Pallet sizes (pallets): Euro, Finnish, American, domestic

Today it is simply impossible to do without transportation and storage of goods, cargo and materials. To speed up the processing of goods, to improve their safety, special containers were invented. They are called pallets or pallets. But in each country, the size of the pallet is different and in the case of international transport, you must use those that are in use in a particular country.

What is a pallet, what materials is it made of

Pallet - pallet for transportation of goods. Those. there is no difference between the concepts of pallet and pallet. Pallet is a transliteration of the English Pallet, which is used in English-speaking countries. Therefore, we get confused all the time in writing - pallet or pallet: the word is borrowed and clear rules have not yet been invented.

There are different pallets / pallets for different loads. Moreover, many countries have their own standards.

The pallet or pallet prototype was developed in the second half of the last century. More and more goods began to be transported, the loading and unloading of which took a lot of time, since they had different sizes, it was difficult to place and store them. It was necessary to speed up the process and somehow standardize. Someone came up with the idea to use the same pallets on which loads are installed. This greatly accelerated transportation and storage. In addition, there is less damage to the cargo - the pallet is solid and protects against impacts.

Common standards

In general, gradually the use of pallets or pallets in transportation and storage has become the norm. Pallet size is standardized, but there are several standards. For transportation in Europe, European pallets are used, they are also called Euro pallets, Euro pallets.

The pallet size can be very different. Standardized ones are needed for international shipping. It is also easier to work with the same

Finland has its own standards - FIN pallets or fin pallets. There are also American and Asian standards. Inside our country, Russian standards apply, but Euro pallets are also in use.

Materials

Most often, pallets of any type are made of wood, and not any wood. For euro pallets, only high-quality wood of 2-3 grades is used, with a moisture content not higher than 24%. The requirements are approximately the same for Finnish, American and Asian. Different types of wood are used according to the Russian standard. The grade of the pallet depends on its quality. Pallets are made of pine, spruce, alder, birch, aspen.

EUR and FIN pallets are far from the only ones

There are also plastic and metal pallets. Plastic pallets / pallets are convenient in that they are easy to clean and sanitize. They last longer than wooden ones, but much more expensive. Metal pallets are made from steel and aluminum. They, of course, are many times stronger than both wood and plastic, but their price is quite considerable. They are used in rooms with high temperatures, as well as for moving goods inside the enterprise. The rest of the pallets fail much faster and sometimes it is more profitable to invest in metal pallets and operate them for years, rather than constantly buying / making new ones.

For transportation and storage of light loads, cardboard pallets are used. There are also small ones - mini. They are used either inside the enterprise or for the transportation of small-sized items.

Euro pallet design and size (EUR)

In general, several pallet sizes are in use in Europe, but the so-called "standard" ones are most often used.The size of this type of Euro pallet in millimeters is 1200 * 800 * 144 mm, the weight of the Euro pallet is up to 35 kg. You can load up to 600 kg.

Structurally, the Euro pallet consists of an upper and a lower deck, consisting of five boards: two narrow - 100 mm wide and three wide - 145 mm, the thickness of the boards is 22 mm. The wide ones are located at the edges and in the middle, narrow between them.

Dimensions of the Euro pallet and its design with dimensions

The two floorings are connected using pieces of timber (they also use MDF) - checkers. Their dimensions are 100 * 145 * 78 mm. They provide space for the entry of the forklift loading platform.

Checkers are placed three in a row at a distance of 382.5 mm from each other. Three pieces of checkers are connected by the boards of the lower flooring in one row. The bottom deck requires two narrow boards (first and last row) and one wide board. Their difference from the material for the upper deck is the presence of a chamfer for easier entry of the loading platform. The edges of the Euro pallet must be chamfered.

The rows are interconnected by intermediate strips. The parameters of these boards are 145 * 22 mm and 800 mm long. They form a rectangular platform from the rows and serve as a support for laying the upper deck.

Dimensions of the Euro pallet type "size" and "standard". In each version, the size of the pallet is the same, the "checkers" are different

This type of Euro pallet is called "standard". There is also a euro size. It differs in the smaller size of the checkers, respectively, has a lower carrying capacity - up to 400 kg.

Euro pallet marking

A few more words should be said about labeling. To designate the standard, a brand is burned out on the corner checker: the word EUR enclosed in an oval. Other checkers are also marked. It displays information about the manufacturer, series, batch number, and the passage of sanitation. Wooden containers do not pass customs without processing.

Finnish pallets: dimensions, weight, carrying capacity

Another standard that has become widespread: the Finnish pallet. Its size is 1000 * 1200 * 145 mm. That is, the Fin pallet is "deeper" - more in width. Approximate weight - 15-20 kg.

This is what a Fin pallet looks like

The upper deck consists of seven planks. The boards are wide and narrow, but their width is 100 and 120 mm, respectively. The thickness is the same - 22 mm. The upper deck is formed in this order: wide, two narrow, wide, two narrow, wide. Checkers for the Finnish pallet have a size of 100 * 100 * 78 mm. They are also installed in three rows and connected by lower floor boards: narrow at the edges, wide in the center. Please note that the corners of the finpallet must be chamfered.

