Euro wooden pallets are durable and inexpensive, which is why they are the most popular solution used in transporting products. During transport, pallets are often exposed to various types of damage or simply wear out, which can even become unstable, which disqualifies them from most applications. If you use Euro-pallets in your company, make sure they are constantly renovated so that they fulfill their function as long as possible.
Euro pallet - what does it mean?
The EPAL pallet is a standard wooden pallet, defined by the European Association of Pallets (EPAL) standards — in accordance with European standard EN 13698-1 and the UIC 435 Code. It has EPAL markings on all external brackets or EPAL and EUR markings on opposite outer brackets. Euro pallets that comply with the standard qualify for the European Pallet Pool (EPP) — the system allows exchange as a “pallet for pallet”.
“The EUR/EPAL-pallet is 1200 mm × 800 mm × 144 mm and is a four-way pallet made of wood that is nailed with 78 special nails in a prescribed pattern. The weight of an EUR/EPAL-pallet (EPAL 1) is approx. 25 kg.”(en.wikipedia.org)
The EPAL euro pallet is also characterized by the fact that it fits all types of forklifts, making it very versatile.
Given that 1200 × 800 mm euro wooden pallets account for around 90% of all pallets in circulation, increasing their lifetime has a huge impact on costs in the supply chain. The challenge for anyone with many pallets is ability to determine which of them should be removed, which can be repaired and which are suitable for recycling.
To start with, let's think about the reasons why it is worth repairing pallets.
Why take care of good technical condition of pallets?
- Damage to a pallet can often lead to damage to the transported goods, so maintaining a good technical condition of the pallet ensures the safe transport of products.
- Poor condition of the pallets may endanger anyone who comes into contact with them and increase the risk of accidents.
- We reduce the risk of warehouse contamination if the pallets are in good condition. Damaged pallets, on the other hand, can increase the amount of waste in the form of chips, shards or sawdust.
- Good quality pallets reduce the risk of damage to machinery and equipment; in particular, automated storage systems are susceptible to jams, resulting in costly downtime if pallets are not regularly maintained.
Keeping wooden Euro pallets in good condition is necessary to ensure their functionality and safety for those who handle or transport them. This is especially important for large warehouses or factory halls where pallets are stored in high storage racks. Wooden pallets often hold many tons. Therefore, even when using a pallet jack, it is important to pay attention to whether the pallet needs repair or replacement.
Euro-pallet - how to check it needs repair or replacement
One of the pallet elements is missing
Boards on the top, skids or any of the brackets (blocks). This pallet should be out of service and repaired.
Very dark wood color
Wooden pallets, exposed to weather conditions (oxidation process), expand and contract, and eventually become dry and brittle. The way wood reacts to external conditions often depends on its type, however, too large cracks and defects resulting in this need to be repaired.
Incorrect positioning of elements,
E.G. pallet support moved relative to boards — when the pallet jack is placed on the ground, the pallet should lie completely flat or “flush with the flat surface”. If the pallet moves despite being placed on a flat surface, it indicates that it has warped or is damaged. This pallet is no longer suitable for transporting heavy loads. It may lose stability and cause a load to fall. This situation is particularly dangerous for warehouse workers and forklift drivers.
Visible crack
if you notice that the wooden pallet is chipped, cracked or missing moldings, it's time to repair or replace. Also noteworthy, is the strip (deck board), which has come loose from the base or chipping boards. A broken pallet cannot properly support the heavy weight for which it was built. It can also cause chips or injuries to those who operate them.
Generally bad technical condition
E.G. permanent contamination (e.g. oil, cement, grease); no cutters on the upper edges of the base boards, use of unacceptable structural elements — boards, brackets, nails, incorrect marking on pallet supports.
Euro EPAL pallets cannot be reused if they are incorrectly marked. This may indicate an illegal source of origin.
Diagram showing unacceptable damage to the Euro EPAL palette: Red pallet evaluation card (source: issuu.com):
Below is a diagram showing the features of the correct Euro EPAL pallet (source: issuu.com)
Repair or buy pallets?
The euro pallet is the basic storage product, so increasing the life of wooden pallets will save the costs of replacing pallets. If you just need to replace the boards, the cost of repair is much lower than buying a new pallet.
Repairing pallets is also beneficial for the environment because you extend the life of the pallet, which means that we do not cut trees for the production of new ones.
Remember that you don't have to do the pallet repair yourself. Rotom offers a permanent pallet service, so you can save a lot of money and time. By choosing the packaging repair and maintenance service, you will be sure that Euro EPAL pallets will be repaired in accordance with EPAL guidelines and you will not have a problem when delivering products to your customers.
Repair of Euro EPAL pallets — Rotom has a license and experience
We have been involved in the repair of EPAL euro pallets for many years in our locations in Europe and our knowledge and experience are confirmed by the EPAL pallet repair license obtained from PKN EPAL. Each pallet repaired by Rotom, in accordance with EPAL guidelines, is specially marked. This confirms that the pallet is 100% functional and suitable for reuse or replacement. The repair takes place on an automated pallet repair line and on manual repair stands. We repair over 1 million pallets a year!
Euro pallet maintenance service available in Europe
Are your Euro pallets for repair are found in many warehouses in other countries? This is not a problem because thanks to 16 locations in 9 countries, we can service or maintain your packaging in the nearest Rotom branch. Thanks to this, the repair will be faster and cheaper, and you'll gain time.
How to start using the packaging repair and maintenance service?
Fill out the form on this page — you will receive a copy of the questions to your e-mail address. You can also ask for the repair and maintenance service directly from the specific product page. We will contact you as soon as possible and after a joint analysis of your products, we will present a favorable offer for repair or maintenance.
