Many applications, such as Food and Pharmaceuticals, simply cannot allow the use of wooden pallets due to hygiene restrictions and/or contamination risks. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice, (GMP), guidelines and U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration, (FDA), regulations are all set in place to help ensure public health safety. What can they do to comply?

Slipsheets provide a good alternative to pallets however, they still carry an investment cost, they need to be disposed of on a regular basis and they require a specialized forklift attachment for handling. Many companies cannot afford this type of investment or they just aren’t big enough to accommodate additional equipment and manpower.

The Stationary Pallet Changer (SPC) of Meijer Handling Solutions provides a cost effective alternative and eliminates the need for much of the additional equipment and load carriers. The SPC can be used to transfer unit loads from wooden pallets to plastic pallets or vice versa. It can be placed within a receiving area where inbound goods can quickly be transferred to captive pallets, (typically plastic or aluminum pallets), and the wooden pallets can then be isolated from the rest of the facility.

Unlike a pallet inverter, the Stationary Pallet Changer does not invert the goods. This means products such as liquids in the medical industry or combo bins used in meat processing can be transferred without risk of spillage. The Stationary Pallet Changer can be used in combination with RollerForks®, Push-Pull equipment or Load Push.