable as possible and do not extend beyond the pallet. This ensures safe, gentle and space-saving transport and easy integration into storage systems.
Table of contents
Correct palletizing
Only the correct stacking of the boxes on the individual pallets ensures stability during transport . Proper palletizing ensures, among other things, stable stacking, optimal use of space on the pallet as well as in trucks and warehouses, as well as goods without transport damage.
More and more manufacturers are adapting their transport packaging to the dimensions of Euro pallets in order to reduce packing and transport costs. Boxes and crates with partial dimensions of the standard pallet size 1,200 x 800 mm enable the greatest possible use of space on the transport pallet. Using packaging that fits the pallet makes it easier to stack the goods safely on the transport pallet.
packing techniques
The following packing techniques are preferred for palletizing:
- Column stacking : packages stacked evenly next to each other and on top of each other (several package towers next to each other on a pallet, so to speak)
- Composite stacking : boxes stacked offset (similar to a brick wall)
- Spiral stacking : Safe palletizing of bags by turning the pallet 90° after each layer
Composite stacking requires experience, but this technique offers significantly more stability and improves transport safety. If the packages do not fit completely on the pallet, the free spaces must be centered inwards and filled with suitable material.
Dealing with overhangs
If the dimensions of the packaged goods make flush palletizing impossible , overhangs must be accepted. The following applies:
- The pallet should be centered under the packages, the overhangs should be even on all sides.
- Pallets with overhangs must be announced to the logistics and storage partners so that the necessary storage space can be reserved.
palletizing errors
If a pallet is not packed properly, the load may collapse or become deformed . The shrink film that is often used does not offer enough resistance to compensate for errors in palletizing. Collapses lead to serious transport damage, while pallets with deformed loads do not correspond to the usual dimensions and use up unnecessary transport and storage space. Typical problems include:
- Lateral collapse due to shifted packages
- Fan formation with increasingly wider distances between the packages of higher layers
- Bulging contours due to "pushed out" packages in the middle packing area
Only the correct palletizing of each layer and the final professional securing can prevent these difficulties.
Mechanical palletizing aids
In small companies or when picking different goods on a pallet (e.g. for different supermarket branches), palletizing is often done by hand. Industrial companies usually only load individual pallets with one or just a few different products. This process can be done perfectly well by machine . The following tools and devices are available for this purpose:
- Pallet loading stations place an entire stack of goods on the pallet and generate significant time savings compared to other solutions. This technology can be used for very compact stacks.
- Layer palletizers combine the packages delivered in the appropriate format into one layer and place them on the pallet. This allows different products to be automatically combined on one pallet, provided the dimensions of the boxes are suitable.
- Palletizing robots are particularly flexible because they allow different packing patterns to be programmed, which the gripper arm then executes quickly and with millimeter precision.
- Linear robots automatically prepare an empty pallet and load it according to the desired pattern. These machines are ideal for large quantities of goods with a consistent loading pattern.
- Additional components such as pallet feeders and pallet aligners support the smooth running of mechanical palletizing.
