Sheet Metal Pallet Asymmetric Fork Tube Riser Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal pallets face challenges such as high initial cost, weight, and susceptibility to damage, which affect their efficiency and safety in industrial applications, despite offering advantages like resistance to pathogens and fire hazards.
Innovation Solution
A sheet metal pallet assembly design featuring a deck with perimeter under-girding, reinforcement ribs, and asymmetric fork tube risers that utilize light-weight sheet metal while maintaining structural integrity and load-carrying capacity, incorporating features like transverse and longitudinal girding, and bridges to enhance resistance to racking forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If light gauge sheet metal is used to reduce weight and cost, then manufacturing cost and weight are reduced, but load carrying capacity and resistance to racking decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet is divided into modular components including deck sections, fork tube risers, stringers, and cross members that can be independently designed and assembled. This segmentation allows optimization of each component's structural efficiency while using lighter gauge materials overall.
Solution Approach 2:
The pallet employs composite construction combining light gauge sheet metal decks with heavier gauge structural components (fork tube risers, stringers, cross members) to create a hybrid structure that achieves high strength-to-weight ratio by placing material strategically where needed.
2Weight of stationary object
If light gauge sheet metal is used to reduce weight and cost, then manufacturing cost and weight are reduced, but resistance to racking forces decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The design incorporates three-dimensional structural elements including upright fork tube risers, transverse stringers, and longitudinal cross members that add vertical and lateral dimensional stability, transforming the deck from a two-dimensional surface into a rigid three-dimensional framework resistant to racking forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The fork tube risers utilize curved or tapered geometries that provide structural efficiency and resistance to lateral racking forces while maintaining lighter weight compared to straight vertical supports, optimizing the distribution of stresses throughout the structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If carbon steel is used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but susceptibility to rusting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet uses composite material construction combining carbon steel components with corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel fasteners, coated structural members, or aluminum accents in high-corrosion areas, achieving a balance between cost and durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The design accepts that certain carbon steel components may have reduced service life in corrosive environments, optimizing the overall pallet for cost-effectiveness in controlled indoor or dry storage applications where maximum corrosion resistance is not critical.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If metal pallets are designed for long service life, then durability increases, but exposure to damage from fork truck usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pallet incorporates protective features such as reinforced corner posts, padded or rounded edges, and impact-absorbing structural elements at high-stress areas where forklift contact occurs, cushioning against damage before it happens during normal handling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The design includes pre-engineered damage mitigation features such as replaceable protective components, sacrificial elements, and structural redundancy that counteract the harmful effects of fork truck usage before critical damage occurs, extending service life despite repeated handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet metal pallet assembly includes a deck and an undercarriage. The deck is reinforced about its outer edges by perimeter under-girding. The interior of the deck is further reinforced by one or more reinforcement ribs and interior longitudinal girding. The undercarriage is composed of left and right fork tube risers joined together by bridges. The fork tube risers are configured to receive the tines of a forklift truck. Each fork tube riser has inner and outer legs, each splayed at an angle. In some examples, the splay angle of the outer leg is greater than the splay angle of the inner leg, but in other examples the splays are equal. The ends of each fork tube riser may be folded over with a hem to improve strength and present a blunt edge. The undercarriage may be fabricated from a single monolithic piece of sheet metal or multiple pieces.