Unconventional Design Unites Full & Split Roller Pallet Flow in Single Lane

Super sacks on pallet flow rack is nothing new in the Mallard engineering testing lab. In fact, in the past we’ve successfully used full roller, split roller and our Magnum wheeled pallet flow lanes to accommodate super sacks, but we’ve never combined two pallet flow styles in one lane… until now. This is one unique pallet flow design, and for good reason. Here’s the story:

Pallet Flow Lane Configuration

• Full Roller Pallet Flow
• Ultra-Grip Full Rollers
• Indirect Mount Speed Controllers
• Split Roller Pallet Flow
• FS200 Flex Separator
• Ramp Stops

Our newest speed controller, the Ultra-Grip Roller makes this unconventional pallet flow lane configuration possible. As you can see in the test video, the super sacks are each strapped to a pallet. To convey them on the pallet flow lane, we added a good-quality plastic pallet below the load for stability. However, plastic pallets can skid over the surface of galvanized rollers, which is why the rubber coated Ultra-Grip Rollers are paired with our indirect mount speed controllers to slow and control these pallets on the full roller pallet flow.

But we didn’t stop there.

While the full roller equipped lane provided a dependable solution for single sacks, the customer had requested a test with the super sacks stacked. Once combined, the stacked sacks weighed roughly 2600 lbs. which should require a pallet separator to ensure safe removal of the empty pallet once the sacks were removed from the lane.

Pallet separators isolate the pick face pallet from the rear pallets in the lane by providing a small separation. Once the front pallet is relieved of back pressure it is free to be removed quickly, and safely when empty. The best pallet separator for this job was the flex pallet separator but it isn’t compatible with full roller pallet flow… so why not complete the lane with split roller?

The flex separator was added between the split rollers in the last half of the lane. To complete the pallet flow configuration, bolt-on ramp stops were installed to ensure a smooth and secure stop at the pick face.

The Results

• Super sack loads on plastic pallets worked very well on this full roller to split roller system when single stacked.
• Double stacked loads were slightly unstable but ultimately flowed well.
• Flex pallet separator functioned well to remove back pressure and allow for easy empty pallet removal at discharge end.
• Ultra-grip rollers with indirect mount speed controllers and a .35” per ft. pitch work to keep loads in control during flow.

While there is a lot of engineering and unconventional thinking that went into this pallet flow lane design, each and every test we complete is given a thorough review to ensure that we provide our customers with the most dependable, productive gravity flow solution. Call the Mallard team today to discuss your warehousing challenges and schedule your customized pallet or carton flow test.