Strap slot
A strap slot (banding notch) is a recess cut in the top of a stringer or under the top deck so that strapping or banding can pass beneath the deckboards and hold the load to the pallet. PDS has analyzed strap slots as part of the stringer since version 5.3.
Also called banding notch, strapping slot, strap notch, banding slot
Reviewed
How strap slots are specified
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Location | position along the stringer, often under the gap between two deckboards |
| Width | enough for the strap and its seal |
| Depth | enough for the strap to pass freely |
Strap slots are listed as a special manufacturing feature under the component that receives them, like notches and chamfers.
Why use strap slots
Strapping around the load and through the pallet ties the product to the deck, which matters for heavy items, crates, lumber and loads that ride on flatbeds. Without a slot, straps must go under the whole pallet or through deck gaps, where they can slip or be cut by forks.
Trade-offs
A slot removes wood from the top of the stringer, where bending stress is high when the pallet is racked. That is why PDS includes strap slots in its structural analysis. Keep slots away from the notches and midspan where possible. See stringer pallet.
Questions
- Do strap slots weaken a pallet?
- They remove some wood from the stringer, so they should be included in the strength check and kept away from the most stressed areas.
Related
- StringerA stringer is the continuous beam that runs the length of a stringer pallet under the deckboards. A GMA 48x40 uses three 1-3/8 x 3-1/2 x 48 in stringers.
- NotchA notch is a cutout in the bottom of a pallet stringer for fork tines. The Uniform Standard recommends about a 2 x 9 in opening with rounded corners.
- Stretch wrapStretch wrap is plastic film stretched tightly around a loaded pallet to hold the product together and to the pallet. PDS lists it as a load stabilizer.
- Stringer pallet: construction, sizes and when to use oneA stringer pallet carries its deck on 2 or more continuous lengthwise beams. The 48x40 GMA version uses 3 notched stringers, 7 top and 5 bottom boards.
- StringerboardA stringerboard is a full-length board on a block pallet between the deckboards and the blocks. EPAL 1 uses three 22 x 145 x 800 mm stringerboards.
- Third-angle projectionThird-angle projection is the US drawing convention that puts the top view above the front view and the right side view to its right, as on pallet drawings.
Sources
- Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets (NWPCA, now Woodpack Global), 2012 edition
- Pallet Design System (Woodpack Global)