Donor Pallets Unify Varied Inventory on Pallet Flow Rack | Mallard Manufacturing

Take a look at a recent test where donor pallets came through to provide an effective pallet flow rack solution for a product manufacturer with a wide range of raw materials, 9 to be exact, and all on different pallets.

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These Pallet Loads Share One Thing -- Learn About Donor Pallets for Pallet Flow Rack

It’s not uncommon for a customer to request a single pallet flow rack design to accommodate a range of inventory. Perhaps it's for raw materials or several lines of finished goods… whatever the reason, we first evaluate the inventory and pallet specs to ensure we can control the speed of flow, pallet tracking, and restart frequency of every load. If the variation is too wide, the solution may not lie in the pallet flow lane as much as in the pallet itself. That’s when turning to a donor pallet may provide the universal solution needed for operational efficiency.

A donor pallet is essentially a standard pallet used to carry the load down the flow rails. It provides consistent pallet-to-flow-lane contact to control the pallet as it progresses. Donor pallets level the playing field, if you will, when you have a range of pallet sizes and styles. Alternatively, when pallet sizes vary, ensuring enough wheeled coverage to flow the pallet and keep it going at a safe pace is challenging. Speed controllers also present a concern because you want them to slow pallets just enough and not stop them altogether.

Testing Donor Pallets in Pallet Flow Rack

Pallet Flow Test Specs
*3-rail double-wheel pallet flow
*Wheel diameter - 2.9”
*Drop-in speed controllers
*Bolt-on ramp stops
*Pitch: 7/16” per foot
*Lane width - 47” out to out
*Load weights 250 -2120 lbs.

The Mallard team received 9 pallet loads. It wasn’t just the load sizes and weights (a range of approx 2000 lbs) that varied; it was the pallet sizes. Some were longer, shorter, wider, and narrower --the need for a donor pallet became apparent. The GMA-style 48” x 48” wooden pallet fits the need.

The wheeled pallet flow lanes featured drop-in speed controllers at 56” intervals to maintain a safe flow velocity. At the end of the lane, our bolt-on ramp stops slow and hold pallets safely until extracted by the forklift. The bolt-on design enables a quick replacement if damaged.

Customer Pallets Sizes
40"w x 48"d x 74"t
48"w x 48"d x 52"t
44"w x 48"d x 45"t
48"w x 48"d x 36"t
48"w x 48"d x 69"t
40"w x 59"d x 74"t
36"w x 52"d x 41"t
45"w x 45"d x 45"t
40"w x 48"d x 19"t

The only similarity the customer-supplied pallets shared was they were all wooden. But with the addition of a donor pallet, they’re all pallet flow ready.

Is Your Inventory a Good Candidate for a Donor Pallet Solution?
The best way to confirm if a donor pallet or pallet flow design feature is the most economical and efficient solution to your gravity flow needs is to… say it with us… Test it!

Our Engineering Testing Lab is a complimentary service provided to customers to help ensure that the product we supply is precisely the product they need. Using customer-supplied products, we can replicate the system and address any issues. With gravity flow rack, many determinants affect the design, and the lab is where we break it all down before finalizing orders.

Contact us today if you’d like to speak with our gravity flow rack specialists or request an on-site evaluation.

To learn more about our pallet flow rack products, design tips, and or testing process, feel free to browse our website --just type your keywords in the search bar at the top of the page to access hundreds of blogs, web pages, videos, and more.