FIN pallet dimensions: design and drawing

Finnish pallets are also required to be marked. They put the FIN stamp, enclosed in a rectangular frame. The rest of the legs are also stamped with the manufacturer, production date and batch number. Also, a stamp is put on the passage of bacterial processing (spikelet).

US pallet size

New dimensions of the American pallet were installed recently - in 2012. Size - 1200 * 1200 * 150 mm. In general, there are about a dozen types of pallets in use in North America. There are one-sided and two-sided varieties. In one-sided, as in others, the bottom flooring is only a few boards. In double-sided, the bottom and top deck are the same. The double-sided pallet can be turned over either side. The weight of American pallets is not standardized, but on average, an empty one-sided pallet weighs 15-25 kg, a double-sided one - up to 40 kg. You can load up to 1200 kg.

The appearance of the American pallet differs from others due to the curly cutouts in the front and back walls

According to the American standard, the following wood can be used in the manufacture of pallets: pine, poplar, alder, aspen. Moreover, the thinnest elements cannot be less than 6 mm. The boards are knocked down by nails. You can distinguish an American pallet not only by its size, but also by the type of intermediate racks. These are not "checkers", but a board with cutouts (23 cm) for a forklift paw.

Pallet dimensions according to American standard

If we talk about the design, the upper flooring of the American-style pallet consists of 7 boards, the lower one of three (for a single-deck) or seven for a double-deck. The exact width of the boards is not standardized, but cannot be less than 100 mm. If you look at the drawings, most often a wide board is used at the edges - about 140-150 mm wide. All others go the same. A similar picture is observed for the bottom flooring: at the edges there are two wide boards, three narrow in the central part.

Pallets according to Russian standards

At present, there are two standards in force in the Russian Federation: GOST 9078-84 and GOST 9557-87. The first determines only the size of the wooden pallet. According to the standard 9078-84, there are two options for the size of containers for warehousing and cargo transportation of the Russian model:

• 1200 * 800 mm. This pallet size complies with the European standard.
• 1200 * 1000 mm. Finnish analogue.

The maximum permissible deviation from the indicated dimensions is 5%. The bottom deck area can be up to 40% smaller than the top deck. The grade and moisture content of the wood used is also determined: the first and second, as well as the highest grade can be used. The maximum moisture content of wood is 22%. There are no other guidelines for construction and lumber. So that every manufacturer can act as he wants here, it is important to respect the outer size of the pallet.

Drawing and size of an ordinary wooden pallet

The second standard - 9557-87 practically one-to-one repeats the norms of Euro pallets. All requirements are the same. The only difference is that they are not branded, since the standard has not yet passed international certification. If the pallet is made according to the second standard, it differs from the EUR pallet only by the absence of a stamp and may not be chamfered at the corners. Such products are usually called reusable pallets. Then put down the size. They are also called BK Euro pallets (without a stamp).

Pallet / pallet grade

Pallets of any type are disposable and reusable. Disposable are disassembled after use. Reusable (reusable) wooden pallets are divided into grades depending on the cycles of use and general condition. There are three types of wooden pallets:

• Top grade. These are wooden platforms of normal light color, without damage, chips or cracks. They were used no more than 3 times.
• First grade. The state is close to the highest, but the number of worked cycles is not limited. Separately, the inadmissibility of damage and traces of repair is noted.
  

  So it's easier to deal with pallet / pallet types

• Second grade. The wood can be dark and dirty. There may be cracks and chips, but no more than 3 * 30 cm. Pallets after repair are included in this category.

The use of containers of any type is allowed on the domestic market. For transportation abroad, it is required to clarify what kind of container can pass the control. It can be said unambiguously that it is certified, branded and sanitized. The rest of the requirements depend on the country, but usually only require new ones or, in extreme cases, a premium grade.

Loading capacity of pallets and rules for placing goods on them

Today a strange situation has developed: the possible loads on pallets and pallets have not been determined. Each manufacturer sets its own figure. On the one hand, it is difficult to guarantee any specific figure, since the wood can be used in different ways. Also, the cargo may be different. The mass can be dispersed over the entire area of ​​the cargo area, or it can be point. With a point load, of course, the mass should be less.

Excerpt from GOST

If you follow the GOSTs of Soviet times, the maximum load on a pallet is up to 1000 kg. In real tests, it was found that it is possible to store and transport up to 1,500 kg. But during transportation, overloading of vehicles is not allowed. So more than 700-800 kg are still not loaded.When placing loads on pallets / pallets, the following rules must be observed:

• It is necessary to distribute the load evenly over the entire area and fasten it well to each other.
• Pallet edges can be free, but the load must be placed symmetrically about the center. Each row of boxes must be individually attached to the pallet with twine or load straps.
• If the dimensions of the cargo exceed the dimensions of standard pallets, the edges should not protrude beyond the container by more than 2 cm.
• When laying rectangular boxes, it is better to fold the rows in a checkerboard pattern (as when laying bricks). Otherwise, with a stack height of 1 meter or more, the load crumbles.

In this form, goods are usually sent

The general packing procedure is as follows: the cargo is placed, fastened with straps, and fixed to the pallet. Then it is wrapped with plastic wrap or other material that prevents the load from shifting. Corners can be installed, which are also wrapped in foil. They serve as additional insurance for the displacement of goods during transportation. The strapped bag is fixed with plastic ties to the platform.