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Pallet Industries have an important role in supporting the smooth supply chain activities. Research on risk control in the pallet industry's inbound logistics is still not widely implemented. The risk caused by activities and process of raw materials procurement in the wood pallet industry is a crucial problem that must be immediately assisted to find a model solution. This study presents a new model in risk management by applying a socio-technical system approach to identifying, evaluating, and determining risk control strategies. A case study on an wood pallet industry in East Java was presented to validate the risk management model. Results of the risk assessment show that the highest risk was loss of raw material (R23). This risk was included in the safety perspective, so transferring risk to an insurance company was recommended to mitigate the risk. The results of this study were expected to help the pallet industry in minimizing losses due to risks in the inbound logistic process.

The pallet loading problem is addressed in this paper. The focus is on the physical aspects of implementing a pallet loading system. An actual palletizing operation is described for a demonstration system developed using an IBM RS/1 robot. Physical limitations of implementing optimal seeking algorithms are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study developed gate‐to‐gate life cycle inventory (LCI) data for the repair of 48 by 40 inch (1,219 by 1,016 millimeter [mm]) stringer‐class wood pallets in the United States. Data were collected from seven wood pallet repair facilities. Approximately 1.98 FBM (foot, board measure) (4.67E‐03 cubic meters) of lumber were used for repairing each 48 by 40 inch (1,219 by 1,016 mm) stringer‐class wood pallet, the majority (97%) recovered from damaged pallets received by the pallet repair facilities. Repair equipment powered by electricity made the largest contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Steel nails used for the pallet repair had the largest contribution to GHG emissions among the material inputs, while use of recovered lumber yielded the largest GHG emissions credits. Overall, the repair process for a 48 by 40 inch (1,219 by 1,016 mm) stringer‐class wood pallet had GHG credits rather than a positive GHG emission due to the GHG offsets from co‐products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the effect of packages during pallet design will reduce costs and improve the sustainability of supply chains. Currently, many mechanical interactions between the pallet and the package product are not being considered during the pallet design process. This study investigates the effect of the magnitude and type of interlocking between layers of packaged products. The bending of the pallet supporting a unit load of corrugated boxes was measured under four common support conditions, warehouse rack storage spanning the pallet width and length, fork tine support across the pallet width, and floor stacking. Five different pallet stacking patterns were analyzed from column stacking to fully interlocked stacking. It was determined that interlocking packages reduces pallet deflection up to 53%. This is more significant for lower stiffness pallets and when the payload carried by the pallet is greater than the rated load capacity of the pallet. Increasing the magnitude of the interlocking reduces the deflection of the pallet by 11.6%. These results provide a guideline on improving pallet design and help further the understanding of the interaction between pallets and the orientation of packaged products placed on the pallet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Steel storage pallet racks are used worldwide to efficiently store goods and products in situations where only limited space is available. Their use has increased remarkably in recent years, owing to the growing importance of the logistics services in the context of the global economy. Despite the quite limited costs of storage racks, essentially due to the extensive use of cold-formed members characterized by high levels of standardization, their safety is of paramount importance. An eventual collapse could in fact result in considerable economic losses and/or loss of human life. The design rules currently adopted, derived from those proposed for more conventional steel buildings, are unable to capture satisfactorily the overall rack response and hence need further improvements, especially for applications in seismic zones. The paper reports the results of a study focussed on the development of more reliable approaches for designing racks against earthquakes. In particular, a wide range of cases of practical interest for routine design has been defined, which is comprised of racks that differ in terms of geometric layout and component performance. For each of them, the load carrying capacity corresponding to different values of the peak ground acceleration has been evaluated via two alternative design approaches: the well-known modal response spectrum analysis approach (MRSA) and an advanced strategy combining non-linear time-history analyses with the assessment of the damage in joints due to the cyclic excursions in plastic range (NLTH-LCF). Based on 56 design cases, requiring in total 1512 structural analyses, the proposed outcomes allow for a direct appraisal of the differences in load carrying capacity. At the same time, the influence of modelling the cyclic joint behavior is highlighted, with reference also to the change in key behavioural parameters, such as flexural strength and rotational stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for scaling time-resolved burning behaviors of wood pallet fires has been developed. A series of validation tests was carried out in two different scales and the time-resolved heat release rates were obtained and compared. The results show that the scaling method proposed works very well. The scaling method proposed could be applied to general wood pallets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Catalonia, northwest of Spain, the forest and timber industry are an active part of the economy. About 63.5% of the territory is forested area (more than 2 million Ha), from which 60.5% is wooded land. The main activity of the timber industry is the manufacture of wood packaging using 85% of the sawnwood to manufacture pallets, which is the most common wood product manufactured in the region. In the case of Europe, around 20% of all sawnwood consumption is used for wooden pallets and packaging. This research analyzes the impact of the conifers wood supply chain for the sawnwood and pallet production, from forest operations to the gate of the production facility. