Executive summary Wooden pallets from outside often must not cross into a clean production or storage area. Our heavy-duty 180° pallet changer clamps the load between the old pallet and a clean plastic one and turns it 180 degrees, so the load leaves on the clean pallet. Our standard FPFZ-1 180° inverter is the base rating, at 1.2 t in about 50 s. A heavy-duty frame like the one in the video is built per project to the heaviest load you handle.
Table of Contents
- What the video shows
- Where the changer sits
- The swap sequence
- Guarding the turning zone
- 180° inverter data
- Cycle time
- Selection checklist
- Engineering FAQ
- Next step
- Related reading
- Sources
What the video shows
Our blue heavy-duty frame stands in a white, clean-floored hall, with a blue plastic pallet held in its clamp. The frame tilts the pallet through its turn about a horizontal axis and brings it back. A yellow fence closes off the turning area and the floor in front is marked with black and yellow “CAUTION” stripes. A separate control cabinet with a stack light and a red emergency stop stands outside the fence, and the operator wears shoe covers.
Where the changer sits
The changer works as the gate between the dirty and the clean side. Pallets arrive from goods-in on wood, are turned onto a plastic pallet, and go into the clean area. The wooden pallet stays on the outside.
| Side | Pallet | Handling |
|---|---|---|
| Goods-in | Wooden or export pallet | Forklift or pallet truck |
| Changer | Old pallet below, clean pallet on top, turned 180° | Clamped frame |
| Clean area | Plastic pallet | Clean-side truck |
Placing the changer in the wall opening keeps the outside and inside trucks apart.
The swap sequence
- Load in. The clean pallet is set on top of the load by forklift, and the load goes into the frame.
- Clamp. The pressing device closes on the load. It is adjustable to different load heights.
- Turn. The frame turns 180°, so the clean pallet is underneath.
- Release. The old pallet is lifted off the top and the load leaves on the clean pallet.
That is one turn, and the goods end up upside down. If they must stay upright, the sequence takes a second turn to put them back, which doubles the turning time.
Guarding the turning zone
| Item | In the video |
|---|---|
| Fence | Yellow fence around the frame |
| Floor marking | Black and yellow “CAUTION” stripes at the entry |
| Controls | Separate cabinet outside the fence |
| Status | Stack light on the cabinet |
| Stop | Red emergency stop on the cabinet |
Our 180° inverter range also has mechanical and electrical stop blocks that end the turn at the right position, and a separate electrical box.
The standards that apply depend on the destination market. For CE markets, ISO 12100 sets the risk-assessment method and EN 415-10 sets general requirements for packaging machines.
180° inverter data
| Item | FPFZ-1 |
|---|---|
| Turnover angle | 180° |
| Turnover capacity | Max. 1.2 t |
| Turnover time | About 50 s |
| Load size | L 1,200 × W 1,100–1,200 × H 1,200–2,000 mm |
| Fixing | Dead weight, no anchoring |
| Operation | Wireless remote control or control panel |
| Motor power | About 2.2 kW |
The heavy-duty frame in the video is built for its customer’s loads. Capacity, power and frame weight are configured per project, so a heavier build is sized to your load list.
Cycle time
Illustrative one-turn cycle, with 60 s of handling on each side and 30 s to lift the old pallet off:
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Turning, about 50 s | 50 s |
| Load in from goods-in (illustrative) | 60 s |
| Old pallet off (illustrative) | 30 s |
| Load out to clean side (illustrative) | 60 s |
| Total cycle | 200 s |
| Pallets per hour | about 18 |
Selection checklist for a 180° pallet changer
- Heaviest and tallest load.
- Old and new pallet sizes.
- Can the goods travel upside down?
- Wall opening and clean-side layout.
- Pallets per hour.
- Forklift, pallet truck or conveyor on each side.
Engineering FAQ
Q: Why use a 180° changer at a clean area? A: The load is turned onto a clean plastic pallet in one turn, and the wooden pallet stays outside.
Q: How heavy a load can it turn? A: Our standard FPFZ-1 turns up to 1.2 t. Heavy-duty frames are configured per project.
Q: How long does the swap take? A: The turn takes about 50 s. With handling on both sides, our example cycle is 200 s.
Q: What if the goods must stay upright? A: Use the two-turn sequence, which doubles the turning time.
Q: Where are the controls? A: In the video they sit in a separate cabinet outside the fence, with a stack light and an emergency stop.
Next step
We plan your pallet changer in three steps:
- Submit your layout drawing with the wall opening, pallet sizes and load weights to info@fhopepack.com.
- Receive a proposal within 48 hours, with the frame size and cycle plan.
- Book a site survey to check the floor and both handling sides.
Related reading
- 180° pallet inverter
- Video: dual-clamp 180° pallet changer for glass bottle loads
- Video: V-shape pallet changer
Sources
- FPFZ-1 data and features: 180° pallet inverter page
- Machine in action: our heavy-duty 180° pallet changer video on YouTube
- Configuration per project: FHOPE engineering team, 2026-10-04
- Standards scope: ISO 12100:2010, EN 415-10:2014
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04
