Pallet Inverters

Not all loads reacted well to being rested on their side while the pallet was exchanged so the next aim was 180 degree inversion whilst still loading by pallet truck at floor-level. Therefore, the next advance was a floor-to-floor style inverter working on a principle rather similar to a see-saw. This machine had a limited loading capacity and although it worked perfectly well in practice, it occupied a lot of space and was difficult to relocate.

The ideal solution was a free-standing inverter which loaded and unloaded from the front but which could be accessed by pallet truck. Hence, in the early eighties, the dual clamp style of machine, such a Premier Pallet Systems’ FS DC model, have come into prominence. This is now recognizably the most versatile pallet transfer system on the market. It can be designed to handle heavy weights and a wide variety of load heights.

Premier perfected this design further with their FDL model which has enclosed working parts and was aimed specifically at the food and pharmaceutical industries. In recent years, these operations have provided the key market for inverter suppliers.

With increased hygiene standards has come the requirement to eliminate wooden pallets from production areas. From the late eighties, the move was heavily towards plastic pallets which were easier to keep clean. We have reached the point now where perhaps 40% to 45% of the pallet inverters in use are employed to switch food and pharmaceutical ingredients from wood to plastic.

One further development was required to perfect the concept of pallet inversion. With most machines it was still necessary to remove the recovered pallets manually. Premier’s Pallet Changer takes things one stage further by loading at floor level, tipping the product on its side, then re-presenting the pallet back to the floor for removal. The cost of this system is relatively high in comparison to the still-popular simple FLT loaded models. However, it is an indication of the importance of the pallet inverter in most warehouses now, that it is a price many companies are prepared to pay.