Terminology

Annular nail-Pallet nail with annular (circular ring) threads rolled onto the shank.

Base-structured assembly designed to support unit load
Bearing surface-interface between pallet elements and components.

Bin-Four-sided superstructure to be mounted on a pallet base, with or without a cover; also known as a box or container bin pallet.
Block-Rectangular, square or cylindrical deck spacer, often identified by its location within the pallet as corner block, end block, edge block, inner block, center or middle blocks.
Block Pallet-A type of pallet with blocks between the pallet decks or beneath the top deck.

Chamfered Deckboards-Deckboards with edges of one or two faces beveled, either along the full or specified length of board or between the stringers of blocks, allowing easier entry of pallet jack wheels.

Collar-fixed, hinged, removable, or collapsible horizontal framing members to tie together vertical elements of pallet superstructure.

Combo pallet-remanufactured pallet which contains a mixture of recycled and new components.

Deck – One or more boards or panels comprising the top or bottom surface of the pallet.

Deckboard-Element or component of a pallet deck, oriented perpendicular to the stringer or stringerboard.

Deflection-The amount of deformation or bending in a pallet or pallet component under load.

Double-Face Pallet – A pallet with top and bottom decks.

Double-Wing Pallet – A pallet with top and bottom deck boards extending beyond the edges of the stringers or stringer boards.

Dunnage-packing material used to cushion cargo on a ship and has unique HT stamp marked as DUN.

Fastener-A mechanical device for joining pallet components such as nails, staples, bolts or screws.

Fastener shear index (FSI)-measure of the estimated shear performance a given fastener relative to that of a high-quality “base” nail.

Fastener withdrawal index (FWI)-measure of estimated withdrawal resistance of a given fastener relative to that of a high-quality “base” nail.

Free span-the distance between spacers within the pallet; distance between external pallet supports. As in a warehouse rack.
GMA – Grocery Manufacturing Association .

Handling-A single pick-up, movement and set-down of a loaded or empty pallet.

Hardwood-Wood from broad-leaved species of trees (not necessarily hard or dense).

Helical Nail-Helically (continuous spiral) threaded pallet nail.

ISPM 15-International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures

Publication No. 15-Guidelines for regulating wood packaging material in international trade.

Lateral collapse-failure of pallet connections caused by excessive lateral force in direction perpendicular to stringer axis or parallel or perpendicular to stringerboard axis.

Limited-use pallet- a pallet designed for an average of up to nine trips, assuming an average of five handlings per trip and an average handling environment, before first repair; shipping pallet.

Load capacity-capability to support given test load consistent with performance criteria.

Manufactured Wood Packaging Material – Wood packaging that is also known as “Processed Wood”. As specified in the ISPM 15 export wood packaging guidelines for international shipments. See Processed Wood.

Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)-a construction panel which is widely used as a substitute for plywood, particleboard and solid lumber.

MIBANT angle-fastener bend angle providing indication of (fastener) toughness and bending resistance.

MIBANT device (Morgan Impact Bend Angle Nail Tester)-a standard impact nail and staple tester used to determine impact-bending resistance and toughness of nails and staples.

Multiple-use pallet-a pallet designed for repeated uses for more than one unit load with an average minimum life-to-first repair of 10 trips or more, with an average handling environment; multiple-trip warehouse pallet; permanent pallet; general purpose pallet; special-service pallet; through-transit pallet.

Nail-Fastener made from endless wire by cutting a point and forming a head at the shank end opposite the point.

NATIONAL WOODEN PALLET AND CONTAINER ASSOCIATION-A national association with the goal of promoting the design, manufacture, distribution, recycling, and sale of pallets, containers, and reels.

Notch-Cutout in lower portion of the stringer to allow entry for the fork tine, usually 9″ in length, 1 1/2″ in depth.

Oriented Strand Board (OSB)-a construction panel made with layers of precision-manufactured wood “strands” that are aligned, formed into panels and pressed with an exterior grade adhesive resin.

