Lots of people have been searching on the internet on how to increase the strength of a pallet. So now we will provide you with the information on how to effectively strengthen the structure and stability of the pallet. With also explaining the certain characteristics that make it become a lot stronger and effective for carrying heavy loads.

How can I strengthen a pallet?

It takes a lot of work by a lot of people to ensure that the millions of goods shipped each day arrive at their final destinations on time and in good condition. But for every 100 shipments that arrive unscathed, there are a few that arrive in less-than-perfect condition. This can be affected by either the packaging of the pallet or the stability of the pallet.

So, to strengthen a pallet so its structure can hold to its max capacity you could increase the width of the stringers or thickness of the boards. Resulting in reducing the gap in between each board. However, it is best to focus on the centre stringer or stringer board because it supports most of the weight.

You do this by simply increasing the number of boards. Or if you’re constructing a pallet from scratch and know the needs are to export heavy loads maybe go for a thicker and more solid piece of timber.

Another successful alternative you could use when wondering how to strengthen a pallet. Could be by increasing the size of pallet block you use to build the pallet. By having larger blocks separating the base and the surface of the pallet. Immediately increases the maximum load the pallet can hold before it breaks.

We also could recommend you choosing the 34mm x 90mm pallet nails to nail each board firmly into the blocks. To make sure they don’t break off or come away due to the length and thickness of the nail.

How to arrange boxes on a pallet effectively?

It takes a lot of time and care to ensure each delivery is shipped successfully. The key to this is good packaging and loading of boxes and of course the overall stability and strength of the pallet carrying the items. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes the process of delivery can end up in a disaster, where the damages sustained during shipment can be attributed to nothing more than easily avoidable packing errors from the supplier.

When deciding how to arrange your boxes on a pallet. Remember that heavy items should always be placed on the bottom layer. This will help you create a stable base with a lower centre of gravity. It also helps you avoid crushing any lighter, less-dense goods. So, nothing gets sent back damaged and needs repairing.

For maximum stability and pallet density, arrange your boxes in a way that brings them as close to the edges of your pallet as possible without hanging over. Bringing your boxes to the edge makes strapping goods down easier and more stable. It also ensures you’re using as much pallet space as possible. Any boxes or goods that overhang the pallet are more likely to be damaged or reduce stability.

When stacking, ensure to follow an overlapping brick pattern this process normally works best when stacking boxes that are the same size. If unable to use the overlapping pattern, make sure you rotate each new layer of boxes you add. However, avoid the pyramid this method massively increases the chance of the load falling over when loading or unloading.

How much weight can a pallet hold?

The max weight a pallet can hold varies due to the structure and size. For example, a UK Standard pallet. This type can fit up to 9 deck boards across the surface. The size of this pallet is 1200 x 1000mm. This has an advantage on the strength of the pallet due to the large perimeter base and the 7-9 boards nailed across the top. Not forgetting the 9 thick pallet blocks in between the top and the bottom. This pallet can hold up to 2 tonnes depending on the number and thickness of the boards across the top. However, if you’re looking at a normal Grade 1 pallet holds around 1,000kg in weight.

However, if you were to look at the euro pallet. Which is a narrower than the UK Standard this means its unable to carry as much due to the width of the surface. Having said that the maximum capacity is still at a large amount due the thickness of the deck boards being (22 and 24mm). Also, the three 145x145x78 pallet blocks across the centre bottom of the pallet. This is effective because the centre is where it supports most of the weight. The most the Euro can hold is 1,500kg.

Overall, the key to strengthening a pallet is purely dependent on the amount of deck boards across the top and the thickness of each one through the centre stringer this is because that’s where most of the weight from the objects are supported. Also, the type of block and nail size both have massive impacts on the strength and stability of the pallet.