Measure the shipping object that the tool will arrange
For a pallet-layer calculation, measure the outside of the closed, filled shipping case in its normal shipping condition. Product dimensions, a retail pack and an outer case are different objects. Identify which one is being palletized before collecting numbers. Include closures and packaging features that control its envelope, and label the three sides consistently. The tool arranges rectangular footprints; it does not infer an outer carton from the size of the product inside it.
Suppose a product drawing lists 360 × 260 × 200 mm, while the completed outer case measures 400 × 300 × 250 mm. The smaller product dimensions may be correct for another task but are wrong for arranging these shipping cases. Keep both records with their object names rather than replacing the product drawing. If several products share one outer case, a product-level quantity does not describe the number of cases being loaded.
Use a repeatable record without inventing a measurement standard
Record the case identifier, packaging version, filled condition, measurement date, units and which side is called length, width or height. Note whether a flap, handle, closure or bowed panel defines a maximum. Choose a measurement method appropriate to the task and state its actual precision. This guide does not prescribe an instrument accuracy or sampling standard. If the measurement is uncertain near a fit boundary, resolve the uncertainty rather than silently adding decimal places.
Measure representative actual cases when packaging or fill varies, and preserve the observed variation separately from the chosen planning input. A catalog value can be a useful starting reference but is not a measurement of the filled cases at hand. Explain why a particular dimension is used: nominal drawing, observed envelope or an agreed application requirement. An unknown dimension must remain unknown until measured or supplied; zero would describe no dimension and cannot complete a valid fit calculation.
| Object | Outside dimensions | Appropriate use |
|---|---|---|
| Product drawing | 360 × 260 × 200 mm | Product or inner-package task |
| Filled shipping case | 400 × 300 × 250 mm | Case-layer and whole-layer calculation |
| Pallet reference | 1200 × 800 × 144 mm | Deck and base inputs, kept separately |
See how measuring the wrong object changes the layer
On a 1200 × 800 mm deck, the product’s unrotated 360 × 260 mm rectangle gives floor(1200 / 360) × floor(800 / 260) = 3 × 3 = 9. The real 400 × 300 mm case gives 3 × 2 = 6 in the same orientation. With horizontal right-angle rotation allowed, the real case’s other uniform grid gives 4 × 2 = 8. The product result does not describe nine shipping cases; it describes nine copies of the smaller rectangle.
These counts compare uniform rows and columns with zero gap and edge clearance for arithmetic only. The physical plan may require separation, usable-deck exclusions or an orientation restriction. Enter those actual requirements in the tool that supports them. A larger mixed-search result, if obtained, should retain its proof status and assumptions. Neither the count nor a close dimensional fit establishes carton strength or the stability of a loaded pallet.
Carry the measured height into a separate layer calculation
With a 144 mm pallet base and a hypothetical accepted total-height limit of 1500 mm, 250 mm outer cases permit floor((1500 − 144) / 250) = 5 complete layers. At eight cases per layer this gives forty cases and an arithmetic loaded height of 1394 mm. Substituting the product’s 200 mm height would appear to allow six layers and 1344 mm, but that result concerns the wrong object again.
Count caps, sheets and other height additions in the physical record and measure the completed load after assembly. Keep case mass separate from the dimensional record and specify whether it includes all case packaging. The layer result does not decide whether the packaging can bear the resulting stack. An accepted height input also does not supply a weight limit or establish a container door opening.
Prepare your closed-case input record
Write case identifier and packaging revision; outside length, width and height with units; filled and closed condition; protrusions; observation range; rotation permission and its source. For the example, enter 400, 300 and 250 mm, deck 1200 × 800 and base 144. Save the selected uniform count and the separate total-height requirement. Keep the smaller product drawing labeled as a different object.
Reproduce and share the measured-case scenario
Open the measured outer-case example. Confirm the fields show the intended units and dimensions before relying on the displayed layout. Use the configuration calculator if your case gap or edge clearance is part of the requirement. The shared address supplies numeric inputs; attach the measurement record separately so the case identity and physical condition remain clear.
If packaging changes, repeat the outside measurement and update the saved calculation. Retaining a previous eight-case screenshot does not preserve the earlier assumptions. Check the actual fields after opening any shared plan, since a count alone cannot reveal whether someone entered product dimensions, a nominal case or the measured outer envelope. Avoid putting customer, order or other confidential identifiers into query parameters.
Reference and example scope
EPAL 1 specification supports the reference deck and 144 mm base used in the calculation; it does not define the example carton. The examples use explicitly stated measurements or assumptions; they are not instrument standards, tolerance rules or approval of your load.