A platen, also known as a slip sheet, is a flat surface made of composite materials like plastic, paperboard, or solid fibre. The sheet is a practical substitute for wooden pallets and is designed to make the operation of loading and dispensing commercial products in transit easier.

Many firms prefer employing slip sheets in storage because they are a more economical, environmentally friendly, and secure alternative to conventional pallets, which may be heavy, dangerous, and more expensive.

Top Industries Inc. which is known for designing material handling equipment can also offer slip sheet forklift as per the requirements of the customer.

Slip sheets have the power to fundamentally alter the material handling industry. Slip sheets have significantly surpassed pallets as the preferred method of storing and transporting goods, in particular in industries where hygienic shipping is crucial, such as food, pharmaceuticals, and drinks.

What is a slip sheet?

A slip sheet usually is a pallet-sized thin sheet made of corrugated fibreboard, strong plastic or laminated heavy-duty paperboard. Slip sheets are longer and broader by several inches than the usual pallet to fit a pull-push forklift add-on gripper.

Slip sheets offer a few important benefits when compared to pallets are as follows:

1.     Much lower material cost

It can cost almost 10% of the price of any pallet.

2.     Lower transportation cost

It weighs 5% of the pallet weight and eliminates 4” of height, as a result, a considerable saving in the cost of transportation.

3.     Space-saving

Slip sheets need less storage space hence leaving more space for inventory

4.     Environmentally friendly

Slip sheets can readily be repurposed, recycled, and properly discarded at the end of their useful lives. Compared to pallets, slip sheets put less pressure on landfills.

Pallets, on the other hand, require more space, must be returned and must be fixed if broken. Additionally, when their useful lives are through, they need to be appropriately disposed of.

5.     Less susceptible to contamination

Pallets may get tainted with goods that have spilled, making further usage risky. Insects and rodents can nest in them in the ideal places. An infected slip sheet can simply be thrown away or recycled.

Slip sheets versus pallets

Slip sheets have many advantages as compared to pallets, which include:

·        Initial cost

Slip sheet purchases are much less expensive than pallet purchases. Purchasing many pallets may cost more than $10 per unit, whereas slip papers only cost about $1 each.

·        Storage cost

Slip sheets are much easier to store than pallets because of how thin they are.

·        Transportation cost

Transportation costs can be significantly decreased by having a lightweight design and less storage space.

·        Labour cost

Slip sheets are simple to get rid of and take less work to transfer around a business. They also save your staff a lot of time that would otherwise be spent on the ground putting things onto trailers or off of pallets.

·        Environmental impact

Slip sheets are typically more environmentally beneficial than conventional wooden pallets because they can typically be recycled instead of ending up in landfills.

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