Pallet-A portable, horizontal, rigid platform used as a base for assembling, storing, stacking, handling and transporting goods as a unit load, often equipped with a superstructure.

Pallet Design System – (PDS©) – Reliability-based computer-aided design (CAD) program, for determining the safe load carrying capacity, performance, life and economy of wooden pallets.

Pallet Dimensions – When specifying pallet size, the stringer or stringer board (block pallet) length is always expressed first; for example, a 48″ x 40″ pallet has a 48″ stringer or stringer board and 40″ deck boards.

Pallet Life – The period during which the pallet remains useful, expressed in units of time or in the number of one-way trip.

Pallet size-When specifying pallet size, the stringer or stringerboard (block pallet) length is always expressed first; for example, a 48″ x 40″ pallet has a 48″ stringer or stringerboard and 40″ Deck boards.

Panel Deck Pallet – Pallet constructed with composite or structural panel top deck.

Partial Four-Way Stringer Pallet – A pallet with notched stringers .

Processed Wood – Typically created from uncontaminated, selected wood waste. These products are made under high heat with a resin bonding agent. All infestation is burned out of the wood at the time of manufacture. These products are approved for export/import use without additional treatment and markings (registered stamp) per ISPM 15. Example: plywood, OSB, MDF and presswood/molded wood.

Quality – Consistent performance of a uniform product meeting the customer’s needs for economy and function.

Racked across Deck boards (RAD)-output of the PDS evaluation software describing the maximum load-carrying capacity and deflection of a wood pallet and its decks, where the warehouse racking frame supports the pallet only at the deckboard ends.

Racked across stringers (RAS)-output of the PDS software evaluation describing the maximum load-carrying capacity and deflection of a wood pallet and its decks, where the warehouse racking frame supports the pallet only at he stringer or stringerboard.

Repaired pallet–pallet with damaged components replaced with new or recycled components, in order to reuse it.

Recycled pallet-A pallet that has been used, discarded, salvaged, repaired or rebuilt in order to pass through another cycle or cycles of use.

Remanufactured pallet-a pallet newly assembled from recycled components.

Single-Wing Pallet – A pallet with the top deck boards extending beyond the edges of the stringers or stringer-boards with the bottom deck boards flush (if present).

Skid-A pallet having no bottom deck.

Slave Pallet- Pallet, platform or single, thick panel used as a support base for a palletized load in rack-storage facilities or production systems.

Softwood-Wood from coniferous or needle-bearing trees (not necessarily soft or low density).

Solid Wood Packaging Material (SWPM) – Non-manufactured wood packaging material. Per ISPM 15, SWPM applies to new and used coniferous (softwood) and non-coniferous (hardwood) lumber & pallets. Material is required to be either heat treated of fumigated to kill infestation & larva. ISPM 15 also requires that the lumber carry a registered stamp identifying that the lumber has been treated.

Staple-wire fastener formed by bending wire to form two legs of equal length and a crown connecting both legs at ends opposite leg points.

Stiffness-resistance to external force, load, or generation of internal strain.
Strength-resistance to flexural deformation in direction of applied force.
Stringer-Continuous, longitudinal, solid or notched beam-component of the pallet used to support deck components, often identified by location as the outside or center stringer.

Stringerboard-In block pallets, continuous, solid board member extending for the full length of the pallet perpendicular to deckboard members and placed between deckboards and blocks.

Stringer pallet-a type of pallet with stringers between the Deck boards or beneath the panel deck.

Trip-a series of four to six handlings of a pallet, required to move a palletized unit load from the shipping point to the receiving point.

Two-Way Entry Pallet – A pallet with un-notched solid stringers allowing entry only from the ends.

Uniform standard for wood pallets-a comprehensive standard for the manufacture and repair of wood pallets that’s available through NWPCA; also outlines “best practices”.

Unit Load-Assembly of goods on a pallet for handling, moving, storing and stacking as a single entity.

Wing – Overhang of deck board end from outside edge of stringer or stringer-board.