Timber pallets can be made in all styles of pallets, 4 way entry pallets are the most common timber pallet used, this pallet can come with a perimeter base, this means all the bottom timbers of the pallet meet together to form a solid perimeter pallet base. Timber blocks are used to form the 4 way entry for the timber pallet to be lifted. Care must be taken when making a 4 way entry pallet and make sure the size of the blocks height is high enough for a pallet truck to gain entry and lift the timber pallet up. The pallets can be made fully boarded for usually heavy items or if they form the base for a timber crate of plywood case.

The other most popular timber pallet style is a 2 way entry pallet. This pallet instead of being made up with pallet blocks has timber bearers instead, and depending on the width and overall size and weight of the product to be packaged, the wood pallet can either have two wood bearers or 3 wood bearers.

Any size of pallet can be made and recently we manufactured timber pallets 34 feet in width for a pipe manufacturer. As pallet manufacture is still really a hand made operation any quantity of timber pallets can be made. Pallets can often have a solid timber base on them, which is good for export packing as they are to form the base when used in conjunction with a heavy duty corrugated cardboard box or ply wood case. The pallet boards thickness are in the following sizes 16mm, 18 mm, 20 mm, 22mm, 25mm, 30mm.The standard width for pallet boards is 75mm.95mm, 100mm, 125mm, 150mm.. The standard size for pallet blocking ( the timber used to make pallet blocks, and pallet bearers is 75 X 50 mm, 95 X 95 mm, 75 X 75 mm 100mm X 75 mm, 125 X 75 mm, 150 X 100 mm. The pallet timbers are put together with a pneumatic air gun which fires nails on a coil into the pallet boards and blocking. To increase the strength of the pallet and for export packing customers can specify to have angular ringed nails or screw threaded nails which only cost 5% more than normal pallet boards nails.

Timber used for the wood pallets

The timber used in the manufacture of wood pallets is now mainly spruce pine timber. This timber is grown and harvested in managed forests in Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Baltic States, Russia, Portugal, Chile, Canada to name but a few. Pine timber for the manufacture in pallets can be kiln dried now commonly known as heat treated timber. This treatment now comes with a forestry commission sanitary certificate which is branded on or marked on a outer pallet block. This certificate will show to export / import authorities that the timber of the wood pallet conforms to the current import regulations appertaining to imported timber products. Now when exporting to the USA, Japan, China, Canada, and soon the whole of Europe all timber used in the manufacture of pallets and crates must be heat treated and show a certificate mark on the wood product. Euro pallet is a very commonly used style of wood pallet, the timber on the pallet blocks has been branded with the EUR mark with a circle around it it also carries a licence number of the manufacturer who made the pallet.

Euro Pallets

The euro pallet is size 1200 X 800 mm and is made in the euro pallet style of a 4 way entry, the euro pallet boards edges have been chamfered to make it easier for fork lift truck forks to slip in under the euro pallet and not destroy the euro pallet base, the euro pallet blocks are also made of very thick timber to increase strength. There is a big market for second hand stamped euro pallets as customers tell their suppliers to package their goods on euro pallets so when they have taken their products off the euro pallets people will pay them once collected and then sell them on again to the next customer, these euro pallets can be used at least 12 times before needing any remedial pallet repair to the euro pallet. Pallet collars can be supplied with the euro pallets and they come stamped with the euro markings on the timber collars so thay can be re used.

Standard Pallets

When someone mentions they want a standard pallet they usually mean a 1200 X 1000 mm pallet or in imperial size of 4 foot X 3 foot. These pallets usually have 7 - 9 top boards and have a perimeter base. Again there is a big used pallet market for this type of pallet and together with the euro pallet are the most likely pallets to suddenly disappear from your yard! The standard pallet is 4 way entry but has no markings or in any csheme for re usage, the only exception to this is the gkn chep pallet which is very distinctly marked in blue paint all over it. The chep pallet is rented out to people and they are usually charged per week.

Tanalised Pallets

Tanalising of a pallet means that the pallet timbers have been chemically treated by being dipped for a period of time in a big bath, for it to be treated against infestation, a certificate of the treatment is issued as countries such as Australia and Canada require the certificate before allowing the palletised goods to come through their customs.
The pallet will often look bright green or a strong beige after the pallet boards and blocking treatment.

Timber Pallet tops can be chamfered a the corners to further protect them whilst in transit and at the mercy of a fork lift truck driver!.

