From the software program that designed it to the crowbar used to break it apart, a pallet is handled by many different types of equipment throughout its lifetime. Workers use many different types of pallet jacks and hydraulic devices to move pallets to and from trucks around the world every day, and there are many other types of pallet equipment to simplify this process. Lifters, stands, and protectors are all used within warehouses to ensure that pallets can be easily stacked until they are ready for shipping, and pallet wrappers are normally one of the busiest machines inside any warehouse. Each of these pieces of pallet equipment is virtually irreplaceable in modern businesses that deal with large amounts of inventory.
Perhaps the most popular type of pallet equipment is a jack, which is what allows workers to lift and move inventory around a warehouse. Pallet jacks have two separate lifts that are manually raised and lowered by the operator, and with three wheels, these devices are designed for tight cornering when navigating through a warehouse or loading trucks. Variations of pallet jacks that run off of petroleum or electric power, called fork lifts, make it possible to move pallets quickly and store them high on warehouse shelves. With thousands of different types of fork lifts available on the market for dozens of industries, the possibilities for storing and moving pallets are almost endless.
Of course, before pallets can be shipped anywhere, the cargo stacked atop them has to be properly secured, which is exactly what a pallet wrapper does. These types of machines encircle a load of cargo in plastic to keep it from becoming unstable while on the back en-route to its destination, and this particular piece of pallet equipment is literally worth its weight in gold to manufacturers and retail stores worldwide. There are two distinct types of pallet wrappers available to businesses. The more common type lifts the pallet by using a hydraulic platform, and then the entire contents are rotated while plastic wraps around the contents. Models are also available that leave the pallet stationary by using a rotating arm to complete the packing process.
There are many other types of pallet equipment as well. From the slotted racks that hold pallets in place inside the warehouse to the tie-down braces that are used inside trailers, each of them ensures that the items stored on the pallet will remain safe and secure. It is almost hard to believe that so many inventions have been created around a few rickety pieces of lumber that were hammered together, and as long as there is merchandise to ship, pallet equipment will remain in demand across the globe.