Working out how many cartons fit on a pallet is mostly division, and a bit of care about orientation. Here is the method I use.
Variables
Pallet footprint L × W, carton footprint l × w, carton height h, pallet deck height d, height limit H.
1. Cartons per layer
Compute floor(L ÷ l) × floor(W ÷ w) for the carton as is, then again with the carton turned 90° (floor(L ÷ w) × floor(W ÷ l)). Keep the larger result.
An upper bound is floor(L × W ÷ (l × w)). If your result is lower, a mixed pattern may recover one or two cartons.
2. Layers
floor((H − d) ÷ h)
3. Total
Total = cartons per layer × layers.
4. Check weight and overhang
Total weight must stay under the pallet's rating, and cartons should not hang over the edges.
Worked example (EUR pallet)
Pallet 1200 × 800 mm, deck 144 mm, height limit 1650 mm, carton 300 × 200 × 150 mm.
- Layout: 1200 ÷ 300 = 4 and 800 ÷ 200 = 4, so 16 per layer. The upper bound is 960,000 ÷ 60,000 = 16, so this is a perfect fit.
- Layers: (1650 − 144) ÷ 150 = 10.04, so 10 layers, which is 1,644 mm in total.
- Total: 16 × 10 = 160 cartons. At 5 kg each that is 800 kg.
Practical tips
Interlocking layers (rotating alternate layers) hold better than straight columns but can waste a little space. Check the bottom carton's compression strength, and check carrier height limits.
Disclosure
I built a free calculator that tries these patterns for you and shows a 3D preview, with US GMA (48×40"), EU (1200×800 mm) and custom pallet sizes: Maximum Carton
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