The answer begins with the quality of the corrugated board
By Rustem Karimov, CEO of ixs-pal®
As we continue our project to replace wooden pallets with corrugated alternatives wherever the application allows, one question comes up more often than any other:
How much weight can a corrugated pallet actually carry?
A simple answer such as “up to 1,000 kg” is not enough. The load capacity of a pallet does not appear from nowhere. It begins with the quality and strength of the corrugated board used to manufacture it.
That is why we conducted a series of tests and prepared this graph.
What does the graph show?
The horizontal axis shows the Edge Crush Test value, or ECT, of the corrugated board. ECT measures how strongly the board resists compression along its edge.
The vertical scale on the right shows the Box Compression Test, or BCT, result for the completed 800 × 1200 mm ixs-pal® pallet.
The scale on the left translates that compression strength into a recommended pallet load capacity, calculated with a safety factor of eight.
This safety factor is important. We are not showing the point at which the pallet collapses. We are showing a substantially lower working load that provides a margin for real operating conditions.
The stronger the board, the stronger the pallet
The results demonstrate a clear relationship:
- Corrugated board with an ECT of approximately 6.5 kN/m gives the pallet a recommended load capacity of around 400 kg.
- At 8.0 kN/m, the capacity rises to approximately 480 kg.
- At 9.5 kN/m, it reaches roughly 560 kg.
- At 11.0 kN/m, the pallet can carry approximately 650 kg.
- With an ECT of 14.0 kN/m, the recommended load approaches 840 kg.
- At 15.6 kN/m, the tested pallet reaches approximately 1,160 kg, while still applying the eightfold safety factor.
The most important conclusion is that there is no single universal load figure for every corrugated pallet.
The pallet design matters, but so does the board from which it is produced. By selecting the appropriate corrugated grade, we can engineer the pallet for the customer’s actual load instead of using more material than necessary.
Bring us your corrugated board
A graph is useful, but a test performed with your own material is much more convincing.
We therefore invite corrugated board producers, converters and potential users to visit our demonstration centre in Leutershausen, Germany.
Bring samples of your own corrugated board. We can produce an ixs-pal® pallet from that material and test its compression strength and practical load capacity together.
You will be able to see:
- how the pallet is produced;
- how the quality of the board affects its strength;
- what load it can realistically carry;
- whether your existing corrugated board is suitable;
- and which changes could improve performance or reduce material consumption.
We do not want you simply to believe that corrugated pallets work.
We invite you to bring your material and prove it with us.
The demonstration centre is a fully operational environment where customers can see the Pallegator running, manufacture test pallets and evaluate their performance. Learn more about the ixs-pal® demonstration centre.
The stated capacities relate to the tested 800 × 1200 mm pallet configuration and the indicated corrugated board properties. Final performance can also be influenced by moisture, load distribution, storage duration, handling conditions and the customer’s logistics environment.
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