Pallet machinery covers every machine used to turn logs, cants or used pallets into finished, treated pallets: saws, nailers, notchers, dismantlers, repair stations, stackers and heat-treatment kilns. Plants range from a single nailing jig with a pneumatic gun to fully automated lines producing more than 2,000 pallets per 8-hour shift, so the right equipment depends on pallet type, volume and labor cost.
The production chain and its machines
A wooden pallet plant is a sequence of operations, and each stage has its own machine family. The sequence below follows the flow of material from raw timber to a shipped, certified pallet. Detailed steps are in the guide to how wooden pallets are made.
| Stage | Purpose | Typical machines |
|---|---|---|
| Primary breakdown | Turn logs into cants and boards | Debarkers, band or circular headsaws, small sawmills |
| Resawing and ripping | Cut cants into deck boards and stringers | Horizontal band resaws, multi-rip (gang) saws |
| Cross-cutting | Cut stock to pallet length | Chop saws, cut-off saws, optimizing cross-cut lines with scanners |
| Shaping | Notch stringers, chamfer boards and blocks | Notchers, chamfering machines |
| Assembly | Fasten components together | Nailing jigs, semi-automatic nailers, automatic stringer and block lines |
| Finishing | Trim, press, brand, stack | Trimmers, hydraulic presses, branders, stackers |
| Treatment | Meet ISPM 15 | Heat-treatment kilns, dielectric heating units |
| Recovery | Handle used pallets | Dismantlers, repair stations, sorting lines, grinders |
Not every plant owns every machine. Many pallet producers buy ready-cut components and only assemble; others run a sawmill and sell the surplus. Integrated plants usually have the lowest material cost, but they also carry the highest capital cost and the most complex safety obligations (see safety in pallet plants).
Levels of automation
Three broad levels exist, and the same pallet design can be built at any of them.
- Manual and jig-based. Workers lay components on an inclined or flat jig and drive nails with pneumatic coil nailers. Capital cost is minimal and changeovers are fast, which suits custom sizes and small runs.
- Semi-automatic. A machine drives the nails, while an operator places the boards and stringers. Industry reviews describe machines of this class producing in the range of 300 to 400 pallets per 8-hour shift with one operator, and cycle times of roughly 20 to 30 seconds per pallet on some models.
- Fully automatic. Conveyors, board feeders, nailing heads and flip-and-stack stations form a line. A major US maker advertises more than 2,400 pallets per 8-hour shift for its top model, which shows the upper range for stringer-pallet lines.
Robots now appear mainly in repair and complex assembly. Swedish integrator Jointec has installed robotic repair lines in Scandinavian plants, using hydraulic dismantling stations and robot-held nailers that drive up to 80 nails per minute; the supplier reports payback of about two years. See automation in pallet production for how to judge whether automation pays.
Machine families in more detail
Nailing. Nailing is the heart of the plant because it sets throughput. Choices include hand-held pneumatic tools, semi-automatic nailing tables and automatic lines. Nails come either collated into coils for pneumatic tools or as bulk nails fed from hoppers; bulk systems lower the cost per nail, collated systems simplify the machine. Details are in pallet nailing machines and pneumatic nail guns. Euro-style block pallets need purpose-built lines, covered in block pallet production lines.
Sawing. Multi-rip saws cut cants into boards in a single pass, horizontal band resaws split thick stock with a narrow kerf, and optimizing cross-cut saws use scanners to remove defects and maximize yield. See multi-rip saws and band resaws.
Recovery. Dismantlers separate used pallets into reusable boards and stringers. Bandsaw dismantlers cut through the nails, whereas rotary and leverage machines pull boards off. Published industry figures range from about 400 to 1,000 pallets per 8-hour shift for bandsaw and rotary types. See pallet dismantling machines.
Treatment. For export, wood must reach a core temperature of at least 56 °C (133 °F) for 30 continuous minutes under the ISPM 15 heat-treatment schedule. Kilns come in chamber, container and continuous-flow designs. Industry listings quote capacities from a few dozen to roughly 2,400 standard 48 × 40 in pallets per load. See heat-treatment kilns.
Where the equipment comes from
Pallet machinery is produced mainly in North America and Western Europe, with growing output from Asia. US manufacturers dominate stringer-pallet automation and dismantlers, for example Viking, Bronco, CAPE, GBN and Wood-Mizer. European suppliers are strong in block-pallet lines, optimized cut-off systems and robotics; Spain, Sweden and Germany all have established builders. Used machines are traded widely, which is why a checklist for buying used machinery is worth reading before any purchase.
Choosing equipment: key questions
- Which pallet? Stringer pallets in 48 × 40 in suit US-style lines; 1200 × 800 mm EUR pallets need block-pallet equipment and compliance with the relevant EPAL specification.
- How many pallets per shift? Size the nailer first, then match saws, kilns and stackers to it. A fast nailer starved of boards is wasted capital.
- Raw material? Plants buying finished boards need fewer saws; plants with logs need debarkers and resaws.
- Labor cost and skills? High labor cost favors automation; skilled labor shortages do too.
- Service? Spare parts, blades and technicians within reach often matter more than the list price.
- Maintenance? Saws, nailers and kilns need scheduled care; see maintaining pallet machinery.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum equipment needed to start making pallets?
A cut-to-length saw, a nailing jig and pneumatic coil nailers with an air compressor are enough for basic production. Export work adds a heat-treatment kiln and a registered marking program.
How many pallets can a fully automatic line produce?
Published manufacturer figures for top stringer-pallet lines exceed 2,400 pallets per 8-hour shift, while semi-automatic machines are typically quoted at a few hundred. Real output depends on pallet design, board supply and downtime.
Is automation always cheaper per pallet?
No. Automation lowers labor per pallet at high, steady volumes of a few designs. For many custom sizes and short runs, jigs and semi-automatic machines are often more economical.
Which machine is the usual bottleneck?
In most plants the nailing station, the kiln or the board supply (resaw and cut-off) limits output. Balancing the line around the slowest stage avoids idle capital.
Sources
- Pallet Nailing Machine Review — Pallet Enterprise
- Dismantling Machines Fuel Lumber Recovery and Recycling Operations — Pallet Enterprise
- Heat-Treating Guide: Suppliers Offer Heat-Treating Systems — Pallet Enterprise
- Robots Effectively Used in European Pallet Companies — Pallet Enterprise
- Pallet repair systems — Yaskawa Europe
- MR200 Gang Saw — Wood-Mizer