Economics of grading and sorting pallet parts

Before trying to develop an automated inspection system for pallet part grading we analyzed the economics of such a system. Our results suggest that higher quality pallets produced by grading and sorting pallet parts would be attractive to both manufacturers and their customers, who would have to pay increased prices for higher quality pallets. Reductions in costper-trip for the pallet purchaser should permit pallet manufacturers to recoup investments for pallet part sorting. The utility of higher quality pallets should be economically attractive to pallet purchasers even for pallets with much higher prices than those currently used.