Meet the new NeRa from Tosca: Europe’s strongest heavy-duty, nestable rackable pallet that delivers efficiencies and sustainability across the supply chain

Tosca, a global leader in reusable packaging solutions and pooling for supply chains, introduces the NeRa Pallet. A nestable, rackable and stackable heavy-duty plastic pallet that can deliver game-changing efficiencies throughout the automated distribution supply chain.

Designed to outperform wood, the NeRa is the first plastic pallet engineered with PowerDeck™ strength and fitted with SureFoot™ legs for seamless automation. It is rated for static loads of up to 3000kg and is fully nestable – a unique combination that increases storage capacity while reducing space requirements by up to 2.5 times compared to wooden equivalents.

Its robust yet lightweight design guarantees minimal deflection over time, making the NeRa Pallet ideal for highly automated sectors where it is critical to minimise product damage and avoid cross-contamination. These qualities make it ideal for food supply chain applications – such as heavy bulk liquids (water, beverages, alcohol), bulk dry goods like sugar or flour, prepared foods, ingredients, e-commerce, and packaging. Indeed, the NeRa can offer significant advantages in any storage and distribution application where hygiene is an important factor.

Jesse Sels, President EMEA at Tosca explained: “There are plastic pallets that can carry similar weight in a rack as the NeRa, but this is the first time this kind of strength has been available in a nestable pallet. This nestable design, combined with a high strength-to-weight ratio and long service life, makes the NeRa a more cost-efficient and sustainable solution than wooden pallets in virtually any warehousing and distribution application. Its robust construction and highly consistent dimensions mean the NeRa is ideally suited to automated handling systems. These benefits are particularly clear during the “last-mile” outbound delivery of goods into retail.”

Space saving and durable

NeRa plastic pallets offer considerable space savings due to their nestability when compared with their wood counterparts. The pallets feature a runner-less design that cuts stack heights in half. This not only saves valuable warehouse space, but also makes it possible on average to fit 660 more pallets in each return truck. The NeRa also has a low weight of 18kg, which means you can put more on the pallet and the truck to improve profitability.

The plastic material used in NeRa pallets provides significant life cycle cost reductions over wood pallets; without sacrificing key benefits like strength and racking. Repeated handling makes wood pallets prone to chipping, cracking and warping, with repair costs being passed through to the end user by the pallet pooler. The NeRa is tough and durable for a long service life. It’s patented PowerDeck reinforced solid top-deck minimises warping from heavy loads but is lightweight and nestable. The added deck strength minimises deflections under load and significantly reduces damage rates compared to wood.

Made from 100% HDPE, NeRa pallets are also damage- and germ-resistant for cleaner overall operations. They require no heat treating and fewer washer trips than wood pallets and can save on labour spent cleaning up wood shavings off conveyors and floors. NeRa pallets have an operational lifetime that is seven years longer than wood equivalents. They are reusable, repairable, and recyclable. According to Tosca, they can reduce pallet disposal waste and produce 2.5 times less CO2 emissions than wood pallets (based on a distance of 500km and 100,000 trips).

Optimised for automation

Each plastic NeRa pallet is of uniform weight and size, measuring 800mm x 1200mm x 157mm. The SureFoot wide lateral legs ensure seamless transfer over conveyors and can be swapped in and out easily and quickly. Supplied with high visibility green legs, the NeRa helps forklift operators navigate loaded pallets safely in the high rack.

Available only for pooling and rent, NeRa pallets are compatible with all standard 100mm and 150mm conveyor roller pitches and fit all standard pallet racking types, including drive-in configurations.

To ensure high-performance logistics NeRa pallets can be outfitted with Tosca AssetIQ, a supply chain IoT service that delivers critical data and insights about supply chain performance, allowing Tosca’s partners to find efficiencies and relieve bottlenecks.