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EPAL wooden pallets, commonly known as euro or euro pallets, are wooden platforms produced under the licence of the European Pallet Association (EPAL). Their unflagging popularity result from the high functionality and strength of pallets but also the possibility of their repair. What does this process look like? What tools can we use to do it?

Pallet repair tables Pneumatico WT1&WT2

Why is it worth repairing EPAL wooden pallets?

Euro pallets have been used to store up and secure goods during transport for years. Unfortunately, intensive exploitation can lead to pallet damage which influences its technical condition and as a result can also lead to product damage as well as can threaten workers’ health and safety. Is it necessary to purchase a new pallet in this situation? Not necessarily.

In many cases, the investment in new pallets is not cost-effective. In a situation when the repair is only about exchanging the faulty deckboard or strengthening it. It is a much cheaper solution to repair the old pallet. Importantly, restoring old pallets is environmentally friendly and helps to minimise the amount of waste generated by the company.

How can we recognise that a euro pallet needs repair?

Keeping a wooden euro pallet in good technical condition is necessary to retain its functionality and ensure safety for those who work with it. An EPAL wooden pallet needs repair (or an exchange for a new one) when:

• One of the deckboards, stringers or bottom leads is missing.
• Timber turned into very dark – it demonstrates that the boards are more susceptible to damage due to adverse weather conditions
• Individual elements of the pallet are not positioned well (the stringer is displaced)
• There are some visible cracks
• It is soiled permanently ( as a result of contact with cement, grease, or oil)

Step by step EPAL pallet repair

There are a lot of different methods to repair EPAL wooden pallets, however, the method we choose depends mainly on their damage and what we use them for. The way to repair is every time very similar and it looks like that:

1. Pallet segregation, during which we can evaluate which pallets qualify for repair and which should be replaced with new ones

2. Faulty pallet repair, which can consist of such activities like:

• exchange of faulty or missing elements e.g.: deckboards, stringers;
• reinforcement and repair of connecting elements e.g.: hammering nails;
• checking if the surface of the pallet is even.

3. Hammering repair marking nails, which confirms that the repair is completed and the pallet is certified.

Pallet repair tables Pneumatico WT1&WT2

Pneumatico machines for pallet repair

The good choice of a machine to repair pallets is one of the key issues that may guarantee the right process of repair as well as the comfort of work. The place for pallet repair should be equipped with a reliable, ergonomic pallet repair table where it is worth placing such elements like: a lamp, a spot to ensure compressed air and power supply as well as a nailer and saw to remove damaged elements of the pallet.

An example of good quality pallet repair tables are models WT1 and WT2 by Pneumatico company which characterise with:

• advanced construction, that can ensure less noise and mute sounds while hammering nails (WT1) it also facilitates pneumatic lift of the pallet (WT2),
• truncated corners (at an angle of 45 degrees), which contributes to less wear on the blades,
• low energy consumption thanks to led lighting,
• conveyor roller that facilitates positioning the pallet on the table surface as well as the side shelf for a reciprocating saw,
• 6 mm thick steel top that reduces noise and vibrations,
• the specially designed rail system that guarantees the automatic come back of the nailer,
• rails that are mounted at an angle to ensure a free movement of the nailer outside the working top of the table.