NWPCA RELEASES PDS 6.1; IMPROVED PANEL DECK ANALYSIS

NWPCA RELEASES PALLET DESIGN SYSTEM™ 6.1

ENHANCEMENTS IN PDS 6.1

PDS 6.1 adds several frequently user-requested features as well as increased performance for panel deck pallets.

Improvements and new features included in PDS 6.1 are:

• Doubled the number of stringers for stringer pallets from a limit of nine to eighteen. This allows very wide pallets used for siding and other long, semi-rigid items to be designed and analyzed.
• Up to two bottom deckboards located between blocks, running parallel to the pallet length can be analyzed. CP7 pallets can now be analyzed, as well as designed.
• More sophisticated panel deck pallet analysis models are better able to capture performance differences between designs.
• Updated properties for air dried softwood pallets that are assembled green and dried prior to use.

PDS 6.1 allows the design of very wide stringer pallets with up to 18 stringers. These pallets are typically used for transporting packages of house siding, gutters or other long items that support some of their own weight. This addition is the first step in developing a system to analyze unit loads of sheet goods and other semi-rigid long items, allowing reasonable load ratings to be determined for forklifting.

PDS 6.1 can explicitly analyze block pallets with up to two bottom deckboards between the blocks that run parallel to the top stringer boards. This is needed to analyze CP-7 pallets as these pallets have one bottom deckboard between blocks. Previously, the analysis did not consider the bottom deckboards between the blocks as contributing to the stiffness and strength of the pallet. With this new feature, the racked across length strength for these pallets is greatly improved.

Click to view the Product Release for PDS v6.1 with example schematic.

CONTACT

Brad Gething, PhD
NWPCA Director of Science & Technology Integration
Phone: 703.519.6104 Ext. 215
Email

ABOUT PALLET DESIGN SYSTEM™

The Pallet Design System™ software provides fully engineered and safe pallet designs, delivered in a professional manner. Nearly 450 major pallet manufacturers in more than 30 countries around the world use PDS to create 3-D designs that are comprehensive, detailed and efficient. In addition to predicting safe load capacity and deflection under load, PDS provides detailed specifications in 2-D and 3-D drawings for virtually any wood pallet design. PDS is a proprietary software of the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association. For more information on PDS, visit www.palletdesignsystem.com.