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Investigation of the effect of column stacked corrugated boxes on load bridging using partial four‐way stringer class wooden pallets
Author(s) -
Clayton Anthony Page,
Horvath Laszlo,
Bouldin John,
Gething Brad
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
packaging technology and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1099-1522
pISSN - 0894-3214
DOI - 10.1002/pts.2438
Subject(s) - pallet , deflection (physics) , structural engineering , stiffness , unit load , materials science , engineering , mechanical engineering , physics , optics
Pallets are the foundation of the global packaging supply chain. They provide a way to store and transport products in an efficient manner. The load capacity of pallets greatly depends on the type of packages carried by the pallet; however, current pallet design methods do not consider the effect of packages on the load carrying capacity of the pallet. This results in excessive use of materials which reduces the sustainability of unit loads, drives costs up, and creates potential safety issues. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of corrugated box size and headspace on pallet deflection and stress distribution on the top of the pallet as a function of pallet stiffness across multiple pallet support conditions. Data analysis identified that box size had a significant effect on the deflection of the pallet. This effect was only significant for warehouse racking across the width and length support conditions. As much as a 53% reduction in pallet deflection was observed for high stiffness pallets supporting corrugated boxes with 25.4‐mm headspace when the size was increased from small to large. The redistribution of vertical compression stresses towards the supports as a function of the increasing box size was observed. The increased concentration of compression stresses on top of the supports and the resulting lower pallet deflection could significantly increase the actual load carrying capacity of some pallet designs. The effect of box headspace was significant in some scenarios but inconsistent; thus, more investigation with a larger sample size is recommended.