New German pallet cuts weight by 80 percent

German steel manufacturing company Trilatec today unveiled a new lightweight air cargo pallet made from recycled cardboard, called the “squAIR-timber system.”

Trilatiec said its goal is to replace conventional pallets, which it says are 80 percent heavier than the squAIR product, which can carry more than twice the weight. One meter of squAIR, the manufacturer said, carries up to five tonnes of weight, “if evenly distributed,” compared to a standard 1.2 x 1 meter pallet, which holds just over two tonnes.

So, what is the secret to this mystery material? The process takes place at the company’s production site in Ginsheim-Gustavsburg near Frankfurt Airport (FRA), where cold glue is worked into layers of recycled cardboard fibers and then laminated under pressure to make a waterproof surface, Trilatec said.

Inventor and manufacturer Andreas Langemann claimed that the product will cause a “revolution in the airfreight sector,” due to the cost-savings and environmental consciousness that will result in reducing the amount of weight pallets add to freight shipments.

Production and distribution of the product are set to begin this month.