The 30 degree rotation of pallets is aimed at increasing forklift speed and workplace safety. This should reduce time, energy and costs, not least when using autonomous forklifts and automatic warehouse systems.
The pallet tray is aimed at keeping pallets from falling down. The big risk is when pallets are pushed into another pallet on the other side, or fall down between the standard shelves.
I had one come flying down and into the forklift once, luckily it only hammered my chest and not head, throat or spine.
These things weigh 25 kilograms when dry and more when wet / old.
The tray does not have to have a bottom plate, simple 90 degree angle profiles might be sufficient on both sides and the back, securely fastened to the shelves.
The bottom plate will no doubt collect dirt and dust, which makes it easier, but also more time consuming to clean. Air quality in warehouses can grow into health problems.
These are the standard EUR/EPAL 1 European pallets. If you reside outside the European Union, the pallets in your country are likely to be very different in size.
Thank you so much for showcasing your project here! I can only imagine how jarring it must have been to have pallets falling down on top of and into your forklift! I’m happy you’re here with us to share the tale and offer us a glimpse into how dangerous these types of professions can be!
Is this project a simulation to teach logistics employees the proper way to move pallets?
No, this project is about showcasing new design methods for improved flow in manufacturing and logistics processes.
Starting with a production line for these pallets. The project is a showcase, aimed as pitch material for potential partners, investors and buyers. None of which is in this post btw.
The goal is 90% lower manufacturing cost through optimisation in energy usage, production time and other factors that combined would remove enough bottlenecks to make the product highly competitive.
After being disillusioned with things not changing much over the past few decades and the endless focus on replacing our current energy sources, which is taking forever, instead of optimising what we already have, I chose to get to work and implement my ideas.
Gave up talking about workplace safety and how employers repeatedly break the law, because nothing ever happens, until something happens and then nothing happens after that. The only way to change things, is to outcompete poorly structured businesses.
You’ve got a very compelling angle here—showing how design and process innovation can deliver a step-change in cost and efficiency rather than waiting on slow-moving systemic shifts. I agree with you that outcompeting poorly structured businesses is often the only way real change happens, because once the economics speak for themselves, the industry tends to follow.
Compliance & Safety Support – many dispatchers help track hours of service, permits, and other regulations, keeping your operation legal and safe, which is the kind of structured oversight that complements the type of efficiency gains you’re aiming for. In fact, resources like https://avnlogisticstm.com/truck-dispatch-services dispatching services highlight how operational improvements and compliance can go hand in hand when scaling solutions in logistics.
