Specialised plastic pallets are used across many industries in the materials handling sector. MHD talks to Alan Morgan, National Marketing Manager for Ozkor about the advantages of its unique plastic pallets and its new rental service.
Founded in the mid 1990s, Ozkor Pty Ltd, leading ISO 9001 certified supplier of injection moulded plastic pallets and related materials handling products – such as collapsible bulk bins, steel roll cages and stillages – now includes many of Australia’s major companies among its wide range of customers.
Ozkor’s specialisation in designing and developing reusable plastics pallets to suit specific industry needs was made with an eye to the Australian market – as in the past uptake of plastics appeared to be lagging compared to the rest of the world. In recent times, however, many more companies have been giving consideration to making the change to plastic alternatives.
According to Alan Morgan, National Marketing Manager for Ozkor, the reasons for this are many and varied – with particular concerns for the environmental impact of single use packaging and ever-increasing demands on timber reserves. The most common alternative to plastic pallets has traditionally been wood pallets, mainly due to their perceived cost effectiveness. In recent times, however, increases in the cost of timber and unreliable supplies of timber pallets has focused industry on seeking alternative options that can stand the rigours of time more effectively. Whether you buy – or prefer to rent – Ozkor is now able to meet the demands necessary to support Australian industry, says Alan.
Today, Ozkor has evolved its service proposition to encompass a diverse range of industries which include, among others, the Australian Defence Force, grocery retail chains and pharmaceutical companies – all of which demand high standards of quality, long life durability, hygiene, and value for money.
SPECIALISED PLASTIC PALLETS FOR SPECIFIC CONDITIONS
In the development of its new PPX-1165 plastic pallet rental model, Ozkor took on the challenge businesses were facing with lower quality pallets – which are more susceptible to damage have become less and less cost-effective over time.
“Our specially designed plastic pallets are geared towards companies who require a high standard of product performance at a competitive rate,” Alan says. “The pallets are suitable for industries with hygiene requirements and where extreme operational conditions exist.”
The PPX-1165 is a heavy-duty reusable plastic pallet designed with patented technology to enhance its capacity to absorb impacts in the warehouse.
For industries dealing with extremely cold or hot conditions – hygiene requirements or specific chemicals – alternatives to timber pallets are increasingly in demand.
“Companies have tried other materials such as aluminium in the past, but that has too high of a scrap value,” Alan notes. “The pharmaceutical and food industry can’t afford to absorb dangerous pathogens and bacteria or the splinters common in wooden pallets. One of our customers, for example, can’t use the timber option, because it creates a fire hazard because of the chemicals that must be stored on them.”
As more warehouse operations shift towards automation, the pallet specifications need to change along with the new technology.
“The tolerances in automated warehouses are so precise that a distorted wooden pallet can block up the whole system for a prolonged period of time, resulting in significant costs in lost production and other down time financial penalties,” he says.
On the other hand, where manual handling is still an important consideration, Ozkor’s pallets provide a clear safety advantage, insofar as they are much lighter to pick up than timber ones. The comparative lightness of plastic pallets also translates to an added advantage in being more economical for transportation costs when shipping goods by road around the country.
OZKOR MOVES ONTO THE RENTAL STAGE
Cognisant of businesses’ ever-present desire to cut costs, Ozkor decided to offer its customers the option to rent its PPX-1165 pallet. The PPX-1165 can be rented in a closed loop supply chain system based on a three-, four-, or five-year agreement.
Alan says the PPX-1165 pallet is manufactured with a specially formulated grade of material to meet extreme operational environmental and operational challenges.
“It’s a heavy-duty plastic pallet designed with patented technology to enhance its impact-resistant capabilities under extreme operational conditions,” he says.
“The specialised grade of virgin polypropylene copolymer materials used will operate in extreme temperatures ranging from –30°C to as high as 50°C in warehouse environments.”
Built-in side-blocks provide extra protection against materials handling equipment damage, by incorporating patented nylon inserts inside the block structure – enhancing impact resistance in pallets’ traditionally vulnerable areas.
“When the pallet is moulded there’s additional reinforcing inside the body of the uprights to make them more impact resistant,” Alan says. “Environments like abattoirs create a lot of wear and tear – so it’s a much-needed added value characteristic.”
The pallet is able to safely handle 1350 kg of product in drive-in racking, which increases racking safety and unit load efficiencies.
Alan sees Ozkor’s new rental model as providing flexibility and reliability into a pallet-rental market that has for too long lacked competition and innovation.
“We are providing these pallets to be used in a closed loop situation where the customer has control over the asset,” he says. “The PPX-1165, now available to rent, is in keeping with our proud history of saving our customers from unnecessary costs – as well as from unnecessary headaches – through superior quality and service.” ν
For further information contact: Ozkor Pty Ltd, Ph. O2 96728588: Email,
info@plasticpallet.com.au, Web-site: http://plasticpallet.com.au/