Mallard Manufacturing, a manufacturer of gravity flow storage products, has released a new and improved pallet separator line of products for pallet flow.

Pallet flow separators play a vital role in a pallet flow lane. Pallet separators isolate the front discharge pallet from the rear pallets, thereby removing the back pressure inherent in a gravity flow system. The pallet separator allows for the front pallet position to fill than it engages to hold and lock rear pallets a few inches behind. Isolating the front pallet enables it to be removed quickly and safely from the lane. Once the front pallet is removed, the pallet separator is released and the rear pallets flow forward.

“Mallard has seen a surge in demand for pallet separators,” explains Kevin Risch, President of Mallard Manufacturing. “Separators enhance ergonomic case picking, making it faster and safer to fill orders. They also enable the interface with emerging technologies such as robots, AGVs, and autonomous vehicles. We have recently seen pallet separators used to create a flue space in deep-lane systems mandated to receive Certificates of Insurance,” adds Risch.

Pallet flow separators play a vital role in a pallet flow lane.

The formula for calculating back pressure is approximately .06 lbs. multiplied by the pallet load weight and then by the number of pallets in the lane. Therefore, the heavier the pallet and the deeper the lane, the more back pressure builds up.

Back Pressure Formula –.06 x (maximum pallet load weight) x # of pallets

Examples:

• 3-deep pallet flow system/2,500 lb. load. Back pressure = .06 x 2,500 lbs. x 2 pallets = 300 lbs.
• 20-deep system/2,500 lb. load. Back pressure = .06 x 2,500 lbs. x 19 pallets = 2,850 lbs.

Pallet flow systems are applied to solve a large variety of warehousing functions; therefore, 7 unique types of pallet separators are manufactured to meet each need. Additionally, within the pallet separator types are options that are best applied for either wheeled or roller pallet flow. Choosing a wheeled or roller pallet flow system largely depends upon pallet specs and so, no matter the system design, the Mallard team has a pallet separator solution for the lane.

Mallard Pallet Separators:

• Case-Pick Pallet Separator (CP Series)
• Flex Separator (FS Series)
• Forklift Separator (FL Series)
• Layer Pick Separator (LP Series)
• Ergo Cell Pneumatic Separator (PS Series)
• Dual Pallet Separator (DP Series)
• Empty Pallet Return (EPR Series)