Pallet dispenser
Also called: pallet stacker, pallet destacker, pallet magazine
A pallet dispenser is a machine that holds a stack of empty pallets and releases them one at a time, usually onto a conveyor feeding a palletizer. It needs pallets with consistent dimensions, flat decks and sound bottom boards.
In depth: Pallets for automation: conveyors, AS/RS and robotic palletizers
Dispensers sit at the start of automated palletizing lines. Forks or arms hold the stack above the lowest pallet, lower the stack, grip the second pallet, and release the bottom one onto the line. A stacker does the reverse and collects empties.
What it needs from the pallets
| Requirement | Why |
|---|---|
| Consistent actual dimensions | Side guides and grippers need a predictable footprint |
| Consistent height and opening height | Grip arms enter at a fixed height |
| Flat, square pallets | Warped pallets jam the stack |
| Sound lead boards and blocks | Grippers bear on the pallet sides and ends |
| No loose boards or protruding nails | They catch on guides |
Why it matters
A pallet that works fine for manual forklift loading can stop an automated line. Mixed pallet sources and repaired pallets are a frequent cause of dispenser jams. Some operations specify a tighter grade (for example new or grade A only) for automated lines.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
State that the pallets feed an automatic dispenser, which pallet side leads, dimensional tolerances required, and any rules on repairs and mixed sources. The automation guide covers typical tolerance requests.
Common confusions
A dispenser handles empty pallets. A pallet inverter handles loaded ones.
Related
- GuidesPallets for automation: conveyors, AS/RS and robotic palletizersAutomated systems need consistent, flat, stiff pallets. Bottom boards must cross the conveyor supports (perpendicular to rollers, across chain strands), gaps must not snag, flatness is often held to 1/4 in or better, and AS/RS racks commonly limit sag to 0.5 in. Perimeter-base block and plastic pallets run either way.
- GlossaryConveyorA pallet conveyor moves loaded pallets on driven rollers or chains instead of a forklift. The pallet's bottom deck is the running surface, so the orientation of bottom boards, flatness, deflection and condition decide whether it runs reliably.
- GlossaryAutomated storageAutomated storage, often called AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval system), stores and retrieves pallets with stacker cranes, shuttles and conveyors instead of forklift drivers. It needs pallets with tight dimensional tolerances, low deflection (often 0.5 in, 13 mm, or less) and sound bottom decks.
- GlossaryActual dimension (pallet and lumber)An actual dimension is the measured size of a pallet or component at manufacture. Pallet spec sheets state component sizes as actual dimensions, for example a 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboard.
- GlossaryWhat is a grade A pallet?A grade A (#1) pallet is a used pallet, usually a 48 × 40 in GMA-style stringer pallet, in the best common condition grade: sound, with few or no visible repairs and no repaired stringers. There is no single standard definition, so each supplier's grade rules apply.
More in Handling and storage
- GlossaryBlock stackingBlock stacking is storing unit loads directly on top of one another on the warehouse floor, in rows and columns, with no racking. The bottom pallet and the packaging carry the whole stack, so static load and box compression strength limit the height.
- GlossaryDrive-in rackA drive-in rack is high-density racking where the forklift drives into a lane and places pallets many deep on continuous rails along each side. The pallet is supported only along two edges, so its capacity across the unsupported direction governs.
- GlossaryEdge protectorAn edge protector, or corner board, is an L-shaped strip of laminated paperboard, plastic or other material placed on the vertical or top edges of a unit load. It spreads strapping and stretch wrap pressure, protects case corners, and can add vertical stacking strength.
- GlossaryFork tinesFork tines are the two steel arms on a forklift or pallet jack that slide into a pallet's openings to lift it. Their width, thickness, length and spacing set the minimum size of the pallet's openings and affect its dynamic load rating.
- GlossaryPallet flow rackA pallet flow rack is gravity racking where pallets ride on slightly inclined roller lanes from the loading aisle to the picking aisle, giving first in, first out rotation. The pallet's bottom deck rides directly on the rollers.
- GlossaryPallet inverterA pallet inverter is a machine that clamps a unit load and rotates it, often through 180 degrees, so the pallet underneath can be removed and replaced without restacking the product by hand.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 222 words.