Around 675 million pallets are currently in use worldwide. And this number is growing every day. They are extremely easy to handle and are transported on trucks, freight trains, ships, and airplanes. Most are made of wood, others of plastic. Without pallets, supermarket shelves would be empty. But their use is inadequate. There is no functioning digitalized system that electronically maps the end-to-end process.
Ekart Kuhn, Managing Partner of EKUPAC GmbH, pointed out this shortcoming during a Pallett Symposium held in Hamburg, last week. The expert is a concept developer for reusable transport packaging, ULDs, and the logistics of consumer goods distribution. “When it comes to pallet shortcomings, they are mostly caused by data chaos,” criticizes Mr. Kuhn. The manufacturers of goods, retailers, and freight forwarders must finally agree on a uniform system of master data widely accepted by all, and stick to it in day-to-day practice, he urges the industry. Without process standardization, there will be no automation. Because conveyor belts, sorters or stackers need reliable data to do their job.
No automation possible with faulty pallets
This was exemplified by Frank Domke, Senior Business Development Manager, Volume Storage Systems GmbH, in his impressive presentation. Pallets with nails sticking out, or support blocks attached crookedly can throw automated storage and picking systems completely out of sync. Conveyors come to a standstill and the defunct pallet must be manually removed.
Yet, there is hope. The transportation of fruit and vegetables shows that a high degree of automation is possible. These fresh products are shipped in standardized boxes, which means that there are hardly any hiccups on their way from the field to the shelf. Basically, this is also possible when using wooden or plastic pallets, but it fails if data is not standardized along the entire supply chain, warns expert Ekart Kuhn.
Stunning innovations
The venue of the Pallett Symposium was the Hotel Hafen Hamburg. The two-day event was organized by the Hamburger Logistiktage Gesellschaft in cooperation with the publisher of Logistik-Nachrichten, Olaf Oczkos. Interesting innovations were presented to the 100 participants. For example: smart RFID readers that can be easily attached to packages or, at larger dimensions, to vehicles. These are developed by the U.S. company, Trackonomy, based in San Jose, California. This wearable RFID technology facilitates a seamless transition from manual to automated scanning, thus contributing to more transparent and responsive logistics and improving last mile delivery service. One of Trackonomy’s key customers is integrator UPS, states Holger Heckmann, General Manager EMEA.
Harmonized quality criteria
The European Pallet Association, EPAL, was also prominently represented by several managers grouped around its own stand. According to Jens Luebbersmeyer, Head of Germany, the organization collaborates with 1,650 licensees worldwide. Each of its members has signed a pledge that the Euro pallets they produce meet internationally uniform quality criteria. These include standardized dimensions of 1200 mm length, 800 mm width and 144 mm height, as well as the use of certified wood from renewable forests. Each Euro pallet is capable of accommodating goods weighing up to 1.5 tons.
Heat treatment is paramount
EPAL manager Luebbersmeyer emphasizes that it is particularly important that pallets are heated to 76° centigrade for at least 30 minutes before use. At this temperature, the protein of beetle or caterpillar larvae melts in case the insects have penetrated the pallet planks. Consequently, the mandated heating treatment prevents the global spread of invasive species. “We invest a lot in the quality assurance of the Euro pallets, coach our license partners and actively advise forestry operations and timber storage companies,” explains the EPAL official.
The market price for a Euro pallet currently fluctuates between 9 and 11 EUR. Thanks to sophisticated pooling systems, experience shows that the wooden ULD is reused on average nine times.
Final remarks from the co-organizer of the event, Olaf Oczkos: “The Pallet Symposium combined pallet and ULD-focused topics with warehouse automation, a first in Germany. Adding to the innovation, AI was integrated into discussions on pallet solutions. The attendees were fond of the location: a scenic Hotel Hafen Hamburg with a perfect view of the port and a maritime ambience. Many participants and attendees were happy to enter pallet deals.”
