Molded fiber (presswood pallets)
Also called: molded wood fiber, presswood, pressed wood, engineered molded wood
Molded fiber, in pallets, means wood fiber mixed with resin and pressed under heat into a one-piece shape. Presswood pallets made this way are light, nestable and exempt from ISPM 15, but they are not meant for open-beam racking.
In depth: Presswood pallet: molded wood-fibre, nestable and ISPM 15 exempt
Molded wood-fiber pallets are made by pressing a resin-coated mat of wood fiber in a heated die. Litco, a US maker, describes its process as "Engineered Molded Wood" pressed at 350 °F (177 °C). The result is a one-piece dish-shaped deck with nine hollow feet and no nails.
Typical characteristics (one US maker's catalog)
| Footprint | Dynamic / static rating |
|---|---|
| 20 × 24 in | 750 / 3,000 lb (340 / 1,360 kg) |
| 42 × 42, 48 × 40, 48 × 42 in | 1,500 to 2,500 / 4,500 to 7,500 lb |
| 1200 × 800 mm | 2,500 / 7,500 lb |
The same footprint is sold in several load grades. A 42 × 42 in model weighs 34 lb (15 kg) and nests about 4:1.
Why it matters
Molded fiber is processed wood, so the pallets need no ISPM 15 treatment or marking, which makes them popular for one-way export. They nest, which cuts storage and return freight. The maker states they are not intended for open-beam rack storage, and the designs are fixed catalog molds, so there is no custom geometry.
Common confusions
"Molded fiber" also describes molded pulp packaging (egg cartons, trays), a different paper-based product. "Presswood" also refers to composite blocks used on wood block pallets.
On a spec sheet
Footprint, load grade (dynamic rating), quantity and delivery. Confirm no racking is required.
Related
- TypesPresswood pallet: molded wood-fibre, nestable and ISPM 15 exemptA presswood pallet is a one-piece pallet molded from wood fibre and resin under heat and pressure. It has no nails, nests about 2.5:1 to 4:1, weighs roughly 25–35 lb (11–16 kg) in 48 × 40 class sizes and is ISPM 15 exempt as processed wood. It comes in fixed sizes and is not rackable.
- ComparisonsPresswood vs wood pallets: differences and when to use eachChoose a presswood (molded wood-fiber) pallet for one-way export and air freight: it is ISPM 15-exempt, nails-free, light and nests about 4:1 for storage. Choose a solid wood pallet when you need racking, heavy or custom loads, or pallets you will reuse and repair.
- GlossaryComposite block (pallet)A composite block is a pallet block made from wood chips, particles or fibers bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It does not split like solid wood and, as processed wood, is exempt from ISPM 15 on its own.
- GlossaryNine-leg palletA nine-leg pallet stands on nine separate feet in a 3 × 3 grid with no bottom deck. Most nine-leg pallets are nestable plastic or presswood pallets that stack inside each other when empty.
- TypesPresswood pallet: molded wood-fibre, nestable and ISPM 15 exemptA presswood pallet is a one-piece pallet molded from wood fibre and resin under heat and pressure. It has no nails, nests about 2.5:1 to 4:1, weighs roughly 25–35 lb (11–16 kg) in 48 × 40 class sizes and is ISPM 15 exempt as processed wood. It comes in fixed sizes and is not rackable.
More in Materials
- GlossaryBark (on pallet lumber)Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be made from debarked wood, allowing only small remnants: pieces under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm².
- GlossaryCant (pallet lumber)A cant is a log that has been sawn flat on two or four sides. In the pallet industry it usually means the low-grade center of a hardwood log, left after grade lumber is cut from the outside, which is resawn into pallet parts.
- GlossaryCorrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)Corrugated fiberboard is a board made of a fluted paper medium glued between flat paper liners. It is used for boxes, and in pallet work for corrugated paper pallets, slip sheets, tier sheets and pallet runners.
- GlossaryCut stock (pallet components)Cut stock is lumber already sawn to the finished thickness, width and length of pallet parts, such as 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboards, ready for nailing. It is also called pallet stock or shook.
- GlossaryDouglas-fir (pallet lumber)Douglas-fir is a dense, strong softwood from western North America, also grown in Europe. It is species class 11 (Douglas-fir–larch) in the Uniform Standard and PDS, and class 33 in the European species list.
- GlossaryGalvanizing (steel pallets and fasteners)Galvanizing is coating steel with zinc to protect it from corrosion. Steel pallets are often hot-dip galvanized after fabrication, and galvanized nails, staples and hinges are used where wood pallets or collars see moisture.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 239 words.