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to both products (sawnwood and pallet) using primary data provided by the industry in order to identify the most impactful points of the life cycle. Six midpoint impact categories using Recipe methodology were assessed: Climate change, Ozone depletion, Terrestrial acidification, Freshwater eutrophication, Human toxicity; Agricultural land occupation and Water depletion. Also, Cumulative Energy Demand was assessed. It was found that electricity consumption is the most impacting input in the sawnwood and pallet production, followed by pesticide used in the production. For pallet case, steel plays a key role. Possible improvements were identified with a big potential of impacts reduction. LCA results from this research can be applied for the assessment of other wood products and also to increase the knowledge and debate about the biogenic carbon sequestration of wooden products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low carbon- oriented strategy of the European Community has caused a radical progress in the exploitation of agricultural waste-derived biomass. Within the context of the food versus fuel debate, it seems that second generation biomass is gaining a lot of momentum. The aim of this study is to quantify the potential contribution of olive -oil solid waste pellets in the energy mix of an olive oil producing country – Cyprus as well as to examine its competitiveness against wood pellets. These research questions required a multidisciplinary approach, thus this work is conducted on two levels; the technical and the life cycle costing level. The technical analysis demonstrates the significant potential of olive mills solid waste in contributing in the country's energy mix, by taking into consideration both its proximate and ultimate analysis as well as its availability. The feasibility analysis presents the viability of olive mills solid waste pellets in Cyprus, and provides evidence for the olive mills solid waste pellets' competiveness over other commercially-available pellets. According to the findings of this study, pelletized olive mills solid waste pellets could enter the market with a selling price of less than 150 € tn −1 and could contribute in the households, industrial and agricultural sectors by 1114 toe, 934 toe, 835 toe, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding employment trends is important for discerning the economic vitality of U.S. hardwood lumber users. After a period of growth in the 1990s, employment in industries consuming hardwood lumber has declined in the 21st century. The wood household furniture industry has experienced the greatest decline, with North Carolina, Virginia, and California being the states most affected. Nearly all of the decline in employment in the furniture industry can be attributed to increased importation of this product. Millwork and kitchen cabinets are industries associated with home construction. Both of these industries experienced declines in employment in the 21st century. Employment in millwork started to decline after 2000, while employment in the kitchen cabinet industry started to decline after 2006. While there was little change in the relative regional employment rankings in the millwork industry, Indiana displaced California and Texas to become the largest employer in the kitchen cabinet industry. Employment in the pallet industry has declined in the 21st century, but mostly during the two recessionary periods. The pallet industry was the only industry that had an employment increase after 2009. Ohio was once the major pallet producing state, but it was displaced by California and Texas after 2002. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the possibility of combining different forest industries (a pulp and paper mill, its supply chain, and a wood-pellet plant) into an integrated industrial site in which they share a common heat and power utility. Advanced process integration and optimization techniques are used to study the site from both material and energy viewpoints. An existing pulp and paper mill is used as the site core plant and its pulp and paper production rates are kept fixed as they are in reality, while the other material flow links among the plants are based on the current industrial situation in Sweden. Different scenarios are evaluated in order to reflect the two main objectives that can be pursued (increased electricity production or biomass resource saving) and the two technologies that can be considered for the shared CHP system (boilers and product gas fired gas turbines). The corresponding non-integrated (standalone) configurations are compared to these scenarios to quantify the potential benefits of the integration. Investment opportunity is also calculated for the considered scenarios as an indicator of the economic convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences between product and corporate carbon footprint seriously hinder its wider implementation. The compound method based on financial accounts is a tiered hybrid analysis developed from advances in ecological footprint which main strength is its capability to calculate both product and corporate carbon footprint in a comprehensive assessment. This work aims to evaluate the compound method based on financial accounts as a tool for product carbon footprint. The objective is twofold: (1) to assess its advantages and disadvantages for product carbon footprint; and (2) to evaluate differences with process-based analysis. EUR-flat wood pallet is selected as the unit of study in a cradle-to-gate life-cycle perspective. Due to method requirements, a Spanish pallet manufacturer that produces and markets 1.6 million EUR-flat wood pallets annually has been selected for an in-depth assessment. Our life-cycle implementation reveals the following findings: (1) emissions from the compound method based on financial accounts are 22% higher than ones from process-based analysis, (2) process-based analysis provides greater detail in first life cycle phases than the compound method based on financial accounts, and (3) calculation time is drastically reduced using the compound method based