Few things have been as transformative to our modern way of life as the standard pallet. It is foundational to today’s remarkable logistics networks, enabling modern commerce and widespread access to affordable goods and materials.
Still, to maximise the usage potential of these pallets, you need the right equipment to move them and the loads they support. This is where specialised machines like pallet stackers come in.
While you’re probably familiar with forklifts, pallet stackers can be just as important, especially in the confines of today’s tightly optimised warehouses. Like a forklift, a pallet stacker can move and stack pallets; the difference is that they’re designed to be significantly more compact to fit tighter spaces. Thus, they are more compact than forklifts, while still featuring the vertical mast and forks needed to handle pallets.
How Are Pallet Stackers Used?
As their name suggests, pallet stackers are primarily designed to organise palletised goods, usually stacking them on top of each other. A regular forklift can do the same, but their much larger size often limits their use to larger warehouses or outdoor settings that can provide them enough space to manoeuvre. Pallet stackers, on the other hand, tend to be significantly shorter and smaller than conventional forklifts, making them ideal for smaller warehouses with limited space and for maximising the available space in larger warehouses.
The smaller size and reduced power of pallet stackers often means that they have limited carrying capacity compared to forklifts. This means that they are best used for organisation rather than for moving particularly heavy loads. In most cases, pallet stackers are used for mid-level racking tasks and floor-to-shelf pallet transfers.
Being smaller than regular forklifts, pallet stackers can be more affordable to acquire, which can make them appealing for businesses with smaller warehouses. When considering their more specific advantages in tight quarters, these machines are often manually operated or powered by electricity to reduce their emissions, so they are safer to operate indoors.
Unique Characteristics of Pallet Stackers Compared to Regular Forklifts
- Compact Design Ideal for Tight Spaces. Pallet stackers are significantly smaller than counterbalance forklifts and are thus ideal for tight aisles in small or heavily-optimised warehouses. This compactness allows operators to access storage areas that larger forklifts may not be able to reach.
- Ease of Use. Many pallet stackers in the market today feature simple controls, reducing the training needed to use them, compared to conventional forklifts. This can help save on operating costs since they are less dependent on highly skilled operators.
- Lower Operating and Acquisition Costs. Being much smaller compared to traditional forklifts, pallet stackers require less maintenance and storage space, making them a budget-friendly choice. This is especially true for small to medium-sized businesses but also for larger operations where every square centimetre of warehouse space is optimised.
- Quieter, Greener Operation. Electric and manual pallet stackers are commonplace, thanks to the indoor scenarios where machines are often used. These power sources are quieter and less polluting than fossil fuel-powered forklifts, making them suitable in situations where noise and air pollution must be controlled.
Usage Applications of Pallet Stackers
- Small Warehouses. Pallet stackers are ideal for small-scale warehouses where space is at a premium. They help maximise vertical storage capacity without requiring large forklifts or expensive overhead gantry cranes.
- E-commerce Fulfilment Centres. E-commerce warehouses often use pallet stackers to efficiently prepare parcels for delivery. The minimal noise and small sizes of these machines perfectly suit the extremely busy setups of these operations.
- Retail Stores Backrooms and Displays. Many retail stores use pallet stackers to move and organise stock in small backrooms. In some storefronts, they’re also used to restock shelves during off-hours or whenever when customer traffic is low.
- Cold Storage. Cold storage environments are often much smaller than typical warehouses due to their relative costs. This often makes pallet stackers the best choice, thanks to their smaller sizes. As a bonus, many models of pallet stackers do not emit harmful fumes that could contaminate sensitive inventory.
- Light Industrial Applications. Factories with limited production space often use pallet stackers for moving components between workstations or organising completed products in preparation for shipping.
- Educational and Non-Profit Settings. Organisations with limited budgets or storage spaces can use affordable pallet stackers to better manage supply stockpiles.
Maximise Your Warehouse’s Potential with the Right Machinery
Knowing the broader benefits of pallet stackers is one thing, but you may still need significant input from your warehouse managers before you pull the trigger on getting these machines. To better explore which pallet stackers or other heavy machinery best suits your operational needs, set up a meeting with a reputable supplier and your managers. This way, you’re more likely to end up with solutions that make sense for your warehousing challenges.
