Executive summary Board plants turn pallets of drywall over to swap the pallet, protect the face sheet or present the other side to the next process. Our hydraulic upender does this in a yellow fenced cell: a forklift sets the wrapped pallet in, the machine turns it 180 degrees, and the forklift takes it out. Whether a stack can be turned follows from its weight and size. We check both per project.
Table of Contents
- What the video shows
- Upender cycle: load, turn, unload
- Why turn drywall pallets
- Checking the load
- Controls and safety
- Selection checklist for a drywall sheet turner
- Engineering FAQ
- Next step
- Related reading
- Sources
What the video shows
A forklift drives a pallet of film-wrapped board sheets into our yellow upender while the fence door stands open. The forks set the pallet on the turning platform and pull back.
With the fence doors closed, the machine turns the whole stack over 180 degrees, so it ends up upside down with the pallet on top. A blue drive motor sits at the side of the frame. The forklift then lifts the turned stack out and the platform waits empty for the next pallet.
Upender cycle: load, turn, unload
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| Load | A forklift sets the pallet on the platform |
| Close | The fence doors close around the cell |
| Turn | The platform holds the stack and turns it 180 degrees |
| Open | The doors open after the turn |
| Unload | The forklift lifts the turned stack out |
The stack is held during the turn, so the sheets keep their order and edges stay square.
Why turn drywall pallets
| Reason | What the turn does |
|---|---|
| Pallet swap | Brings the pallet to the top so it can be changed |
| Face protection | Puts the face sheet on the side you want to protect |
| Next process | Presents the other side for inspection or packing |
| Damaged pallet | Lets a broken pallet be replaced without restacking by hand |
Turning by machine replaces handling the sheets one by one. If the next process is film covering, see our sheet film covering machine.
Checking the load
Illustrative example for a drywall stack on a pallet:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sheets per stack (illustrative) | 80 |
| Weight per sheet (illustrative) | 25 kg |
| Sheets, 80 × 25 kg | 2,000 kg |
| Pallet and film (illustrative) | 50 kg |
| Load to turn | about 2,050 kg |
Send us your heaviest stack and its length, width and height. We size the platform, clamping and drive to it.
Controls and safety
The platform turns the full load. Keep people outside the yellow fence while it turns, and open the doors only after it has stopped.
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.
Selection checklist for a drywall sheet turner
- Stack length, width and height.
- Heaviest stack with pallet.
- Reason for turning: pallet swap, face or next process.
- Pallets per hour.
- Forklift access on one or both sides.
- Fence and floor space.
Engineering FAQ
Q: How far does it turn the stack? A: 180 degrees, so the stack ends up upside down with the pallet on top.
Q: How is the pallet loaded? A: By forklift onto the platform, and taken out the same way after the turn.
Q: How heavy a stack can it take? A: We size it per project; our example stack of 80 sheets at 25 kg is about 2,050 kg with the pallet.
Q: Do the sheets move during the turn? A: No. The stack is held during the turn, so the sheets keep their order and edges stay square.
Q: Why turn drywall pallets? A: To swap the pallet, protect the face sheet or present the other side to the next process.
Q: Is it guarded? A: Yes. A yellow fence with doors surrounds the cell, and the doors close before the turn.
Next step
We plan your sheet turner in three steps:
- Submit your layout drawing with stack sizes and weights to info@fhopepack.com.
- Receive a proposal within 48 hours, with the platform and clamping plan.
- Book a site survey to check the forklift access and floor space.
Related reading
- Load inverter
- Video: steel sheet inverter and 180-degree upender
- Video: C-type 180-degree pallet turnover and pallet inverter
- Video: dual-clamp 180° pallet changer
Sources
- Machine content: FHOPE engineering team, 2026-10-04
- Load example: our worked example, illustrative values
- Machine in action: our video on YouTube
- Standards scope: ISO 12100:2010, EN 415-10:2014
Last reviewed: 2026-10-04
