Where it is
On the steel frame and panels of the box pallet.
What it proves
Producer, year and ratings of the box pallet, and that it came from the EPAL system.
In detail
The box pallet is steel-framed with four boards and two hinged panels. Its inside dimensions are 1200 × 800 mm, its height 970 mm and its capacity 0.75 m³. Because its ratings changed over time, the embossed figures and the production year matter: EPAL gives 70 kg tare for units made after 2011 and 85 kg before, and 1,500 kg safe working load after 1990 against 900 kg before. Stacked loaded on a solid, even floor, the bottom box pallet must not carry more than 6,000 kg.
The exchange criteria are different from flat pallets. A box pallet is not exchangeable if the EPAL in oval marks are missing or illegible, the stacking frame or corner posts are deformed, the base frame or feet are bent so it no longer stands evenly or stacks safely, the hinged front panel no longer opens or closes, or a board is missing or broken.
ISPM 15 treatment of the wooden parts is optional for box pallets and must be ordered when buying new or repaired units. Do not assume a box pallet carries an IPPC mark.
Common misreadings
- A mesh box with no embossed oval and no control seal is a generic steel cage, not an EPAL box pallet.