Industrial expert discusses high cost of damaged pallets

A manager from a producer of industrial sensors has been discussing the process of inspecting pallets in warehouses.

Pallets are an integral part of many warehouses, but damaged ones have a significant impact on the operation of the warehouse.

According to Edem Akplus from SICK, makers of industrial sensors, regular pallet inspections should be a priority in warehouses and manufacturing units. Inspections can be done manually, or systems like those produced by SICK automate the process.

Edem Akplus says that an automated inspection system is better than manually checking pallets whilst the warehouses or manufacturing operations are still active, as it is a safety issue. For instance, attempting to examine moving pallets on high-speed conveyor belts is dangerous. Usually, machinery and conveyor belts are turned off before pallet inspections. Automated inspections have an advantage in that they can be done whilst the warehouse or manufacturing facility is operating at full capacity.

Pallet inspections, whether manual or automated, collect data that identifies recurring trends. Pallet types that are damaged frequently, the location where pallets are damaged and the cause of damage can all be analysed. After identifying these patterns, inspections provide actions to take that minimise pallet damage,

A good warehouse equipment manufacturer makes safety a priority when it comes to designing trolleys and other manual handling equipment that are safe to use and that do not damage inventory. Equally, pallets must support items without damaging them, and be generally safe to work with.

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