Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design
The Pallet Lab
Our vision is to be the hub of packaging innovation
where researchers, students, and industry professionals
work together to improve the efficiency of the supply chain.
Our vision is to be the hub of packaging innovation
where researchers, students, and industry professionals
work together to improve the efficiency of the supply chain.
Current CPULD News:
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Meet Mohmmad Shadman Sakib: A Passion for Sustainable Packaging Solutions , articleMohmmad Shadman Sakib, originally from Bangladesh, is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainable Biomaterials, focusing on Distribution Packaging, at Virginia Tech. Sakib chose VT for its strong academic reputation in packaging, supply chain, and biomaterials, particularly within the Department of SBIO. After working in Bangladesh’s supply chain industry, he sought more education in order to better contribute to this sector, which led him to Virginia Tech. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the global importance of efficient supply chains, sparking his interest in researching the resilience and optimization of these systems. “I was drawn to Virginia Tech for its academic excellence and the opportunity to work with experts in the field. I had the chance to connect with Dr. Laszlo Horvath, whose research aligns with my interests. Dr. Horvath's work in material behavior, particularly in packaging systems and pallets, inspired me to apply.” he notes.
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Exciting Donation Boosts VT Packaging Program with Cutting-Edge Software , articleCPULD has fantastic news for VT’s packaging program! NWPCA and the Pallet Foundation have generously donated 121 licenses of the Pallet Design System (PDS) software to our institution. This incredible three-year donation, valued at nearly $200,000, will provide our students with state-of-the-art tools to design and optimize wooden pallets, marking a significant milestone in our program's development and enhancing educational opportunities for our students. PDS is a premier software used by professionals in the pallet industry to create efficient and sustainable pallet designs. With this, our students will have unprecedented access to a tool that is integral to the industry. The hands-on experience with PDS will not only deepen our students understanding of pallet design but also prepare them to tackle real-world challenges in the industry.
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CHEP USA Boosts VT's Packaging Program with Advanced Testing Equipment Donation , articleWe are thrilled to announce that CHEP USA has generously donated their Lansmont Incline Impact Tester to the Virginia Tech Packaging Program! This state-of-the-art equipment will significantly enhance our program by replacing our aging tester and offering greater precision and capability for testing larger and heavier unit loads. This donation marks another milestone in CHEP USA’s ongoing support of our program, reinforcing their commitment to fostering the next generation of packaging professionals. The tester is a cutting-edge piece of equipment widely used in the packaging industry for testing the durability and stability of unit loads. By integrating this into our curriculum, we are providing our students with invaluable hands-on experience that closely mirrors the industry standards they will encounter in their professional careers.
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Student Spotlight:
Erin
Erin Wolter, Master's Student
The objective of Erin's research is to continue investigating the intensity and types of impacts that forklifts exert on pallets during material handling. The results of this study will be used to update the durability testing procedures used in pallet testing standards in order to better represent current material handling processes found in supply chains.
Member Spotlight:
NWPCA Logo
The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) is the largest organization of packaging professionals in the world - with more than 670 member companies in 28 countries who manufacture, repair and distribute pallets and wood packaging in unit load solutions, or who supply products and services to the industry.
Center Members:
CHEP
NWPCA
Monoflo
Litco
White and Co
Neopal
UFP
