Closed Deck

These closed tops also benefit from having no nooks or crannies that can become dirt traps.  This makes closed deck pallets the ideal choice for use in hygienic environments. It is no wonder then, that closed deck plastic pallets used widely in food and pharmaceutical industries where cleanliness is of paramount importance.

Strong and durable, but also cost effective.

Closed Top plastic pallets are often slightly stronger and heavier than their open structure counterparts due to the additional plastic material in them. That being said, Inka Pallets have a wide range of closed top plastic pallets for all loads and budgets – whether they’re for single use export, or for internal multi-trip use.

What’s the difference between a Closed-deck Pallet and a “Hygiene” Pallet?

Hygiene pallets are a sub-division of closed deck pallets. A true ‘hygiene pallet’ denotes that the plastic pallet doesn’t just have a closed top surface, but its underside and feet are also closed/sealed off as well. In other words, you can only really tell the difference when you turn the pallet upside down! There you will see the difference between the two. A hygiene pallet has a totally smooth and covered under structure but a standard closed top plastic pallet doesn’t. Closed plastic pallets have an exposed lattice structure on the under side.

Another common difference between the two is that true Hygiene Plastic Pallets are nearly always made from virgin polymer. Virgin polymer is traceable in its origin and can therefore be certified ‘food grade’. This certification is important for use in food processing areas and pharmaceutical high-care areas. On the other hand, standard closed deck pallets are often produced in more sustainable, but not traceable, recycled polymer.

Full hygiene pallets are also more expensive than closed top plastic pallets because they have to be made from two separate injection-moulded sections (the top deck, and the feet/base). These two parts are then sealed together using ultra-sonic vibration welding, which involves more time, labour and material.

Despite the differences, both closed-deck plastic pallets and hygiene plastic pallets share the fact that they are certainly way more hygienic and easy to clean than either timber pallets or other plastic pallets.

But the differences mean that they are used by food and pharmaceutical companies differently. Closed deck pallets tend to be suited for loading finished food or pharmaceutical products which are already packaged. Whereas Hygiene pallets normally handle more raw material, and rarely leave their cleanroom environs or go off-site at a factory. Now you know!

Speak to the Experts.

If you want to ask any of our expert team further questions about hygiene or closed deck plastic pallets, just call us!