Quick Pallet Maker - Container Fill Window
Quick Pallet Maker provides the means for calculating container fill with pallets, boxes or drums, either by using a finite number of elements or by calculating which is the maximum number of one type that can be introduced into a container of a specific size. The former method involves entering an amount per pallet, box or drum and allowing the software to calculate the optimal mix for the given elements. The container load window can be reached either from the Results Window by selecting the Fill Container option from the Tools menu or through the File menu. A list of examples on how to use the Container Fill window is available here.
The container fill window allows the user to:
a) calculate container fill with one element type (pallet, box or drum),
b) fill as many containers as needed depending on a given order or shipment and
c) view the list of containers, pallets and boxes in a given shipment.
This window contains three tabs. The elements are the following (starting from left to right, top to bottom):
Input Data tab
- Package menu: This menu is for choosing whether you will add or import a pallet or a box. A drum is considered a stretch-wrap box with a cylinder inside so it can only be used by importing it.
- Input information: In this section, the user will introduce the length, width, height and weight of the pallets or boxes to be added. Additionally, there is a slot where the user can indicate how many pallets or boxes are to be added to the container in case that there is a finite number to introduce per load.
- Pallet and box list: This list contains the pallets and boxes that will be fit into the selected container. Double-clicking a value in the "Amount" column will allow changing the number that will go into a container. Pallets and boxes can also be deleted from this list.
- Add Pallet / Add Box button: Click on this button to add a pallet or box with the dimensions that have been entered previously. A pallet or box will be added depending on the Package Menu selection.
- Import Pallet / Import Box button: Click on this button to import a pallet or box that had been previously saved with Quick Pallet Maker or created with a third-party app that can export to XML files.
- Pallet / Box Drawing: Pallets created with the "Add Pallet" button will show like a load-sized box on a four-way pallet. Boxes created with the "Add Box" button will appear empty. Imported pallets, imported boxes and those pallets that are obtained directly from the Results Window will draw normally. Clicking on the right button (Windows OS) or ctrl+click (Mac OS) will reveal a command to change the pallet load or box color.
- Container Type: This menu allows the user to select from pre-determined container sizes that are available in the Standard Cases and Pallets window. The dimensions and properties of the predetermined containers can be edited from the Standard Cases and Pallets window.
- Minimum container load dimensions: As its name suggests, these text boxes determine the minimum dimensions that the load should have. Please note that the values need to be low in order to accept loading a container with a finite number of pallets.
- Maximum container load dimensions: These values are taken from the predetermined container sizes. They can be edited by the user.
- Internal container dimensions: These values are taken from the predetermined container sizes. The difference between the load constraints above is that these values are meant only for drawing the container itself. For an example of when these values should be different,click here.
- Shipping rate per container: This cell contains the price of shipping the container or truck to any given location. It will be used for calculating the cost per item, box or pallet.
- Maximum container weight
Container tab
To calculate the container fill, click on the second tab in the window or select "Recalculate" from the Tools menu. If no drawing appears, then a solution was not found and the input data will need to be changed.
- 3D/2D Checkbox: Clicking on this checkbox will shift the view from 3 Dimensions to 2 Dimensions and back. The same result can be achieved by clicking on the Toggle command.
- Full pallet/empty pallet menu: Depending on the selection, the pallets will be shown with the load or without it. The same result can be achieved by clicking on the Toggle command.
- Forward and backward arrows: These triangles will appear if there are more containers in the calculated shipment. Use them to move between containers.
Shipment tab
- Bill of Materials: This table contains all the containers, pallets and boxes that are present in the shipment. Click on each element to see its drawing below the table or to edit the code and description. This table can be exported to a tab-delimited MS Excel (.xls) file through the File menu.
- Container(s) drawing: Will show the container(s) for the given shipment. Clicking on the table above will scroll through the containers and through the boxes and pallets.