Unlike those of us in the packaging industry, most professionals hope to avoid (or at least find unnecessary) the unique details that go into making a pallet. For many buyers, basic packaging lingo can be confusing, alienating or just plain frustrating.
Our job is not just to offer the best pallet for the job, but to help you understand why. That's where our packaging lab comes in, where pallets and packaging equipment can be tested on your merchandise to determine that perfect balance between cost savings and protective thriftiness.
Next time you need to talk with a pallet expert, be sure to ask if you don't understand!
Here are five important vocabulary words all pallet pupils should know:
- Chamfer - Machined or molded inclined surface along part of full length of edges or deckboards between stringers or blocks to facilitate passage of fork-arm wheels of pallet trucks and to guide tines of fork lift truck during entry into pallet.
- Compliance - Measurement of conformance to the established requirements and criteria.
- Damage Coefficient - Economic factor relating damage severity to cost of pallet repair, based on economic indicators for prices, cost of materials and labor.
- Economic Life - Number of trips pallets will make, provided it is properly repaired with maximum return on investment.
- Fork Entry - Opening between decks, beneath top deck and ground, or beneath stringer boards to admit forks of lifting device.
Did you enjoy this mini-pallet lesson, or do you have bigger and bolder questions that need answered? Let us know in the comments and we'll do our best to address your questions as they come!
Note: These terms and their definitions were provided by the Approved American National Standard on Pallets, Slip Sheets and Other Bases for Unit Loads.
