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Pallet
Box
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3 + Brick is selected by default (interlocking from the 4th layer). Choose Stack for a uniform layout or Brick for full interlocking.
BCT was not calculated or ECT is missing - box strength was not checked
Fill parameters on the left
and click Calculate
Learn
How the pallet calculator works
Enter one box and one pallet: the calculator searches the layer patterns and returns the one with the most boxes per pallet, in 3D, together with the limit that stopped the stack.
What it calculates
The pallet calculator answers how many cases fit on a pallet — the TI × HI of a pallet pattern, boxes per layer times layers — and how to stack them. It tries column patterns in both box orientations, brick (interlocked) patterns and mixed layers with part of the layer turned 90°, and offers the densest valid one; the other variants stay one click away.
Layers stop at whichever limit comes first: the load height cap (pallet deck included), the rated load of the pallet, or the column limit from box compression strength when board data is given. The result names that limiting factor, shows the load height and mass, and checks layer by layer how much of each box rests on the layer below.
Overhang, tier sheets, corner protectors and a partial top layer are options. A layout of your own can be drawn layer by layer in manual assembly, and it is checked the same way.
Standards and methods behind it
- EPAL: the EUR 1, EUR 2 and EUR 6 presets with their deck height and rated load; the rated load is the default payload cap of the pallet.
- ISO 6780: the standard pallet footprints behind the presets, including the North American 48 × 40 in pallet.
- McKee box compression (the TAPPI T 804 quantity) for the column height limit when ECT or a flute is entered — the same formula as on the box strength page.
Worked example
A box 400 × 300 × 250 mm weighing 10 kg, on a 1,200 × 800 mm pallet with a 145 mm deck; the load may stand 1,800 mm high, pallet included.
1. Layers under the height cap
(1,800 − 145) / 250 = 6.62 → 6
2. The box as entered, in columns
⌊1,200 / 400⌋ × ⌊800 / 300⌋ = 3 × 2 = 6; 6 × 6 = 36
3. Best pattern found: Straight stack 300×400
8 × 6 = 48
4. Load height and mass of the boxes
H = 145 + 6 × 250 = 1,645 mm; m = 48 × 10 = 480 kg
The pattern search puts 12 more boxes on the same pallet (+33 %) than a straight column count of the box as entered. That gap is why a pallet calculator searches patterns instead of dividing areas.
A box 22 × 14 × 10 in weighing 20 lb, on a 48 × 40 in pallet with a 5.5 in deck; the load may stand 72 in high, pallet included.
1. Layers under the height cap
(72 − 5.5) / 10 = 6.65 → 6
2. The box as entered, in columns
⌊48 / 22⌋ × ⌊40 / 14⌋ = 2 × 2 = 4; 4 × 6 = 24
3. Best pattern found: Mixed + bottom
5 × 6 = 30
4. Load height and mass of the boxes
H = 5.5 + 6 × 10 = 65.5 in; m = 30 × 20 = 600 lb
The pattern search puts 6 more boxes on the same pallet (+25 %) than a straight column count of the box as entered. That gap is why a pallet calculator searches patterns instead of dividing areas.
The results are the calculator’s own for these inputs; converted and rounded figures can differ in the last digit.
Common mistakes
- Entering the product dimensions instead of the outer dimensions of the shipping box: the pattern is built from the box, and a few millimetres decide whether one more box fits in a row.
- Leaving the pallet out of the height cap: warehouse racks and trailers limit the height from the floor, so the cap includes the pallet deck.
- Allowing overhang to win a box: a box past the pallet edge loses a large share of its compression strength and gets crushed in handling.
- Reading boxes per pallet without the limiting factor: when the pallet stops on mass or on box strength, a denser pattern does not add a single box.
When this tool is not the right one
- Bags, drums, cylinders and loose parts: the calculator stacks rectangular boxes.
- Proof of box strength: the column limit is a McKee estimate; a compression test (TAPPI T 804) is what proves a box.
- Load securing and stability in transit: stretch wrap, strapping and the rigidity of the load unit (EUMOS 40509) are not calculated.
Questions
How many boxes fit on a pallet?
Boxes per layer times layers. Boxes per layer come from the best pattern for the box footprint on the pallet; layers come from the height cap minus the pallet deck, divided by the box height, unless the pallet mass or the box strength stops the stack earlier.
What is TI × HI?
The North American shorthand for a pallet pattern: TI is the number of cases per layer, HI the number of layers. This calculator returns the same pair as boxes per layer and layers.
Which pallet sizes are supported?
The EUR/EPAL presets (EUR 1, EUR 2, EUR 6), the Finnish pallet, the North American 48 × 40 in pallet and its half size, or any custom size you enter.
Are brick (interlocked) patterns more stable than columns?
Interlocking ties the layers together and helps the load keep its shape, but it can cost boxes per layer and moves box corners off the corners below, which lowers compression strength. The calculator shows both and by default keeps the lower layers in columns before it switches to brick.
Can I work in inches and pounds?
Yes. Switch the units in the sidebar: every field and result follows, while the calculation itself runs in millimetres and kilograms.
Every formula with its units and defaults: the calculation method →