Generally pallets stored on racking have to be good quality pallets (GKN Chep or simillar) with a perimeter base. Poor quality (one way) pallets are usually not strong enought o support the product on pallet racking and either timber decks or pallet support bars are required.

Standard Pallet Sizes

The most common pallet sizes used in the UK are:

• 1200 x 1000mm with fork entry on the 1200mm face
• 1000 x 1200mm with fork entry on the 1000mm face and
• 800 x 1200mm with fork entry on the 800mm face

Two-Way or Four-Way Entry Pallets?

Pallets are generally described as two-way entry or four-way entry pallets. Pallets accessed from two sides are two-way entry pallets whilst pallets accessed from all four sides are four-way entry pallets.

The construction of the pallet dictates whether it is two or four-way entry. A two-way pallet has solid bearers that prevent access from the sides of the pallet. A four-way pallet has bearers, or blocks, in each corner that enables access from either end or the sides of the pallet. The sides of a four-way , through which the load of the pallet truck can pass without leaving the ground, are known as “free entry sides”, the other sides where the trucks wheels have to pass over the pallets bottom slats are termed “restricted entry sides”.

Pallet Design

Pallet design vary but they generally comprise some or all of the following components;

• The Bearers provide the space between the top and bottom decks for entry of the forks.
• The Deck is the top or bottom flat surface and can be either close or open boarded.
• The Stringer is a horizontal member containing the bearers and supporting the deck.
• Fork Entry is the space created to facillitate the entry of forks to pick up and move the pallet.
• Wings are extensions of the deck to provide larger products to be stored on pallets. They are called wings because they protrude beyond the bearers.
• A Chamfer is applied to the edges of the bottom deck to assist the passage of the wheels of a hand pallet truck.

Pallet Types

The most common pallet types are:

Two-way entry, single decked:

A pallet with only a top deck. Suitable for items that can withstand the concentrated loads imposed by the bearers during stacking, e.g, wooden boxes and drums. Also used where little stacking is required and for storing unit loads in pallet racking when the bearers are supported by the rack framework.

Four-way entry, cruciform perimeter base:

The cruciform design of the bottom slats adds to the strength of the pallet and improves load distribution when stacked. This is the most widely used type of four-way entry pallet. Other pallet designs are available to improve load distribution or work better with specialised handling equipment such as stacker cranes and pallet trucks. However, the majority of the pallets in use in the UK will conform to one of the two previous definitions.

Storing Pallets

85% of the pallets in use in the UK are 1200 x 1000mm. Many of these are stored in rack. 75% of the pallets stored in racking are stored with the 1000mm dimension front to back, or "1000 deep" as it is popularly known. SEMA regulations stipulate that when using a two-way pallet 1000 deep the frame depth should be 750mm. A 900mm frame depth is stipulated when using a four-way entry pallet.