euro-pallet-physics · 3D

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Safety & Accident Prevention

Euro Pallet Load Collapse

A fully loaded Euro pallet is about half a tonne of goods standing on 144 mm of wood. If the load isn't secured, it only takes a short, hard event to bring it down: a forklift bumping the pallet, the truck braking hard, or the pallet being lifted unevenly. This demo uses real rigid-body physics (cannon-es): an EPAL pallet built to spec (1200 × 800 × 144 mm, 3 bottom boards, 9 blocks, 3 stringer boards, 5 top boards) carries 60 cartons, 4 × 3 per layer and 5 layers high, about 1.4 m in total.

Choose a scenario at the top left. The stack stands still for about two seconds, then the event happens. Turn on Secured with stretch wrap to run the same event with the load wrapped tightly to the pallet.

Key points about load securing

Friction alone does not secure a load. Cartons resting on cartons have a friction coefficient of about 0.4–0.5. A full brake (about 1 g) or a sideways hit easily beats that, and the stack slides or falls over.
Tall, narrow columns tip over first. A column 300 mm wide and 1.25 m tall tips at well under 0.3 g. Cross-stacking (interlocking) the layers and keeping the centre of gravity low make the stack much more stable.
Wrap the load to the pallet. Stretch wrap has to go around the bottom boards as well as the cartons. Otherwise the wrapped block slides off the pallet as one piece.
On the vehicle: use anti-slip mats, place the load tight against the headboard, and use straps or blocking so the required securing forces are met (EN 12195-1: 0.8 g forwards, 0.5 g sideways and backwards).
In the warehouse: never lift a pallet on one side only or tilted, keep travel speed down, and keep away from the area a falling load could reach.

Note: This is a simplified simulation for teaching. Cartons are rigid boxes (they don't crush) and the stretch wrap is modelled as a perfectly rigid bond. Real outcomes depend on packaging, wrap quality and the actual forces involved.

palletEPALload securingstretch wrapforklifttruckphysicscannon-es