The strength, fastening capability, dimensional stability and impact resistance of engineered wood structural panels make them well suited for a wide range of materials-handling applications. Their adaptability to modern, highly automated handling, storage and transport systems often allows them to outperform alternative materials—delivering longer service life and lower overall cost.
Structural wood panel crates and containers offer major performance and cost advantages over solid lumber, without sacrificing strength or durability—helping manufacturers reduce labor, material use and total shipping costs.
Faster Fabrication – Panel construction can reduce fabrication labor by 50–75%
Lighter Weight – A 1,000-cubic-foot panel crate weighs 700 pounds less than an equivalent lumber crate
Smaller Exterior Size – The same 1,000-cubic-foot interior capacity requires 21 fewer cubic feet of outside volume
Regulatory Advantage – APA wood structural panels are exempt from ISPM phytosanitary regulations and require no debarking, heat treatment, or fumigation
Compared with plastic, metal and other non-wood materials, plywood and OSB containers:
Are easy to fabricate, repair, and modify
Maintain strength in extreme heat and cold
Withstand years of service
Do not rust or corrode like steel or other metals
Made from sustainably sourced raw materials
Easily recycled at end of service life
For detailed information on the properties, performance advantages and proper selection of engineered wood structural panels for material handling, storage and transportation, refer to APA's Materials Handling, Form M200.
Technical Guides - V691
Discusses specifications and design details for the APA panel-deck block pallet, including load capacity, nailing schedules and materials handling system compatibility.
Technical Guides - X235
This publication discusses designing, building and specifying wood structural panel containers and bins for industrial materials handling applications.
Technical Guides - M200
This publication discusses the use of APA-trademarked wood structural panels in materials handling applications including pallets, crates, bins, shelving and mezzanine floors.
APA panel products used in wood packaging material are exempt from ISPM-15 requirements, eliminating fumigation or heat treatment for export—saving time, cost, and complexity.
Table 3 in APA’s Materials Handling, Form M200 describes how to choose panels for a heavily loaded mezzanine area. The table provides recommendations for uniformly loaded mezzanine floors for center-to-center support spacing of 12, 16, 20 and 24 inches.
Table 7 in APA’s Materials Handling, Form M200 provides guidance on caster loadings on plywood.
The International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures 15 describes phytosanitary measures that reduce the risk of introduction and spread of pests associated with the movement in international trade of wood packaging material made from raw wood. Wood packaging made wholly of processed wood material that has been created using glue, heat or pressure or a combination thereof, such as plywood or OSB, is exempt from ISPM 15.
