Pallets from Jeco Plastic Products—designer and manufacturer of plastic pallets and containers for the worldwide printing and automotive industries since 1973—can now be made stronger than ever as a result of a collaboration with Purdue University and the National Digital Engineering and Manufacturing Consortium. The collaboration provides Jeco with access to incredibly powerful computers, which are used to perform stress calculations and demonstrate to customers that plastic pallets can perform as effectively as metal pallets in many situations. Recently, Jeco was able to significantly strengthen an existing pallet design by making structural changes as a result of detailed analysis.

Commenting on the collaboration, Jeco Plastic Products Craig Carson commented: “Our work with Purdue University and NDEMC put powerful tools in our hands and enables Jeco, a relatively small company, to differentiate ourselves and demonstrate that our products are superior to those made of metal in many cases. Jeco plastic pallets are stronger and last significantly longer than wooden pallets. They are much lighter in weight than metal pallets, and can be designed to hold much larger loads that would seem possible. The calculations we now can do enable us to develop plastic structures for a wide variety of applications.”

Additional information about the Purdue University and NDEMC programs which benefit Jeco may be found at https://manufacturinghub.org/videos/jeco#. 

Jeco Plastic Products designs and manufactures extremely durable pallets and containers for the worldwide printing and automotive industries, as well as other industries handling heavy product which must be protected from damage. Other capabilities include the ability to produce complex plastic structural components made to exacting tolerances. Jeco production facilities include rotational plastic molding and thermoforming capabilities unique in North America. Jeco designers employ complex plastic compounds to impart dimensional stability and structural integrity to their products. Jeco Plastic Products is located in Plainfield, Indiana, and may be reached at 317-839-4943 or www.jecoplastics.com.