Recyclable Plastic Pallet Support Block Reducing Weight and Cost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wood pallets are heavy, expensive, and environmentally problematic due to their wood-intensive construction, leading to high manufacturing costs, waste, and fuel consumption during transportation.
Innovation Solution
The use of recyclable and recyclable plastic pallet support blocks that replace wood stringers and bottom deck boards, featuring a center tubular column with sidewalls and webs for compression resistance, and flanges for securing deck boards, allowing for nestable and lightweight pallet construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If wood stringers and deck boards are used to construct a pallet, then the pallet has sufficient strength and stability, but the pallet becomes heavy, expensive, and environmentally problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from wood to high-density polyethylene plastic, maintaining structural strength while significantly reducing weight. The plastic support blocks are engineered with optimized geometry to provide equivalent load-bearing capacity to wood stringers and deck boards, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite structural design combining a tubular center column with triangular sidewalls and webs to create a lightweight yet strong support structure. This composite geometry provides maximum structural efficiency with minimum material usage, achieving both strength and weight reduction goals.
2Strength
If wood is used extensively in pallet construction, then the pallet achieves required structural integrity, but manufacturing cost increases and environmental harm worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from wood to plastic, which has different cost characteristics. While plastic material cost per unit may be higher, the overall manufacturing cost decreases due to reduced material quantity needed, lower labor costs for assembly, and elimination of wood treatment and fastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for separate fasteners, adhesives, and complex assembly operations by molding the support blocks as integrated components that snap-fit or interlock with deck boards, significantly simplifying manufacturing and reducing cost.
3Strength
If traditional wood pallet construction is used, then the pallet provides adequate support, but the pallet is bulky and cannot be nestable for efficient shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the traditional solid wood pallet structure into discrete modular support blocks. Each block is an independent component with optimized geometry that provides full support functionality while being compact enough to nest with other blocks, dramatically reducing overall shipping volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the support blocks with nesting capability, allowing blocks to be stacked vertically and horizontally in a compact arrangement during shipping and storage. This nesting feature reduces the volume occupied by pallet components by approximately 50% compared to traditional wood pallet construction.
4Ease of manufacture
If wood is used in pallet construction, then the pallet can be built traditionally, but the wood is susceptible to mold, mildew, and bacterial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from organic wood to synthetic plastic (high-density polyethylene), which fundamentally alters the chemical and biological properties. Plastic is inherently resistant to mold, mildew, and bacterial growth, eliminating these harmful factors while maintaining ease of manufacture through molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs plastic support blocks that are inexpensive to manufacture and replace, eliminating the need for expensive wood treatments and preservatives. The disposable nature of these plastic components removes all biological degradation concerns associated with wood.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces wood usage, manufacturing costs, and fuel consumption, enabling twice as many pallets to be shipped while being environmentally friendly and reducing storage needs, with the added benefit of being recyclable and resistant to water absorption and bacterial growth.
Implementation Method 1
The center support structure has a tubular center column that provides compression resistant strength to the center support structure. The center support structure also includes first and second sidewalls on opposite sides of the center column. The center support structure further includes first and second webs on opposite sides of the center column. The first and second sidewall and the first and second webs reinforce the center column to resist compression forces.
Data Source
AI summary
A pallet support block is constructed of recycled plastic material that is also recyclable. The use of the pallet support block in pallet construction reduces the amount of wood used in the pallet construction and thereby makes the pallet lighter and reduces the cost of manufacturing the pallet.