on financial accounts. This study shows the compound method based on financial accounts as providing a correct assessment of the amount of direct and indirect emissions with easy-to-obtain data. Calculation time is drastically reduced, making it applicable to all shapes and sizes of businesses. It could, therefore, improve the CF in both approaches (product and corporate), stimulating innovation and increasing support for sustainable consumption decisions. Process-based analysis, in contrast, is not so easily implemented due to the large number of units involved in the upstream supply chain, and the use of thresholds hinders comparison. Even with these advantages, MC3 should consider other areas for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] It is identified that sinter machine pallet axles are breaking in fatigue-crack mechanism. [•] Periodic thermal expansion is the cause of top and bottom fracture profile of sinter machine pallet axles. [•] Lifetime distribution of sinter machine pallet axles is constructed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: This study discusses the use of parameterization within the life cycle inventory (LCI) in the wooden pallet sector, in order to test the effectiveness of LCI parametric models to calculate the environmental impacts of similar products. Starting from a single case study, the objectives of this paper are (1) to develop a LCI parametric model adaptable to a range of wooden pallets, (2) to test this model with a reference product (non-reversible pallet with four-way blocks) and (3) to determine numerical correlations between the environmental impacts and the most significant LCI parameters; these correlations can be used to improve the design of new wooden pallets. Methods: The conceptual scheme for defining the model is based on ISO14040-44 standards. First of all, the product system was defined identifying the life cycle of a generic wood pallet, as well as its life cycle stages. A list of independent and dependent parameters was used to describe the LCI flows of a generic wooden pallet. The LCI parametric model was applied to calculate the environmental impacts of the reference product, with regard to a selection of impact categories at midpoint level (climate change, human toxicity, particulate matter formation, agricultural land occupation, fossil depletion). The model was then applied to further 11 wooden pallets belonging to the same category. Results and discussion: The definition of a LCI parametric model based on 31 independent parameters and 21 dependent parameters streamlined the data collection process, as the information required for fulfilling the LCI are standard information about the features of the wooden pallet and its manufacturing process. The contribution analysis on the reference product revealed that the most contributing life cycle stages are wood and nails extraction and manufacturing (positive value of environmental impact) and end-of-life (avoided impact). This result is driven by two parameters: mass of wood and average distance for transport of wood. Based on the results of the application of the LCI parametric model to the identified products, one parameter-based regression and one multiple non-linear regression allowed to define a correlation between the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) category indicators considered and the most influencing parameters. Conclusions: The definition of LCI parametric model in the wooden pallet sector can effectively be used for calculating the environmental impacts of products with different designs, as well as for obtaining a preliminary estimation of the life cycle environmental impacts of new products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recycling of wood waste is beneficial in delaying and avoiding carbon emissions stored in trees. To justify the benefits of avoiding the carbon emissions, this paper has assessed, quantified and compared the carbon emissions of recycled wood waste (technical wood) with virgin softwood in the application of wooden pallet. Through the use of avoided impact in a comparative carbon footprint study, results show that technical wood pallet has lower carbon emission of 3.547 kg-CO2eq than virgin softwood pallet (4.009 kg-CO2eq), after taking into consideration of avoided impact. This assessment also identifies the “hotspots” for future carbon emission improvement. Transportation accounts for 67.64% of the carbon emission for virgin softwood timber while resin usage is the dominant factor (52.86%) for technical wood timber. In addition, scenario and sensitivity analyses are conducted which show that technical wood pallet has a larger reduction in carbon emissions than virgin softwood pallet, if the pallet lifetime is increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In production environment characterized by frequent changes of the part families demand together with the need of reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing, new solutions of machine tool and production system architectures could result extremely strategic together with process planning activities as a mean to exploit all the resources capabilities. The current work proposes an integrated methodology and a software infrastructure to support the process planning and pallet configuration solutions whose major goal is to minimizing production costs – including costs for energy consumption and cutting tool wear - while maximizing the number of finished workpieces per pallet. