Pallet Control Systems

In Germany, the use of standardised wooden pallets in accordance with DIN 15146 and DIN 15147 is extremely widespread. These so-called EURO pallets are handled in pools. This means: whenever a company receives goods which are delivered on EURO pallets, the same number of empty EURO pallets are returned to the haulier. If no pallets are given back in return then the company is charged for the EURO pallet(s) delivered.

As a result, the EURO pallets are reused many times, and during their life in the pallet pool they end up being sent out to various different companies. It can sometimes happen that pallets are damaged or destroyed during this exchange process. For large companies and hauliers, who turn over several hundred pallets every day, the cost of replacing damaged EURO pallets when they are returned can dramatically increase operating costs. At least to some extent, individual pallets are therefore manually inspected, and damaged pallets are not accepted in exchange for the delivered pallets. However, manual inspections cannot reveal all of the potential defects on the pallet. A manual inspection depends largely on the qualifications and sense of responsibility of the employees involved.

An automatic pallet checking system can be very useful in this respect and contribute significant cost savings when using EURO pallets. Incoming empty pallets are automatically checked at the pallet checking station in the goods receiving department. Defective pallets are immediately separated out. Instead of accepting these defective pallets, they are immediately returned to the supplier (haulier). This ensures that no defective empty pallets from external sources can be introduced into the company´s system.

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