Pallet moulds, 1200 × 1000 and custom.
A pallet is the largest single-piece part most moulders ever run: 1.4 m of flow length, a 1.2 m² flat face, and a stiffness requirement measured in tonnes. It is a press-and-steel problem before it is a moulding problem.
Flat is the hard part.
A 1200 × 1000 pallet in PP weighs 9–14 kg and fills from 4 to 8 hot-runner drops. The face has to stay flat within a few millimetres across 1.2 m, or the first loaded stack rocks and the customer rejects the batch. That flatness comes from balanced fill and symmetric cooling, not from packing pressure at the end of the cycle.
Racking-rated pallets carry steel or composite inserts in the legs. Those inserts are positioned in the tool, so the tool design fixes the load rating. If a pallet must hold 1,000 kg on a rack beam, tell us at quotation stage — it changes the leg geometry, the insert seats and the steel specification.
Tool size drives everything else. A 1200 × 1000 single-cavity tool weighs 8–15 t and needs a press of 1,600 t or more. We build these on our larger machining centres and move them with the crane capacity in the shop, which is why we quote pallet tools only after confirming the press you will run them on.
Built for tonnage
Single cavity is standard; two-cavity pallet tools exist but need a very large press and are rarely economic below a million pieces a year. The tool is built around a hardened gate pad and generous cooling, because cycle time dominates the part cost.
- Cavity steel: 718H or 2738 blocks, with hardened inserts at the fork-entry points.
- Gate: hot runner, 4–8 valve drops, sequenced to keep the flow front balanced.
- Cooling: large-diameter circuits in the core, 6–10 zones, symmetric left-to-right.
- Ejection: ejector pins on the legs plus air-assist on the flat face to avoid marking.
- Steel inserts: pockets machined to take 2–4 mm steel tubes or composite bars.
- Handling: lifting lugs and crane points designed into the mould base.
Cycle time is the part price
A pallet runs 90–150 s. At that cycle, a 10-second improvement is worth more than a few percent off the tool price. We size the cooling circuits for the faster number and tell you which parts of the tool drive it, so the decision is yours and it is informed.
What we build to
| Typical part size | 1200 × 1000, 1200 × 800, 1100 × 1100 mm |
|---|---|
| Cavities | 1 (2 available for very large presses) |
| Cavity steel | 718H / 2738, hardened inserts at fork entries |
| Gate | Hot runner, 4–8 valve gates, sequenced |
| Cooling | Large-bore circuits, 6–10 zones, symmetric |
| Cycle time | 90–150 s depending on weight and cooling |
| Tool life | 300,000–800,000 shots |
| Press tonnage | 1,600–3,000 t |
| Tool weight | 8–15 t |
| Lead time | 14–16 weeks from design freeze |
Pallet tools are quoted against the press you will run them on. Send the machine tonnage and platen size with the drawing — a tool that fits is worth more than a tool that is 5% cheaper and does not.
Pallet tooling questions we get weekly.
How long does a pallet mould take to build?
14–16 weeks from design freeze. The steel is large, the machining hours are long, and the trial needs a big press slot. Rushing a pallet tool shows up as flatness problems in the first month of production.
Can the tool take steel inserts for racking?
Yes. We machine insert pockets into the legs and confirm the geometry with you before hardening. Racking-rated pallets need the inserts positioned to within a millimetre, so this is settled in the tool design, not on the assembly bench.
Can you mould pallets from recycled PP?
Yes, and most export pallets are. Recycled PP shrinks more and less predictably, so we increase the shrinkage allowance and extend cooling. Send the material spec at quotation stage.
Why is my pallet not sitting flat?
Usually unbalanced fill or asymmetric cooling. Both are tool issues: gate sequencing and left-right symmetry in the core circuits. Adding packing pressure hides the problem for a while and then distorts the legs.
Send the pallet drawing and your press size.
We reply with cavity count, steel, gate layout, cycle estimate and lead time — and flag anything in the design that will cost you money in production.