Could adhesives support with plastic pallet stabilisation?
01 Feb 2019
There is a new type of adhesive that has been credited with having the potential to reduce pallet accidents in the workplace. It will work by allowing pallets to remain unitised, even after the pallet wrap or shrink wrap has been removed. With the pallet in place, there is a significant reduction in the risk of products falling from high rack storage.
How will it work?
This technology is anticipated to reinforce the load integrity – through the application of hot melt systems to the corners of cases, cartons and so on. Once the adhesive has been applied, a non stick surface is created which stops any goods from moving off from the pallet.
The adhesive is designed to maintain stability when the pallets are in transit – helping to make operations easier and more reliable. What’s more, this approach can be used on both partial and mixed pallets and will work even when the pallets have been restacked.
Adhesive Vs Pallet Wrap
Currently in practice, goods would be secured by wrapping a wooden or plastic pallet with some pallet wrap or shrink wrap. However it is anticipated that this new adhesive product could be used in conjunction with, or in some cases instead of, pallet wrap.
Pallet wrap manufacturers need not worry, as it is not believe that this new adhesive will replace pallet wrap. There is certainly still very much a place for pallet wrap in the world of packaging. Pallet wrap brings many benefits which adhesive cannot – for example – protecting pallet and products from dust and water damage.
Implications of Adhesive on KPIs
This is an interesting shift for the industry – presenting an opportunity for less pallet wrap to be required. With 70% of pallet wrap and stretch wrap currently being sent to landfill- companies could experience savings of a 10th per pallet on pallet wrap and around 70% on their disposal costs. Taking all of this into consideration – the environmental benefits as well as the financial implications are clear.