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Pallet Parts Terminology (Alphabetical)


 

  • Annular Nail - Pallet nail with annular (circular ring) threads rolled onto the shank

  • Banding Notch - See Strap Slot.

  • Block - Rectangular, square or cylindrical deck spacer, often identified by its location within the pallet as corner block, end block, edge block, inner block, center or middle blocked.

  • Block Pallet - A type of pallet with blocks between the pallet decks or beneath the top deck.

  • Butted Deck Board - An inner deck board placed tightly against an adjacent lead deck board during pallet assembly

  • Bottom Deck - Assembly of deck boards comprising the lower, load bearing surface of the pallet.

  • CAD - Computer-aided-design software that allows the design of the "right" pallet at the best value; see Pallet Design System (PDS).

  • Chamfered Deck Boards - Deck boards with edges of one or two faces beveled, either along the full or specified length of board or between the stringers of blocks, allowing easier entry of pallet jack wheels.

  • Deck - One or more boards or panels comprising the top or bottom surface of the pallet.

  • Deck Mat - Assembly of deck boards and stringer boards, forming the deck of a block pallet.

  • Deck Board - Element or component of a pallet deck, oriented perpendicular to the stringer or stringer board.

  • Deck board Spacing - Distance between adjacent deck boards.

  • Deck board Span - Distance between deck board supports (stringers, stringer boards or blocks).

  • Double-Face Pallet - A pallet with top and bottom decks.

  • Double-Wing Pallet - A pallet with top and bottom deck boards extending beyond the edges of the stringers or stringer boards.

  • Drive Screw Nail - Helically (continuous spiral) threaded pallet nail.

  • EURO Pallet - a block style pallet measuring 1200 mm x 800 mm built to European Pallet Association (EPA) specifications. Only pallets built with an EPA branded logo are considered authentic EURO pallets.

  • Fastener - A mechanical device for joining pallet components such as nails, staples, bolts or screws.

  • Flush Pallet - A pallet with deck boards flush with the stringers, stringer-boards or blocks along the sides of the pallet.

  • Fork Entry - Opening between decks, beneath the top deck or beneath the stringer notch to admit forks.

  • Four-way Block Pallet - A pallet with openings at both pallet ends and along pallet sides sufficient to admit hand-pallet jacks; full four-way entry pallet.

  • Furring Strips – Installing furring strips is a stable technique used to hold the wood, or other finish material, away from and object (Create air space) or can be secured to wood to provide a stable layer.

  • GMA - Grocery Manufacturers of America.

  • Hand (Pallet) Jack Opening - Space provided in the bottom deck to allow pallet jack wheels to bear on the floor.

  • Hardwood - Wood from broad-leaved species of trees (not necessarily hard or dense).

  • Helical Nail - Helically (continuous spiral) threaded pallet nail, see also Drive Screw Nail.

  • Inner Deck board - Any deck board located between the end deck boards.

  • Joint - Intersection and connection of components, often identified by location within the pallet as the end joint, center joint and corner joint.

  • Length - Refers to the stringer or stringer board (in block pallets) length; also refers to the first dimension given to describe a pallet i.e., 48" x 40", where 48" is the pallet's stringer length.

  • Load Bearing Surface - Actual area of material in contact with and supporting a unit load.

  • Multiple Use Pallet - a pallet designed to make multiple trips under different unit load conditions.

  • Nail - Fastener made from endless wire by cutting a point and forming a head at the shank end opposite the point.

  • Nominal –  being such in name only; so-called, , ex. 2x4 is actually 1.5 x 3.5

  • Non-Reversible Pallet - A pallet with bottom deck board configuration different from top deck.

  • Notch - Cutout in the lower portion of the stringer to allow entry for the fork tine, usually 9" in length, 1 1/2" in depth.

  • Notched Stringer - A stringer with two notches spaced for fork-tine entry, (partial four-way entry).

  • Opening Height - The vertical distance measured between decks, from the floor to the underside of the top deck, or from the floor to the top of the stringer notch.

  • Overhang - The distance the deck extends from the outer edge of the stringer or stringer board; wing; lip; distance the unit load extends beyond the deck.

