Pallet Handling Equipment for Corrugated Plants: A Practical Guide

The end of the line is where most corrugated plants still rely on manual labor — and where automation pays back fastest. Pallet handling equipment automates the steps between a formed load and a strapped, ship-ready pallet. This guide covers the main equipment types, what each does, and how they work together.

The end-of-line pallet handling sequence

Pallet handling is one stage of a larger picture, covered in our Corrugated Plant Material Handling: The Complete Guide. In a fully automated end of line, the sequence is: feed an empty pallet, build or stage the load, insert the pallet beneath it, tier and stabilize the stack, strap it, and hand it off to shipping. Each step has dedicated equipment, and they are designed to work as one cell. Because Innoveyance builds and supports the whole cell in the USA, it helps to compare Pallet Inserter Gantry vs. WSA and Sun Automation.

Pallet dispensers

An automatic pallet dispenser holds a stack of empty pallets and feeds them one at a time onto the conveyor on demand, so the inserter or palletizer always has a pallet ready. A good dispenser handles both wood and plastic pallets and keeps pace with the line — the Innoveyance Pallet Dispenser feeds up to 120 pallets per hour.

Pallet inserters

A pallet inserter places a pallet beneath a formed load. The Innoveyance Pallet Inserter Gantry lifts the load and inserts the pallet at 200+ loads per hour across six pallet sizes, using a gantry cycle rather than a robot-arm-limited one. The inserter is usually the centerpiece of the end-of-line cell.

Pallet conveyance and transfers

Heavy pallets move on chain-driven live roller (CDLR) conveyors for slip-free positive drive, and change direction on right-angle transfers, chain transfers, and transfer cars. This conveyance ties the dispenser, inserter, and strapping together into a continuous flow.

Load stabilizing — tiering and sheet/pad insertion

Load tiering devices stack bundles into multi-tier loads for denser pallets, and sheet/pad insertion places tier sheets between layers for stability and protection. Together they produce stable, ship-ready stacks without manual lifting.

How to scope a pallet handling project

1. Define sustained throughput (loads/hr) and pallet sizes/types.
2. Decide how much of the sequence to automate now vs later.
3. Choose between sourcing the cell from one engineer-to-order manufacturer or integrating multiple vendors yourself.
4. Confirm conveyance ties the cell to your existing line.
5. Pressure-test service, parts, and engineering access.

Innoveyance engineers, builds, and supports the complete end-of-line pallet handling cell — dispenser, inserter, conveyance, tiering, and strapping integration — in the USA, designed and controlled as one system. As you scope throughput and service access, see our guide on how to choose a pallet handling and insertion system.