The demands to achieve more efficient and optimized logistics processes in a globalized market are increasing.

At this point, palletizing or palletizing play a fundamental role within the logistics and packaging sector .

Therefore, we have dedicated a section of our blog to talk about this topic. So if you want to know:

• What is palletizing
• What is the palletizing process?
• What are the main characteristics of palletizing

We invite you to read the following lines where we will delve into it.

Meaning of palletizing in logistics

To understand what palletizing is and what the palletizing process consists of, we must first fit this concept into the logistics and packaging sector.

In this way, palletizing is the process by which a stacked merchandise is placed on a surface (usually a pallet or pallet) for handling, storage and transportation.

The result is the grouping of multiple products or items in a single, unified load. Which provides a standard way to handle and ship merchandise, streamlining logistics processes.

What is the palletizing process?

Since the methods used can be very diverse and will depend on each case, we will roughly explain what the palletizing process consists of .

1. Loading the goods

In general, the palletizing process begins with the loading and grouping of the merchandise on the pallet (also known as pallet) or stacking, in a uniform way.

When loading the products, the way they are stacked on the platform is essential.

Thus, items and products with a square or rectangular shape are the easiest to load. While the products with irregular shapes are more annoying. Therefore, it is common to use cardboard boxes or other materials that contain the merchandise to be transported.

In the event that the load is not square, it is always advisable to centralize the weight of the goods on the pallet as much as possible. And in any case, the resulting structure must be stable. Therefore, it is important that the load does not protrude from the base of the platform (pallet). Since breakage, collapse or loss could occur during transportation.

In this phase of the palletizing process, other packaging materials can be used that are placed between some packages and others, to ensure the integrity of the stored products. For example, cardboard dividers, layer strapping, corner pieces to protect the corners, spacers interposers, etc., as appropriate.

As for the level of automation for this step, it can be very varied. In this way, the loading of goods on the pallet can be manual or done through some type of automation.

Manual palletizing is carried out by people and without any type of mechanical assistance.

But, when the load is too heavy and complex to be handled by an operator and / or the conditions are not favorable, automated processes are used using special machinery, such as a palletizing robot. Which requires more complex engineering and robotics projects, adapted to each case.

2. Fixing and protection of the merchandise

Once the pallet is loaded forming a single block, it is time to secure the product .

For this, it is necessary to cover the loaded pallet with an elastic wrap that fixes the merchandise to the base of the pallet. And prevent the cargo from shifting and separating during transportation.

Generally, the most used material for this work is the film for palletizing : stretch film or stretch film. This wrap also protects the merchandise from humidity, dust and other conditions.

Depending on the needs, one type of film or another is used:

• Manual stretch film
• Automatic stretch film for palletizers
• Perforated stretch film
• Heat shrink plastic
• Mesh for palletizing
• Etc.

Also, there is a distinction by color of the film. In this way, it can be:

• Transparent film for palletizing : allowing easy identification of the content at a glance.
• Color palletizing film : used to maintain a certain confidentiality of the contents of the pallet or to mark the merchandise in a different way allowing its quick identification.

The way to apply the film in the palletizing process can also be manual or automatic.

In the latter case, palletizers (also called pallet wrappers ) are the most common machines that do this job. And they can be automatic or semi-automatic palletizers.

The machine that we show you below is an example of a semi-automatic palletizer or pallet wrapper .

After this phase, everything is ready for the handling, storage and transport of the palletized merchandise.

Other characteristics of palletizing or palletizing

Once seen, what is palletizing and what does this process consist of , we will address some other general characteristics of palletizing. As well as its most outstanding advantages.

Originally, the palletizing process consisted of manual work that necessarily required the assistance of an operator.

However, as the industry has evolved, more sophisticated palletizing systems have been developed. Implementing machinery and industrial equipment capable of palletizing through more automated processes.

Furthermore, the variety of products that the machines could handle grew to include items that would be impossible or difficult to palletize by hand, such as bottles.

In terms of use, the most widespread purpose of palletizing is to transport goods safely to the customers’ destination. However, there are other industries that use palletizing for another purpose.

For example, in the automotive industry, some parts sometimes need to be palletized to facilitate transportation from one part of the company’s manufacturing complex to another.

Ultimately, palletizing has truly become a critical part of the manufacturing process. If an error occurs in the palletizing process, production could stop.

Advantages of palletizing

After these lines dedicated to defining the meaning of palletizing and the palletizing process, some of the benefits of the palletizing process can already be deduced. However, below, we will summarize the main advantages of palletizing :

• Facilitates the calculation of product inventories.
• It ensures that the merchandise reaches its destination in good condition, reducing the risk of breakages and losses.
• The fact of grouping different packages in the same load unit allows their handling and transport to be more agile than going unit by unit.
  It is a process applicable to several different sectors and industries.
• The palletizing systems that integrate automation also make operations carried out with greater agility. This has an impact on greater efficiency, increased productivity and reduced costs.
• It allows better use of the space available in warehouses.
• It facilitates the reception and control of the products at the time of delivery.
• All this translates into more optimized operations that allow you to focus your working time on activities that provide greater value to your customers.

We hope with this article to have clarified your doubts about what palletizing is, its characteristics and what the palletizing process consists of.

Author Bio

Vikas Rastogi holds the position of managing partner at VK Brothers. Keeping up with the latest trends in marketing, he thinks about the marketing of ideas in the digital age. His interest and creative approach to marketing bring him to the industry.