Rotational molding (plastic pallets)
Also called: rotomolding, rotomolded pallet, rotational moulding
Rotational molding (rotomolding) makes hollow, one-piece plastic parts by rotating a heated mold filled with powdered resin. Rotomolded pallets are thick-walled and durable, with cheap tooling but slow cycles and a high piece price.
In depth: Hygienic plastic pallet: closed decks for food and pharma
In rotomolding, powdered resin (usually polyethylene) is loaded into a hollow mold, which is heated and turned on two axes so the melt coats the inside evenly. The result is a sealed, hollow part with no seams or welds.
Typical characteristics
| Feature | Rotational molding |
|---|---|
| Tooling | Lowest of the molding processes; generic tools quoted around $2,000 to $15,000 |
| Cycle time | About 20 to 45 minutes |
| Walls | Thick, even, fully enclosed |
| Typical pallet load class (vendor guidance) | About 2,000 to 6,000 lb (900 to 2,700 kg) |
| Best at | Low volumes, heavy custom, hygienic and chemical pallets |
Figures are vendor guidance. Ask for model-specific ratings and the test standard.
Why it matters
Rotomolding is one of the few ways to get a custom plastic pallet at low volume, because the tools are cheap. The closed, smooth shell cleans well, which suits food, pharmaceutical and chemical plants, and the thick walls resist impact. The slow cycle and hand labor make each pallet expensive, and dimensional tolerance is looser than injection molding, which can matter for automated handling.
On a spec sheet
Describe the requirement (footprint, height, deck, base, entry, loads, cleaning and chemical exposure) and the volume. Suppliers will say whether rotomolding, thermoforming or a catalog model fits.
Related
- GlossaryThermoforming (plastic pallets)Thermoforming heats a plastic sheet and pulls it over a mold with vacuum or pressure. Single-sheet thermoformed pallets are light and nestable; twin-sheet pallets fuse two formed sheets into a stiffer, hollow structure.
- GlossaryInjection molding (plastic pallets)Injection molding forces molten plastic into a closed steel mold under high pressure. It produces most catalog plastic pallets with tight dimensions and fast cycles, but a new pallet mold only pays off at very high volumes.
- TypesHygienic plastic pallet: closed decks for food and pharmaA hygienic plastic pallet has a closed, smooth top deck and a closed bottom, with no hollow cavities where dirt, water or bacteria can collect. It is made from virgin HDPE or PP, designed to be washed, and used in food processing, meat, dairy, bakery and pharmaceutical plants.
- TypesPlastic pallets: types, materials, load ratings and how to buy themA plastic pallet is a molded or fabricated pallet made from HDPE or polypropylene. Types range from light nestable pallets (about 14–30 lb) to reinforced rackable pallets (about 35–70 lb). They are washable, ISPM 15 exempt and long-lived, cost several times more than wood, and carry three separate load ratings.
- GuidesPlastic pallet buying guide: styles, resins, ratings and costChoose a plastic pallet by how it is handled and stored: nestable for cheap one-way use, stackable for floor stacking, rackable for open-beam racking. Compare static, dynamic and racking ratings only when the test standard and support match. New US prices run about $40–200 (2026 estimates).
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 226 words.