Anatomy of Pallet Jacks

Table of Contents

Summary

Pallet jacks are an integral part of the modern-day warehouse, especially third-party logistics. It is the responsibility of the receiving employee to place these pallets on either a conveyor system or a shelf. They are usually used for this purpose because it allows employees to transport pallets without carrying them over large distances. A hand pallet jack is a key component required for any successful warehouse operation.

It can be constructed from different materials, including plastic, steel, and aluminum. Although all three options have their distinct advantages and disadvantages, all three types will work just as well when moving pallets. They are an extremely versatile piece of equipment and can be used for various tasks in the warehouse, such as loading and unloading trucks, stacking pallets, and transporting goods.

Pallet jack anatomy

The key part of any pallet jack is the mast, which is responsible for lifting and lowering the pallet. The mast is attached to the base of the pallet jack and can be raised or lowered depending on the height of the pallet. The base is also responsible for providing stability to the pallet jack while being operated. The wheels on the base help move the pallet jack around when it is in use. Pallets are usually square or rectangular, which means that the pallet jack needs to move in all directions. 

The wheels on the base of the pallet jack help to do this. They can also be fitted with several safety features, such as an emergency stop button and a load limiter. The emergency stop button stops the pallet jack in an emergency, while the load limiter ensures that the pallet jack does not overload. Pallet jacks are a vital piece of equipment for any warehouse, and it is important to understand how they work before using them. By understanding the anatomy of a pallet jack, you will operate it safely and efficiently.

Working Principle

Pallet Jack's lifting arms usually have two wheels at the bottom, which allow it to run smoothly over its lifting surface (elevated platforms such as trucks) and pallet when they are not elevated. These wheels work like roller bearings allowing the pallet jack to roll around without much friction easily. When pallets need to be elevated, a hydraulic ram system lifts one side of the pallet while an arm with rubber pads presses down on the opposite side, which gives the pallet jacks their lifting power.

Pallets are moved by positioning the pallet jacks underneath them and then pushing or pulling the handle forwards or backward, which will cause the pallet to either move forwards or backward, depending on the direction the handle is being pushed or pulled.

 

Pallet Jack Design

Pallet jacks are designed to ease the movement of heavy and large pallets and skids. This systems evolved from traditional hand-powered equipment with levers and locks to hydraulic units with valves and cylinders to electronic units with solid-state controls. They can be controlled manually or electronically, depending on their specifications. They also vary in design according to their intended use, such as for commercial or industrial applications. 

Most modern-day electric pallet jacks fall under the category of an "Intelligent Device" per IEC 60204-1:2006, which is a device capable of fulfilling one or more special functions using stored electrical energy (e.g., advanced robotics) delivered by fixed infrastructure (Robotics) or through a wireless connection (Wireless). They are considered machinery and have detailed safety standards defined in the international standard ISO 10218.

This specification provides safe design, construction, marking, and maintenance of pallet jacks. For example, this standard requires all-electric pallet jacks to be designed so that unintentional starting of the motor will not occur while the device is being operated by a human operator touching or holding onto any exposed energized part of the control circuit on/off switch.

Types of Pallet Jack

Manual Pallet Jack

This type of pallet jack normally has two steps and needs physical interaction with the handle to work. 

Electric Pallet Jack

This type of pallet jack requires electric power, so you do not need any physical force when lifting heavy objects to move from one point to another. 

Pallet Jack Trolley

In this pallet jack, you have a handle that helps in the easy mobility of Pallets from one point to another point. They are used widely in industrial units and warehouses as they help move heavy objects easily. 

Pallet Stacker

As the name suggests, a pallet stacker is a forklift type of pallet jack with an upright column of forks at the front end. Pallets stacked on top of each other can be moved using these pallet stackers easily and effortlessly over short distances. 

Platform Hand Pallet Jacks

These pallets jacks come with load handling devices like grab hooks or two grab hooks at their lower end to handle and move pallets. It can also be customized based on the needs of a particular industrial unit or warehouse. They are available in different working capacities; 1000kg, 1500kg, etc.

Uses of Pallet Jack

Pallet jacks are used extensively in industrial and warehouse settings for moving heavy objects from one place to another. Pallet stackers can be used to stack pallets high up, making it easy to move multiple pallets at once. Pallet jacks with grab hooks can easily remove pallets from a pallet rack. Forklift-type pallet jacks can be used for short-distance transportation of pallets and pallet stackers.

Takeaways

• Pallet jack can be constructed from different materials, including plastic, steel, and aluminum.
• They can also be fitted with several safety features, such as an emergency stop button and a load limiter. 
• They also vary in design according to their intended use, such as for commercial or industrial applications.