How to Size a Presswood Pallet Production Line for Your Output Target

Sizing a presswood pallet line correctly starts with a clear target: how many pallets per day, of what dimensions and load rating, running on what raw material. Getting this wrong in either direction is expensive - an undersized line bottlenecks production, while an oversized line ties up capital in unused capacity.

Feedstock characteristics drive the first set of decisions. Wet, mixed waste wood requires more drying capacity than pre-dried offcuts. If your material includes bark, dirt or metal contamination, additional screening or magnetic separation ahead of the chipper protects downstream equipment.

Daily output target then sizes the hot press. A single 150-tonne press running a 3–5 minute cycle can produce roughly 180–260 standard pallets per 8-hour shift, depending on mould configuration and operator efficiency. Higher targets call for either a larger multi-cavity mould, a faster press cycle, or multiple press stations feeding from a shared drying and gluing line.

Boiler and dryer capacity must match the press, not exceed it by a wide margin - oversizing the thermal side of the line adds capital and fuel cost without improving pallet output once the press itself is the bottleneck.

Automation level is the final variable. Manual mat-loading keeps capital cost down but requires more labour per shift; automated loading and stacking systems raise throughput consistency and reduce labour dependency, which matters more as target volumes grow.

We size every quotation around your actual feedstock and target output rather than offering a single fixed configuration - share your numbers and our engineering team will propose a line sized to match.