OptAtlas
Formal problem

Pallet Loading

Place the maximum number of identical boxes on a pallet.

Also called: Pallet Loading · 팔레트 로딩 · Manufacturer's pallet loading

Last verified: 2026-05-27

Definition

Place identical rectangular boxes, without overlap, on a pallet to maximize the count (manufacturer's pallet loading). That all boxes are identical is the key difference from general bin packing.

Example

Suppose a pallet 5×35\times3 (15 cells) and a box 2×12\times1 (90° rotation allowed). Laying every box horizontally fills a width-4 block with 6 boxes and leaves a width-1 column. Standing one box vertically in that last column yields a 7th — a mixed layout beats a single orientation (one cell empty). The combination of identical boxes and allowed rotation is what characterizes this problem.

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Claims & evidence

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RelationshipClaimEquiv.EvidenceSources
variant of2D Bin Packing(Manufacturer's) pallet loading is a structured variant that fills a single area with identical rectangles, close to 2D orthogonal packing.E2B
  • AAn improved typology of cutting and packing problems
shares method with3D Bin PackingDistributor's pallet loading, which stacks boxes on a pallet, is methodologically connected to container loading and 3D bin packing.E3B
  • AConstraints in container loading – A state-of-the-art review
shares method with2D Knapsack(Manufacturer's) pallet loading — maximizing identical rectangles in a single area — connects to 2D-knapsack-style placement methods.E3B
  • AAn improved typology of cutting and packing problems
uses methodDynamic ProgrammingExact/constructive approaches to manufacturer's pallet loading have been reported with recursive partitioning and dynamic programming.—C
  • AAn improved typology of cutting and packing problems

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See also

Not directly linked, but conceptually close — by the connections and descriptions they share.