  • Pallet - A portable, horizontal, rigid platform used as a base for assembling, storing, stacking, handling and transporting goods as a unit load, often equipped with a superstructure.

  • Pallet Design System - (PDS) - Reliability-based computer-aided design (CAD) program for determining the safe load carrying capacity, performance, life and economy of wooden pallets.

  • Pallet Dimensions - When specifying pallet size, the stringer or stringer board (block pallet) length is always expressed first; for example, a 48" x 40" pallet has a 48" stringer and 40" deck boards.

  • Pallet Jack - Hand-propelled wheeled platform, equipped with a lifting device for moving palletized unit loads.

  • Pallet Life - The period during which the pallet remains useful, expressed in units of time or in the number of one-way trips.

  • Panel Deck Pallet - Pallet constructed with composite or structural panel top deck.

  • Partial Four-Way Stringer Pallet - A pallet with notched stringers.

  • Post Pallet - A pallet fitted with posts or blocks between the decks or beneath the top deck; see block pallet.

  • Precision End Trim (PET) – Technical spec from lumber vendors indicating an exact cut on lumber

  • Quality - Consistent performance of a uniform product meeting the customer's needs for economy and function.

  • Racked Across Deck boards - Output from PDS program describing the maximum load carrying capacity and deflection of a pallet where the rack frame supports the pallet only at the ends of the deck boards.

  • Racked Across Stringers - Output from the PDS program describing the maximum load carrying capacity and deflection of a pallet where the rack frame supports the pallet only at the ends of the stringers or stringer boards.

  • Recycled Pallet - pallet that has been repaired for reuse; also known as a refurbished pallet or reconditioned pallet.

  • Repair - To remake in order to use again.

  • Recycling - A pallet, container or reel that has been used, discarded, salvaged, repaired and which is then ready to make another trip.

  • Remanufactured Pallet - pallet built from either all reclaimed (used) lumber or built from a combination of new and reclaimed lumber.

  • Returnable/Reusable Pallet - A pallet designed to be used for more than one trip.

  • Reversible Pallet - A pallet with identical top and bottom decks.

  • Ridge Line Load - The weight of a unit load concentrated along a narrow area across the full length or width of the pallet.

  • Shipping Pallet - Pallet designed to be used for a single one-way trip from shipper to receiver; it is then disposed

  • Single-Wing Pallet - A pallet with the top deck boards extending beyond the edges of the stringers or stringer-boards with the bottom deck boards flush (if present).

  • Skid - A pallet having no bottom deck.

  • Softwood - Wood from coniferous or needle-bearing trees (not necessarily soft or low density).

  • Solid Deck Pallet - A pallet constructed with no spacing between deck boards.

  • Span - The distance between stringer or block supports.

  • Strap Slot - Recess or cutout on the upper edge of the stringer or the bottom of the top deck board to allow tie-down of a unit load to the pallet deck with strapping/banding, also called the banding notch.

  • Strapping - Thin flat bands used to secure load to pallet.

  • Stringer - Continuous, longitudinal, solid or notched beam-component of the pallet used to support deck components, often identified by location as the outside or center stringer »Quick View.

  • Stringer board - In block pallets, continuous, solid board member extending for the full length of the pallet perpendicular to deck board members and placed between deck boards and blocks.

  • Take-It-Or-Leave-It Pallet - A pallet fitted with fixed cleats on the top deck boards to permit fork truck tines to pass beneath the unit load and remove it from the pallet.

  • Top Cap - Panel to be placed on top of a unit load to allow for tight strapping without damaging the unit load.

  • Top-Deck of the Pallet - The assembly of deck boards comprising the upper load-carrying surface of the pallet.

  • Trip - Consists of four to six handlings of a pallet.

  • Two-Way Entry Pallet - A pallet with un-notched solid stringers allowing entry only from the ends.

  • Unit Load - Assembly of goods on a pallet for handling, moving, storing and stacking as a single entity.

  • Warehouse Pallet - A double-face multiple trip returnable pallet intended for general warehouse use.

  • Wing - Overhang of deck board end from outside edge of stringer or stringer-board.

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