VIRGINIA
TECH’S UNIT LOAD DESIGN
CENTER OFFERS INDUSTRY
SHORT COURSES
BLACKSBURG,
Jan. 28, 2003 -- Virginia
Tech’s Center for
Unit Load Design in
the College of Natural
Resources will offer
its popular industry
short courses in 2003.
Courses will include
unit load design,
introductory pallet
design system (PDS),
and advanced PDS.
The
unit load design short
course will be held
on April 23-25, 2003,
in the Donaldson Brown
Hotel and Conference
Center on Virginia
Tech’s main campus
in Blacksburg, Va.
The course is cosponsored
by the National Wooden
Pallet & Container
Association (NWPCA)
and the International
Safe Transit Association
(ISTA). Directed to
packaging, pallet,
and material handling
equipment suppliers,
as well as the users
of these components,
the course will cover
systems-based optimization
procedures that may
improve customer service
and increase competitiveness.
The
introductory pallet
design system (PDS)
short course will
be held on March 5-7,
2003, in Cheatham
Hall on Virginia Tech’s
main campus in Blacksburg,
Va. The course is
sponsored by NWPCA
and taught by Marshall
“Mark” White, center
director and professor
in the college’s wood
science and forest
products department,
and John McLeod, senior
research associate
within the same department.
The course is intended
for the novice designer
of pallets, both users
and non-users of PDS.
Attendees will learn
how pallet design
and selection affects
material handling
costs, how to use
the PDS (stringer
version), the fundamentals
of the relationship
between the stringer
pallet structural
design and performance,
and ways to use PDS
and pallet design
as a customer service
and marketing tool.
The
advanced pallet design
system short course
will be held on November
13-15, 2003, at Virginia
Tech’s Northern Virginia
Center in Falls Church,
Va. It is sponsored
by NWPCA and taught
by White and McLeod.
The course is intended
for the experienced
pallet designer who
has attended the introductory
pallet design system
short course and has
experience using the
PDS. Attendees will
learn additional capabilities
of the PDS and the
design and performance
relationships for
various pallet types.
For
more information on
the short courses,
contact Bonnie Maccubbin
at (540) 231-5370,
e-mail bjmac@vt.edu,
or visit the Web site
at http://www.unitload.vt.edu.
For information on
registration or lodging,
contact the Virginia
Tech division of continuing
education at (540)
231-5182.
