By Rafik H. Bishara, Ph.D. Substantial sums of budgets and resources are spent annually to design packages (containers) to ship temperature-controlled products. Most of the designs use expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) or polyurethane foam (PUR) insulation with gel packs as the cooling medium. Recently, some vacuum panel insulation has been … [Read more...]
A Rental or Leasing Program for Small Reusable Package Shippers for Temperature – Controlled Products
July 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Enduring Standard – EUR Pallet Celebrates 50 Years
June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The standardised European EUR pallet, a well-known and integral part of the international logistics and goods distribution system, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Wednesday 11 May during the Transport Logistic trade fair in Munich where it was the subject of a dedicated forum organised by Gütegemeinschaft Paletten e.V., Germany’s national … [Read more...]
US Pallet Demand to Rise 6.1% Annually Through 2015
May 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
US demand for pallets is projected to rise 6.1% annually through 2015, according to a new study on the pallet market from Freedonia Group. US demand for pallets is forecast to rise 6.1 percent per year to 1.3 billion pallets in 2015, valued at $15 billion. This pace will represent a rebound from the 2005- 2010 period, when demand fell 4.5 … [Read more...]
Arizona HB 2168 and the Failure of Pallet Theft Legislation
May 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The problem of pallet theft. My running buddy likes to tell a story about being on the subway in Tokyo. Someone had dropped a wallet on the floor of the car, and nobody touched it. People just stepped around it. Perhaps this represents a different culture than we experience in the Americas, where it is hard enough to hang onto a wallet that is in … [Read more...]
Reusable Layer Pads – Plastic or Paper
May 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Columnist Anthony Sterling looks at the pros and cons of paper versus plastic layer pads for empty bottles and cans in this report at www.packworld.com, and sees a trend towards plastic due to increased risk of contamination, and less opportunity for reuse. Granted, this comparison between paper and plastic is based on a specific application," … [Read more...]
(ESD) Electrostatic Discharge Equipment
May 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
(ESD) is Electrostatic Discharge. The buildup of ESD occurs as a result of an imbalance of electrons on the surface of a material. Such a buildup develops an electric field that has measurable effects on other objects coming into contact with each other ESD related failures manifest in a number of ways such as junction leakage ,shorts, burn … [Read more...]
Tips on Mold Prevention in Pallets: A White Paper by Litco
May 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Litco International, Inc., North America's leading source of presswood pallets, has developed a new white paper for companies concerned about mold on their pallets. The paper includes information on the best ways to handle pallets to prevent the growth of mold for companies in sensitive industries, such as food, health care and apparel. It also … [Read more...]
Pallet Food Safety: There’s an Auditor at the Gate!
April 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
With all of the claims and counter-claims being made about plastic and wooden pallets, I thought it might be useful to journey to the dreaded flashpoint of my old job where the flak hit the fan, the feared 3rd party food inspection auditor. I still get goosebumps thinking about those calls from security at the front gate of the distribution center, … [Read more...]
Pallet Pooling in Australia – Collaboration and Reform Needed to Address Inefficiencies
April 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
When it comes to reusable pallets, ethics - or lack thereof, often come into play. Because these assets are often not tracked as rigorously as other inventory, they are subject to unauthorized use, theft, black market activity, bullying by powerful trading partners, as well as other inefficiencies resulting from inconsistent trade practices. … [Read more...]
