Transport cradle

Pallets & Transport Devices
Transports are an integrative component of all trade with consumer goods. In 1995 the European Pallet Association (EPAL) was founded by several European countries as a pallet testing association and was approved as a pallet association by the UIC. The objectives of the association are to ensure a quality standard for EUR pallets as well as the introduction and certification of new standardised international pallets with high quality specifications. This is in order to ensure a longer life of the pallets while improving worker’s safety conditions, reducing damages in transport and enabling free replacement of all EUR-/EPAL-pallets during the shipping process.

The department Pallets & Transport Devices of the Business Unit Industrial Services checks by commission from EPAL with their own specially trained field service staff the adherence to the specifications for EPAL pallets with the DB sign (German Railways) domestically and abroad.  This includes:

• Allowance to repair and to manufacture pallets carrying the DB symbol domestically and abroad
• Local quality certification of EPAL pallets in buildings of companies having a licence for the manufacture and repair of EPAL-pallets.
• Supporting customers in controlling the pallets in order to make sure that they are compliant with the respective standards. (Training etc.)
• Interference in order to prevent trademark and/or licence abuse. (Market observation)

As an additional service the department of Pallets & Transport Devices offers their customer EPAL in cooperation with the SGS pallet inspection laboratory the following tests:

• Inspection for approval and for the quarterly inspection of chipped wood blocks in accordance with the EPAL guidelines
• Inspection for approval of fixing elements in accordance with the EPAL guidelines

In accordance with the “guideline for the application of the IPPC standard (ISPM No. 15)” wood packaging material must be treated prior to export to third countries. Heat-treatment is an established method for the treatment of solid wood packaging material. The thermal chambers used for the treatment must be tested for the compliance with specific technical requirements concerning the heat-treatment of wood packaging material. In Germany the examination and the official certification of such thermal chambers comes within the function of the official crop protection service of the federal states. SGS Germany, department of Pallets & Transport Devices, is approved as a controlling institution for the inspection of thermal chambers until the end of 2005 by the following federal states:

• Baden-Wuerttemberg
• Bavaria
• Bremen
• Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
• Rhineland-Palatinate
• Saxony-Anhalt
• Schleswig-Holstein
• Saxony
• Brandenburg

In the transport devices/transport framework sector the department of Pallets & Transport Devices inspects transport frameworks for the automobile industry directly for the manufacturer of the framework or automobile manufacturers all across Europe. The Inspections can be based on the specifications or on the requirements of the automobile manufacturers. The inspection follows according to the specifications or the information from the automobile manufacturers. It includes the construction of reference gauges to ensure repeatability and positioning and lifting up of parts as a condition of the automatic loading and unloading of the framework. Furthermore the department performs assessments and inspections, such as:

• Paint-finish by
  • Cross-cut test
  • RAL-colour code
  • Coat thickness
• Thickness of material by
  • UT
  • Gauges (radius)
• Welded joints
  • Visually
  • Measurement control
  • Surface samples
• Length control
  • Main dimensions
  • Functional dimensions (repeatability)
  • Hardness testing