Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1177710
palletcentral.com PalletCentral • September-October 2019 37 the pallet manufacturer and their customers at a deeper level, improving business relationships. Optimization of packaging, in conjunction with the pallet design, will require collaboration between people specifying the packaging and those performing the pallet design. System-level design represents a change in the current culture and practices of the industry. It will require training for current pallet designers so that they can understand fundamental design considerations for corrugated boxes, stretch wrap and overall unit load design. Next Steps NWPCA will develop the necessary training over the coming months. As you learn more about corrugated boxes, their specification, behavior and performance, you will also become a more proficient and professional pallet designer. PDS 6.0 represents a significant milestone for unit loads. The ability to design unit loads of drums, pails, and semi-rigid sheet goods are expected to follow in future versions of PDS. These are all exciting new capabilities for the wooden pallet industry. I welcome all your questions, comments and suggestions. I am eager to see how the industry uses and commercializes unit load design, and together, learn more about how we can improve the software. PC Kristen DeLack, PE, is a structural engineer and key contributor to the development of PDS engineering. She holds a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a patent relating to subsea oil pipelines. Kristen works out of NWPCA's Blacksburg office and may be reached at 703-519-6104. Validating the theoretical FEA model developed in ANSYS with observed testing data collected by the pressure mat.