Kiln Dried Pallet Timber

Kiln dried timber a speciality of imported Portuguese pallet timbers is often specified as a lot of moisture can come off a normal pine timber board and this can cause problems when placing materials such as metals in direct contact with the timber.

Timber Wood Crates and Cases

Any size timber wood crate can be made. The crates and cases can be made in a skeleton style type of crates which basically has gaps all over this style of crate it is often used for glass type products so people can see they are fragile, and also glass being very heavy a skeleton style crate weighs less than a fully boarded crate. These type of crates often have two or three solid timber wood bearers on the base for easy lifting, the skeleton crate top or ine face of the skeleton crate can be loose so the customer can take out the timber wood panel and load the products into the skeleton timber wood crate or case.

Timber wood cases are made fully timber wood boarded with no gaps in the timber.
Some timber wood cases are what is known as pitch paper lined inside so that any moisture or residue coming out of the timber is not absorbed or marked on to the customers products, aluminium or special finished metals use this style of pitch paper lined timber case or crate. The pitch paper lining paper is coated one side, some customers also have a fully waxed paper lining for the timber wood crates and cases.
Inside the case timber bearers and cradles can be positioned to hold your products whilst in transit. Felt foam, and etha foam, foam in place can be used for extra cushioning while your goods are being shipped. For further protection you can have a special barrier coated polythene bag inside the crate with desiccant loaded inside when shipping to a very humid country .Pallet bins can be supplied sometimes used for in store promotions for diy stores and garden centres. These pallet bins usually come without lids and are filled to the top with the customers products. A separate header card with special print can be produced to aid in store promotions. Potato crates are made from Russian timber, these potato crates are delivered all over the country. The potato crates can be stacked up to 4 high. the pallet bins are also good as fruit bins, or bins to put bulbs or moss into.

Plywood Cases, Plywood Crates, Plywood Sleeves, Rivetted Metal Edged Cases

Plywood cases are usually timber battened at the ends with soft wood they have a removable lid which again is usually soft wood timber battened, and the base comes with either a 4 way entry pallet base, or a base with two or three bearers or runners.
the timber wood bearers can have grooves in them so the strapping can be located
along the timber wood bearers and won't slip out.

Plywood cases material for export packing and home use comes in various thickness of plywood. 3mm, 4 mm, 6mm 9 mm 12mm, 20mm. The most popular grade of plywood is called birch plywood this plywood comes mostly from Baltic states, and it offers good rigidity in the manufacture of plywood cases and crates. The normal sheet size for plywood is 1200 X 2400 so when coming up with a size of crate is worth bearing this size of plywood sheet in mind as you could end up paying for a lot of waste material if your plywood case or crate does not come out well from the plywood sheet. Another grade of plywood is sheathing grade this plywood is often used in the building trade for the foundation sections for buildings and is also used to protect windows that have been broken.

Plywood cases can have internal routed or grooved fittings inside to act as cradles for heavy products, we can also staple or glue foam to the plywood fittings so they can as further packaging protectors. The house removals trade use plywood storage cases a lot to pack peoples belongings in, tea chests are also made from plywood, the tea chests are often bade with riveted metal edging to give strength for the corners of the tea chests. The tea chest is often packed in India with the tea and then the tea chests are shipped back to this country.

The plywood boxes can also be made as a tray, sleeve and cap. This plywood pack is known as a plywood pallet pack and can be used many times. The sleeve inside the plywood box is often made and put together with riveted metal edging which enables it to be folded down so it lays onto the inside base of the plywood tray. The plywood tray of the plywood pallet pack has a sleeve softwood pallet base retaining frame so the sleeve slips into place and remains upright. The plywood sleeve often has a drop front built into it to enable easy loading and unloading into the plywood box. The term used for this type of plywood packaging is pick pack, which means people in a warehouse for example a car parts company go around their racking picking out parts ready for their parts operation customers.

Another form of plywood case is called a wirebound case this plywood wirebound case
Is made from sheets of plywood which have been put together with coils of wire which is stapled into the plywood. These wirebound cases are supplied to the mod, metal, electronics,food, chemical, china industries., export packing.

Another plywood similar to plywood is called sterling board. This material is a good substitute for plywood and is cheaper, the outer faces show large pieces of wood chippings, this material is made in Scotland, china, far east. This material is used also as shuttering and has no smooth faces.