Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/739842
taff at PalletCentral received several worthy submissions for our pallet design contest using the Pallet Design System™ (PDS) software. The challenge was to submit an alternative 48x40 in. stringer-class pallet design to meet or exceed the criteria further outlined in the specifications in our May-June 2016 edition. Each packaging designer took on a different perspective for "designing a pallet for efficient material usage" while meeting most of the design criteria. Below are a few notable techniques used by our contestants to reduce materials in order to make the pallet more sustainable: • Adjust stringer thickness: the center stringer tends to be the more highly stressed member, so exterior stringer thickness can be reduced and performance requirements can be achieved by fine- tuning the thickness. • Increase the wing: this method reduces the deckboard span between stringers, thereby reducing stresses on deckboards so thinner ones can be used. • Addition of a 4th stringer: this modification also reduces the deckboard span between stringers, but more significantly compared to increasing the wing. The increase in material from the 4th stringer can be offset by reduced thickness of stringers and deckboards. While all of the entries resulted in a reduced amount of board footage than the lean GMA (48x40) it challenged, in addition to many of the required design elements for this contest, there were two areas where our designers fell outside of the scope of this contest: proper spans for racking across the width, and designs that did not meet the requirement for forklift handling. While we could not award the full $100 prize to one individual designer, we recognize and thank our top five entries identified in the sidebar. This pallet design contest proved successful in highlighting how PDS can be used to design more efficient pallets. It also demonstrated the importance of good communication between the packaging designer and the end-user to better understand if all aspects of the pallet design are fully met. PC Beat This Pallet Design Challenge S NWPCA would like to thank our top five entries for their submissions. Each of the following designers will receive a $25 gift card from Starbucks for their contribution: • John Clarke, The Nelson Company • Darrin Hyde, Michigan Pallet, Inc. • Stuart Isaacson, PalletOne of Maine • Kyle Countryman, Millwood Inc. • Tracy Webb, H&S Forest Products Inc. palletcentral.com PalletCentral • September-October 2016 33