Steel has long been used as a packaging material in various forms including steel cans and drums. Over the past several years the use of steel in packaging has expanded to include some of the applications which have been traditionally addressed with wood, and, to a lesser degree, plastic, e.g. shipping pallets, racks, and platforms. This emerging use is being driven, in part, by continuing competitive and economic pressures to reduce costs related to the supply and delivery process, including materials, labor to pack, transportation, storage, labor to unpack, and disposal, or reuse. The properties of steel and the broader range of design options these properties create can provide designs that address these issues and others. Regulation that ban, require treatment of, or impose disposal restrictions on wood packaging components, as well as voluntary and regulatory initiatives for packaging material reduction, reuse, and/or recycling, have also made steel a more attractive material option.

This paper explores the application of steel shipping platforms and the use of steel as a material in shipping pallets, racks, and platforms. Basic properties, design options, manufacturing processes, and the advantages and limitations of steel based designs are covered. Examples of successful applications are also included.