At PKF/Post a focus on logistics and precise management of the entire process allows the company to efficiently produce small lots and turn them around lightning fast. This rapid pace of specialization wouldn’t be possible without leading-edge technology from Corali.
One of the largest new pallet manufacturers in the Netherlands, PKF/Post produces six million pallets per year. Many of its customer orders are for 100 pallets or less. And in many cases it receives an order in the morning and ships out the pallets later that day. This level of customization at such a rapid pace would be hard to fathom in many parts of the world. But it has become what PKF/Post does on a daily basis thanks to precise controls from the cutting phase to the finished pallet and delivery.
Erik Post, director of the company, commented, “Some of our larger customers are paper and cardboard companies that require lots of specialty pallets every day, and they don’t know what is needed until just that day.” This means PKF/Post cannot create standard dimensions or produce typical stock orders and have them on hand for these customers. Instead, pallets are ordered electronically in the morning and produced that same day in many cases. Some orders are even as small as one pallet, and all are produced on Corali machines.
Post added, “Our promise to our customer is that we will produce just the right pallet at the right time, and our focus on logistics and plant precision make this possible.”
PKF/Post is a third generation, family business headquartered in Finsterwolde with a second production site in Venlo. It primarily serves the paper and cardboard, chemical, construction and food industries.
Italian Speed and Precision
Some of the fastest pallet nailing machines in the world with the quickest changeover times between designs and sizes come from Italy. Reminiscent of an Italian Ferrari race car, Corali has developed a reputation for producing high-speed nailing machinery lines. Many of the Corali models measure changeovers in a matter of seconds and not minutes. Computerized controls automatically change various parts of the line to produce various sizes without manual changes. This means the nailing line can produce customized, small orders more efficiently than humans who have to make or switch out jigs.
The Venlo plant has one Corali line that can produce 500 pallets per hour. Also, Venlo has an M.2 Corali line that can produce 515 pallets per hour
Peter Thijssen, plant manager for the Venlo facility, said, “I really like Corali because the flexibility of the machine allows us to produce a lot of different pallet sizes.” Similar to the labor shortage in North America, it can be difficult in Italy to find or be able to afford good workers. Automation enables efficient production and creates a dependable process. PKF/Post’s Venlo plant installed its first Corali machine in 1996. And within the last few years that line has been upgraded with a robotic stacker and deck making machine. The line used to be equipped with a regular pallet stacker.
The Venlo Corali line was recently upgraded with an inline auto bander for pallets. Thijssen said the auto bander eliminates the need for an operator. He added, “Banding pallets creates stable and professional looking stacks, which is important to improve customer acceptance of finished pallets.”
The Finterwolde plant has two M.2 Corali lines, each equipped with Double Deck Machines to provide added high volume deck production This unit also has a specialty hot wax system for applying plastic to pallets. This was developed by the company not Corali.
The Corali equipment can come with a wide variety of extra stations to enhance pallets. These Corali machines are posting speeds up to 400-500 pallets per hour. These machines tend to be fairly complex and may require a fair amount of space if you want all the bells and whistles. But Corali does offer some scaled down models, and the first new U.S. installation is scheduled for later this year at a pallet company in the Midwest.
Complete System Control Approach
While Corali equipment powers nailing operations at PKF/Post, the key to making it all work is the management of the entire process from lumber to finished pallets. No matter how fast a nailing machine is, you must prep and cut the lumber correctly to get the most out of your machine. PKF/Post developed a custom software program called Palcos to guide its entire in-house supply chain from receiving the order to cutting the lumber to setting up the machine to nail the pallet. Every single order is cut to size and put in the right order and arranged so that the operators have to do as little thinking and double checking as possible.
Erik Post commented, “It is the combination between Corali and Palcos which makes it possible for us to produce the pallets we want to produce (including the 300 changes per day).” Post added, “The software takes the decision out of the hands of the operator so that we make fewer mistakes. And we only cut and load into the nailers exactly what is needed to efficiently produce the right pallet every time.”
When you have 60-plus people working at the Finterwolde facility, you need precise controls to ensure that everything runs smoothly. This plant can handle more than 300 design changes per day. However, the plant strives to limit changeovers where possible to achieve maximum efficiency.
Post said, “If you want quality, you have to deliver it, which requires an attention to detail.”
Many pallet companies in North America would struggle to make this many changeovers or small runs in a day on a machinery line. Part of it is the machinery. But another factor is the level of coordination and precision required.
PKF/Post does not operate a sawmill where it cuts cants or logs. Instead, it takes cut stock and sizes it to whatever dimensions are needed. Tracking and routing the cut lumber through the process is critical to ensure that a just-in-time order gets done and put on the right truck. This is where data management is such a critical process for true precision.
More than just tracking sales or production, PKF/Post developed a work flow that is simple and easy-to-use within its plants. A major reason why PKF/Post and some other European companies do so much specialty work is that the profit margin has been reduced for standard Euro pallets to the point that most companies can’t make money off them. Of course, a similar trend holds true in this country for GMA pallet production.
Sourcing and sorting lumber as well as ensuring proper cutting is critical to ensuring proper and efficient nailing. Its precision means that cutting loss has been reduced to only 5% of material. One of the PKF/Post plants planed lumber to make it more uniform and smooth for efficient nailing. This is a practice that many U.S. companies do not do. But it might be a solution if you are having problems with lumber jamming in your nailing equipment.
Another unique thing the company did was band every pallet stack. Automatic banders allow for banding on the line, which saves labor and makes the process very efficient. Banding helps keep the stack organized and creates a more professional looking project.
JIT Delivery of Small Runs
PKF/Post is known for its short runs. And a key to making this work is the marking of every pallet with the correct size and customer number. It has installed ink jet machines on each nailing machine. Marking pallets makes it easy to identify sizes and which pallet stacks need to be shipped to which customer.
Delivery on schedule, just-in-time manufacturing is a core competency of PKF/Post. The company also offers stock holding, 24-hour delivery, self-solving drivers, trailer change systems, and online pallet ordering.
PKF/Post produces very few Euro pallets. Most of its production is specialty pallets made from KD pine or spruce. The company manufactures mostly block pallets and uses prefabricated blocks. Thijssen said, “We prefer Euroblock because it is consistent quality and easy to use.”
Timber is purchased from Germany, Scandinavian countries, Russia as well as Eastern Europe. In some cases, the company purchases long-length KD spruce and pine for producing large-sized pallets. Both locations also have dry kilns for treating green timber to produce ISPM-15 compliant packaging.
Thijssen explained, “Scandinavian timber is strong because climate is cold and trees grow slower.” The lumber quality may tend to vary more if it comes from Ukraine or Russia, he added.
PKF/Post is PEFC certified, which means it sources material from suppliers that use sustainable methods. The company website stated, “Working with natural resources creates the obligation to produce carefully. This awareness has been penetrated throughout the company, from management to production staff.”
Is European Technology Right for the North American Market?
It all really depends on your needs. When it comes to pallet manufacturing efficiency, the best plants can be found in Europe. But that all comes at a price. You have to evaluate your needs, future plans, budget and competitive environment. What are your current and future labor challenges? As the cost of labor rises, faster machines requiring fewer operators become more attractive.
Corali, based in Bergamo, Italy, has been a premier manufacturer of wood pallet, wood box and wood cable drum equipment since 1957. Corali-USA is now bringing these highly flexible, complete production lines to the U.S. and Canadian markets. For more information, call 513-588-3199 or visit www.corali-usa.com.
