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An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance
Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613865658810368 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Nwagboso, Joseph Chukwuemeka |
| author2 | Wessels, Brand |
| author_browse | Nwagboso, Joseph Chukwuemeka Wessels, Brand |
| author_facet | Wessels, Brand Nwagboso, Joseph Chukwuemeka |
| author_sort | Nwagboso, Joseph Chukwuemeka |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134749 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:55.322Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134749 An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance Nwagboso, Joseph Chukwuemeka Wessels, Brand Berry, Tarl Balboni, Bruno Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Forest and Wood Science. Citrus fruits -- Transportation Pallets (Shipping, storage, etc.) -- Design and construction Packaging -- Design Fruit trade -- Quality control Thesis (MScFor)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Nwagboso, J. C. 2025. An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/4ada6487-c5cb-4f61-8c02-ca5bddaa79f9 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a perception of poor strength and built quality of wooden pallet bases among some South African export citrus producers. Wooden pallet bases are used extensively in the South African citrus export industry, though very little documentation exists specifying how pallet bases should be designed or built. The goal of this study was to improve the strength characteristics, airflow and cost of wooden pallet bases for the South African citrus export industry. The strength and stiffness of six existing pallet base designs used in the South African industry were tested with bending and block impact tests using a custom-built testing rig. The results were used to develop seven new designs that improved the performance in the majority of the mechanical tests. Better nailing pattern designs reduced the rotation of corner blocks by 8.9 ° and 1.9 ° for inside and outside impacts, respectively, while increasing the thickness of stringer boards led to improved performance in racked deflection tests. Using a performance index to rate pallet bases, six of the new designs proposed in this study ranked in the top seven pallet base designs (16 designs were tested in total). In a second part of this project, the laboratory-based methods used for testing the pallet bases were compared to real world performance of pallets. Although some of the real-world results seem to follow the trends found in laboratory testing it is recommended that testing with larger sample sizes and for longer time periods should be conducted. The final section of the study was an evaluation of a training initiative aimed at improving the quality control of the nailing of pallet base blocks in a pallet factory. It was found that the training initiative resulted in a 36.5 % improvement in nailing accuracy. It is recommended that future work should focus on quality control in pallet base manufacturing and developing a pallet base quality standard for the sector. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar bestaan 'n persepsie van swak sterkte en bougehalte van houtpaletbasisse onder sommige Suid-Afrikaanse sitrusuitvoerders. Houtpaletbasisse word wyd gebruik in die Suid-Afrikaanse sitrusuitvoerbedryf, alhoewel daar baie min dokumentasie bestaan wat spesifiseer hoe paletbasisse ontwerp of gebou moet word. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die sterkte- eienskappe, lugvloei en koste van houtpaletbasisse vir die Suid-Afrikaanse sitrusuitvoerbedryf te verbeter. Die sterkte en styfheid van ses bestaande paletbasisontwerpe wat in die Suid- Afrikaanse bedryf gebruik word, is getoets met buig- en blokimpaktoetse deur middel van 'n pasgemaakte toetsraam. Die resultate is gebruik om sewe nuwe ontwerpe te ontwikkel wat die werkverrigting in die meerderheid van die meganiese toetse verbeter het. Beter spykerpatroonontwerpe het die rotasie van hoekblokke met onderskeidelik 8.90 en 1.90 vir binne- en buite-impakte verminder, terwyl die toename in die dikte van draers ("stringer boards") tot verbeterde werkverrigting in rakdeurbuigingstoetse gelei het. Deur 'n prestasie- indeks te gebruik om paletbasisse te beoordeel, het ses van die nuwe ontwerpe wat in hierdie studie voorgestel is, onder die top sewe paletbasisontwerpe geplaas (in totaal is 16 ontwerpe getoets). In 'n tweede deel van hierdie projek is die laboratoriumgebaseerde metodes wat gebruik is vir die toetsing van paletbasisse, vergelyk met die werklike werkverrigting van palette. Alhoewel sommige van di werkli resultate blyk om die tendense van die laboratoriumtoetse te volg, word dit aanb dat toetsing met groter steekproewe en oor langer tydperke gedoen word. Die laaste af ling van die studie was 'n evaluering van 'n opleidingsinisiatief wat daarop gemik was om die gehaltebeheer van die spykerplasing van paletbasisblokke in 'n paletfabriek te verbeter. Daar is bevind dat die opleidingsinisiatieftot 'n 36.5% verbetering in spykerplasing gelei het. Dit word aanbeveel dat toekomstige werk moet fokus op gehaltebeheer in die vervaardiging van paletbasisse en die ontwikkeling van 'n paletbasis-gehaltestandaard vir die sektor. Masters 2026-01-06T13:44:53Z 2026-01-06T13:44:53Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134749 Stellenbosch University 109 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Citrus fruits -- Transportation Pallets (Shipping, storage, etc.) -- Design and construction Packaging -- Design Fruit trade -- Quality control Nwagboso, Joseph Chukwuemeka An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance |
| title | An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance |
| title_full | An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance |
| title_fullStr | An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance |
| title_full_unstemmed | An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance |
| title_short | An investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance |
| title_sort | investigation into citrus pallet base design and quality performance |
| topic | Citrus fruits -- Transportation Pallets (Shipping, storage, etc.) -- Design and construction Packaging -- Design Fruit trade -- Quality control |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134749 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nwagbosojosephchukwuemeka aninvestigationintocitruspalletbasedesignandqualityperformance AT nwagbosojosephchukwuemeka investigationintocitruspalletbasedesignandqualityperformance |