National food manufacturer improves production process with plastic pallet

When a national food manufacturer began producing three different varieties of one of its brands of cereals, it had to find a new way to store raw materials and ingredients.

In the past, the company had been using corrugated cardboard pallets to hold super sack and cardboard boxes that contained dried berries for the production of their cereals. However, there was no easy way for production personnel to know what ingredients were in which containers. As a result, the production staff would stop what they were doing and remove the lids to check on the contents of a super sack before moving them to the production area.

The facility needed a program that would segregate the specific berries to avoid mixing ingredients and reduce the risk of errors in the production schedules. The company also wanted a pallet that was more durable than the corrugated pallets it was using and was stackable.

The solution was a lightweight, stackable and rackable medium-duty plastic pallet (ORBIS Corp.). The pallet featured an hygienic open deck design that was ideally suited for food applications.

To help segregate raw materials, the company purchased 500 green and black pallets. The different colors allow the production staff to easily identify what ingredients are in each cardboard box and super sack without stopping to inspect the process.

In time, the company expects they could save up to $200,000 from implementing the plastic pallets. The pallets have also proved to be durable: Nearly two years after their purchase, all 500 pallets are still in working condition.