Pallets in Flat Rock
Ford has run plants in Flat Rock since its 1925 lamp factory, including the Michigan Casting Center.
What is here
- Ford
- Plants since a 1925 lamp factory, including the Michigan Casting Center
- Industries
- Vehicle assembly and casting
- ZIPs
- 48134, 48173
Castings are among the heaviest parts in a vehicle, and a casting center moves them in dense loads. A pallet under a casting has to carry the weight without sagging, and many of the pallets seen in this part of the downriver area are strong block builds or reinforced.
What that means for resale
- A pallet that has carried castings may be bent at the deck. Check for sag before you call it a Grade B.
- Sound pallets from heavy duty are often worth more than they look.
- Cores from this kind of dock are common; sort them early.
Load numbers
A standard 48 x 40 supports 2,000 to 2,800 pounds under dynamic loading. If a plant's loads are above that, the pallets in its pile are not standard, or they are being stretched. The capacity guide lays out the ratings.
Questions from a casting town
A casting pallet looks fine but carried a heavy load. Is it still Grade B?
Check for sag in the deck and cracks near the stringer ends. If either is present, treat it as a core.
Does an old plant have pallets of an older design?
Often. Older plants keep stock of many builds. Photograph a few of each kind.
Do we need a forklift on the dock?
State whether you can load a truck yourselves. It affects how a driver plans the stop.
A century of Ford
Ford has run plants in Flat Rock since 1925, and the town's roads and docks were laid out around them. Space is rarely the problem; heavy wear is. Be frank about it in the request.
A foundry heritage
Casting is among the oldest of industrial arts, and the Michigan Casting Center continues it in a modern form. Foundry work is hot, dirty and heavy, and pallets near a casting line carry the marks: scorched edges, sand in the cracks, oil. Describe such wood frankly.
Not every pallet in Flat Rock comes from the foundry. Some come from supply stores, farms and small shops whose pallets are cleaner. Splitting the pile into the two groups before the buyer arrives makes both easier to value.
Sand and soot
Foundry pallets pick up sand. Sweep what you can before a buyer arrives, and mention the rest.
Weather exposure
Outdoor stacks suffer in winter. Cover them and keep them off the ground.
Telegraph Road and I-75
US 24 (Telegraph Road) runs through the city center and I-75 along its eastern border, with Gibraltar Road at Exit 29. Ford has had a presence here since a lamp factory opened on the Huron River in 1925, and its Michigan Casting Center is in the city.