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pallets play an important role in the movement of goods from place to place. They are not only used in warehouses or distribution centers, but also in all those activities that require an efficient and effective method of transportation. To better understand business practices and external factors that impacts supply chain management (SCM), a survey of 1,500 U.S. wood pallet manufacturers was conducted. Main results focus on the identification of critical aspects affecting purchasing decisions, supplier relationships, internal business practices, customer satisfaction levels, and external uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deck and stringer boards’ manufacturing for wood pallet production requires complex management due to the variability of the logs used as raw material. An analysis was carried out on a representative sawmill in north-eastern Italy; the manufacturing line was composed of a band-saw, a cut-saw and a multi circular saw machine connected by rollers and belts conveyors provided with buffers. A discrete event simulation model was built in order to investigate the possible influence of the variability of log diameter and of the productive layout on the actual production level. The simulations showed that the major advantage could come from an improvement in the layout, identifying the cut-saw machine as the main bottleneck of the manufacturing line. By adopting a different cut-saw machine, the productivity of the manufacturing line could increase up to + 56% in the daily production of deck and stringer boards showing an increased daily productive time of  + 13%. The effects of this change are evident especially for log diameters lower than 65 cm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mycelial pellet of Aspergillus niger Y3 was used as a biomass carrier to immobilize the aniline-degrading bacterium, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus JH-9 and the mix culture of the COD rapid degradation bacteria. In order to investigate its removal effect on aniline and COD, the combined mycelial pellets were applied in the SBR. Comparison of the performances was conducted between another SBR inoculated with sole strain JH-9 and the above SBR. The results showed that the stable degradations of aniline and COD were observed in both reactors. In the SBR with combined mycelial pellet, the biological removal efficiency was about 0.9mg aniline/(L·d). It was much higher than that in the activated sludge reactor. Meanwhile, the performances of the sedimentation velocity, liquid–solid phase separation and the effluent quality were better in the SBR. According to SEM images and PCR–DGGE analysis, the species immobilized on the biomass carrier were more predominant in this system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the analysis of guidelines pertaining to the International Standards for Phystosanitation Measures (ISPM) and its effect on the wood pallet industry in the U.S. It notes on the international transfer of pests through wood packaging materials or often called as wood packaging used for carrying a commodity. It cites that the Department of Agriculture has focused on efforts of preventing the invasion which poses danger and environmental threat to the nation's forests.

This paper presents an investigation into the improvement of existing design and materials for pallets used in material handling applications. The objective was to develop a pallet design made from alternative materials such as composites of recycled corrugated paperboard and plywood for cold room lifting needs. Several new designs are proposed and analysed using the finite element method (FEM) and related information of weight, loading and safety conditions. Among these, five designs are recommended – one is made of plywood, two are made of corrugated paperboard, and two are made of specially constructed composite materials. The selection process aimed to ensure pallets were safe and stable and involved checking for maximum deflection while lifting and for catastrophe failure due to maximum stresses under Rankine’s theory of failure. We conclude that plywood, corrugated paperboard and a composite of the two materials can be utilised successfully to manufacture stable and strong pallets. Using FEM analysis and simulation studies on Pro/Mechanica FEM software, we were able to suggest several optimum designs with one-third the weight and all of the functionality of traditional pallets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of measured exposures to airborne particulate and carbon monoxide in the wood pallet manufacturing industry. A list of the occupational safety and health administration standards is presented. Total airborne dust was measured using a real-time light scattering photometer.

Describes the assessments and suggestions to minimize ergonomic and noise exposures from the occupational risk factors at wood pallet manufacturing facilities. Methods used for taking noise measurements and to observe working activities and to assess ergonomic conditions and potential musculoskeletal stressors; Engineering and administrative controls and personal protective equipment that can be employed for preventing noise exposure; Suggestion for companies to purchase or design adjustable tables to be placed at heights correct for each user.

Occupational tasks often involve musculoskeletal demands that contribute to injury risk. In pallet wrapping tasks, 36% of workplace claims involve over exertion and repetitive exposures (Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, 2012). Tools that modify how the wrap is handled by workers have been introduced to help mitigate over exertion and extreme postures wherever possible. A novel device has been introduced that places the required tension on the roll to mitigate these factors. However, the effect of reducing the necessary tension on the roll during pallet wrapping in limiting muscular demand and extreme postures is unknown. Fourteen healthy university aged participants completed 12 wrapping trials on a simulated pallet (2 repetitions of 2 wrapping techniques (device, hand wrapping) at 3 wrapping heights (low, medium, high)). Surface electromyography (sEMG) was measured on 6 shoulder and 2 low back muscles; anterior and middle deltoids, biceps brachii, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, upper trapezius, and erector spinae (T8 & L3). Kinematic data were collected for the torso and upper extremity and global to torso, and torso to upper arm angles were computed. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed for the following experimental factors: 1) technique used (device or hand wrapping) and 2) the wrapping height (low, medium, high) for each muscle (8), angle (5), rating of perceived discomfort (1) and rating of perceived exertion (1). Pallet wrapping without a device required greater trunk flexion at lower heights and thoracohumeral elevation at higher wrapping heights as compared to using the device. Muscular activation increased when using the device, specifically at the higher and lower heights. Posture and muscular demands during pallet wrapping tasks are sensitive to both wrapping technique and wrapping height. Ergonomics interventions such as this device may mitigate postural risks associated with manual material handling tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]