The Impact of Materials on Anti-slip Performance
♦ Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) base materials
Characteristics: PP and PE are the primary materials for soft pallets. They have smooth surfaces but low coefficients of friction (approximately 0.2-0.3), and their natural anti-slip properties are limited.
Improvements: By adding anti-slip agents (such as silica gel particles or rubber powder) or using a blending process, the surface roughness of the material can be increased, raising the coefficient of friction to 0.4-0.6 and enhancing the anti-slip effect. For example, adding 10%-15% silica gel particles to PP can increase the surface friction of the pallet by over 30%.
♦ Compound Coating Technology
Anti-slip coating: An anti-slip coating (such as polyurethane or epoxy resin) is sprayed or rolled onto the pallet surface to create a micro-concave and convex texture, increasing contact friction. This coating can achieve a coefficient of friction of 0.6-0.8, making it suitable for handling easily slippery cargo (such as bagged chemicals).
Abrasion resistance: High-quality coatings must be abrasion-resistant to withstand friction from forklift tires or cargo. For example, a soft pallet with a high-hardness polyurethane coating showed only a 5% decrease in anti-slip performance after 5,000 friction tests.
Surface Treatments to Improve Anti-slip Performance
♦ Embossing or Frosting
Process Principle: Mechanical embossing or sandblasting creates regular or irregular patterns (such as diamond or wavy shapes) on the pallet surface, increasing contact friction.
Effect: Embossing can increase the coefficient of friction to 0.5-0.7, while frosting can reach 0.6-0.8. For example, in logistics warehouses, embossed soft pallets used to transport cartons can reduce cargo slippage by 60%.
♦ Anti-slip Patches or Particles
Localized Enhancement: Anti-slip patches (such as rubber or silicone) or embedded anti-slip particles are applied to key contact areas of the pallet (such as the edges and center) to create high-friction zones.
Application Scenario: Suitable for transporting heavy or irregular cargo (such as drums and steel coils) to prevent slipping during acceleration or braking. For example, in the chemical industry, soft pallets embedded with silica gel particles can stably carry 2-ton barrels of hydrochloric acid, preventing them from tipping over during transport.
Structural Design Optimizes Anti-Slip Performance
♦ Anti-Slip Barriers and Baffles
Function: Foldable or fixed anti-slip barriers (5-10 cm high) are installed around the pallet to prevent cargo from sliding sideways. The barriers must be made of the same material as the pallet and have an anti-slip texture.
Example: In the food industry, soft pallets with anti-slip barriers reduced cargo sideways slippage by 80% when transporting bags of flour.
♦ Cross-Strap Design
Principle: A cross-strap structure with straps in the warp and weft directions evenly distributes cargo weight across the pallet surface, reducing slippage caused by concentrated localized pressure.
Effect: Cross-straps improve pallet load uniformity by 40% and enhance anti-slip performance through friction between the straps and the cargo. For example, when transporting 25 kg bags of cement, a cross-strap soft pallet reduced cargo slippage by 50%.
