Pallets: what kind of wood are they made of?

Pallets are mostly made of wood, but there are many more different types. Pallets come in different shapes, sizes, colours and materials. In this blog, we will tell you more about the different types of wood that are used to make pallets, among other things.

Wooden pallets of different types

Wooden pallets come in all kinds. Which pallet you need depends on several factors. In this blog, we highlight the wooden pallets. What kind of wood are they made of and how do you distinguish them?

Wooden pallets

Wooden pallets are the most commonly used pallets and can be made from different types of wood, which we will explain later in this blog. The best-known pallet is the euro pallet with the fixed dimensions of 1200x800x144mm. This has been heat treated according to ISPM 15 regulations and is therefore suitable for export.

Other examples of wooden pallets are block pallets, display pallets and chemical pallets, which differ from each other mainly because of their size. When we talk about half a pallet, it is half a euro pallet with the size 800x600mm. View the overview of wooden pallets on our website.

Wood fiber pallets

In addition to the well-known wooden pallets and plastic pallets, we also offer wood fibre pallets at Rotomshop. Wood fibre pallets are made of glued or pressed wood. They are produced from wood that has been shredded, which is then glued and compressed with synthetic resin. For example, the wood fibres are pressed into a full pallet and it is a sustainable choice.

The advantage of a wood fibre pallet is that it is nestable and stackable, so it takes up little space during transport and storage. In addition, the pallet has a low weight; A wood fibre pallet is up to 2x lighter than a wooden pallet.

Wooden pallet collars

Our new and used pallet collars are made of planed spruce. With a pallet edge, in combination with a pallet, a pallet box or crate can easily be put together. The collars are stackable so that extra height can be created. In addition, we also offer matching lids so that a pallet box can be made in the desired size.

Overview of wood types

The pallets offered by Rotomshop are made of different types of wood, mainly spruce wood that comes from the Norway spruce. The most commonly used types of wood are Central European Spruce and Northern European Spruce. Below we give an overview of commonly used types of wood for pallets.

Central European Spruce

Central European Spruce is softwood that we get from countries such as Germany, Poland and the Baltic States. The climate in these countries is relatively mild, so the wood grows quickly and more production is possible. This makes Central European Spruce wood relatively inexpensive.

Northern European Spruce

Northern European Spruce originates from Northern Europe, mainly Scandinavia. Northern European spruce grows slowly because of the climate, which has the advantage that it has a fine structure with narrow growth rings and small knots. This makes the wood of high quality and also easy to work with.

How do you distinguish the different types of wood?

A big difference between spruce is that Central European Spruce is fast-growing wood and Northern European Spruce is slow-growing wood. Central European Spruce generally comes from thin trunks, so the growth rings are close together.

There is also a difference in whether the wood is dried or not. Central European Spruce is standard wet wood and can be dried as needed, while Northern European Spruce is standard sawn and dried and can therefore be traded immediately. The disadvantage of spruce wood is that it does not tolerate moisture well and therefore fungi can develop. That is why the wood is often treated first.

Different types of pallet blocks

Pallets are often provided with bobbins for strength. The normal wooden bobbin and the fibre bobbin are the most common. These are of similar quality, but there are still some differences.

Wooden bobbin

The normal wooden bobbin is made of wood and is very sturdy. This can be cut into all desired sizes, but the disadvantage is that it is also quite expensive to dry.

Fiber bobbin

A fibre bobbin, like a wood fibre pallet, is made from pressed wood. The advantage of this spool is that it is dimensionally stable and can be produced faster. The bobbin is made under high pressure and pressed into the oven with glue. Another advantage is that it is easier to stamp on a fibre bobbin than on wood.

Stamps

With stamps, you can think of the recognizable EPAL logo, which indicates that the pallet meets the standards of the European Pallet Association. If the wood has been treated according to the ISPM 15 standard, it is provided with a heat treatment in which the wood is heated to the core for a longer period to kill harmful organisms in other ecosystems. This makes the product suitable for export and has an IPPC quality mark stamped on the pallet with, among other things, the treatment code and the manufacturer's code.

Why buy wooden pallets?

Wooden pallets are the most commonly used load carriers in the logistics industry. Wooden pallets are reasonably priced and are available in all kinds of different sizes. They also have a high load capacity, making them suitable for heavy loads. Unlike plastic pallets, wooden pallets are easy to repair.

Sustainable choice

In addition to new pallets, we also offer used pallets at Rotomshop. Virtually no new raw materials need to be used for this because they are recycled. Our used pallets are still 100% functional and applicable in the logistics sector. When buying used pallets, you are not only being sustainable, but it is also cheaper. A win-win situation!

Questions about logistical resources

At Rotomshop we offer a wide range of logistics resources and we are happy to help you optimize your supply chain. Do you have any questions about this blog, any of our products, or do you need help with your order? Feel free to contact us at [email protected] or 01777 322100. We are happy to help with a logistics solution!