Many mining commodities are packaged and shipped using bags. Small bags are typically loaded onto pallets for transport and require a significant amount of manual handling by workers. This specific task of manual bag handling has been associated with the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), especially low back disorders. This study evaluates the biomechanical demands of different wo...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pallet type, tie-sheet and stack configuration on compression strength of a palletized load of boxes. Four boxes made from similar board grade and different dimensions were selected for this study. The col­ umn stack configuration which represented the control was compared with the 3 stack configurations either on a CHEP® or GMA pallet. Th...

Over 135 million wooden pallets were repaired for reuse in 1995. Notched stringers are one of the most commonly damaged components. Metal plates, half companion stringers, and full companion stringers are repair methods described in the U.S. industry standard published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This study evaluated the effect of these three stringer repair methods on the ...

Wooden pallets are the largest single use of sawn hardwood logs in the USA. Unfortunately, millions of wooden pallets are discarded annually due to damage or because their low cost makes them readily disposable. High quality wooden pallets, on the other hand, promote longevity and re-use. However, building durable pallets requires high quality pallet parts. Because manual grading and sorting of...

We develop an inter-firm shipping pallet supply chain model and explore the geographic features of market structures that can evolve within it, focusing on the common resource nature of pallet durability. While exploring the model’s parameter space we find regions in which the outcomes do not put the model’s assumptions in doubt. The insights reveal modeling considerations for an “open-loop” st...

This paper presents a new heuristic algorithm for the pallet loading problem, the problem of packing the maximum number of identical rectangular boxes onto a rectangular pallet. The problem arises in distribution and logistics and has many practical applications. We have developed a tabu search algorithm based on new types of moves. Instead of moving individual boxes, we propose moving blocks, ...

We study a problem faced by a major beverage producer. The company produces and distributes several brands to various customers from its regional distributors. For some of these brands, most customers do not have enough demand to justify full pallet shipments. Therefore, the company decided to design a number of mixed or “rainbow” pallets so that its customers can order these unpopular brands w...