Worthington Steelpac shows new pallets

Mass production of Worthington Steelpac (Booth 315) steel distribution pallets began last month.

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 4/21/2008 8:26:00 AM

Designed to meet the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) capacity and compatibility standards, mass production of Worthington Steelpac (Booth 315) steel distribution pallets began last month. NA 2008 is the first time a majority of materials handling managers will see the pallet.

“Contamination of food, pharmaceuticals or chemicals during the manufacturing process is still a big problem,” said company vice president Don Pulver. “There is no foolproof way to detect wood, plastic or aluminum particles. One of the main benefits of using a steel pallet is that it won’t splinter or shred like wood or plastic pallets will, helping to avoid end-user contamination problems.”

A key benefit of this new product is that it won’t fuel an existing fire like wood or plastic, which can impact the cost of insurance.

“While there have been other steel pallets introduced to the market on a smaller scale, the automation needed to produce a pallet to satisfy these markets is so intricate and expensive—very few companies have the structure and capital to do it successfully,” Pulver added. “We are fortunate at Worthington Industries to have the capital and the fabrication/automation expertise to succeed.”