Pallet Rack Design
Importance of Good Pallet Rack Layout Design
Warehouse pallet rack design can be a complicated process. There are a large number of considerations to make when designing and installing your pallet rack for your
warehouse. It is important to figure out the needs and physical limitations of your business before investing in a pallet rack system. An efficiently designed storage rack system will also allow for easy placement and removal of inventory without damage to the materials or pallets and while making the best use of available space for storage needs.
Increase Storage and Available Space
Every pallet rack system should increase the amount of inventory that can be stored in the available space. Pallet rack systems not only assure the efficiency of your inventory system but also multiply the surface area of your warehouse or factory. In fact, businessmen who have long been using a pallet rack system can definitely say the difference of having a pallet rack system because of the efficient product turn-around and assurance of the first-in first-out implementation.
Warehouse Organization is in the Design
The pallet rack system is comparable and perhaps more cost efficient than purchasing inventory software only. When great care and thoughtfulness is put into the design of the racking, it can enforce discipline in storing and organizing product in a way that both optimizes space and also reduces labor.
Different Types of Pallet Racking
Racks of different styles and designs include selective rack, cantilever pallet, double deep rack, drive-in and drive-thru rack, push back rack, pallet flow rack and carton flow rack. All these racks are designed to withstand heavy materials and require the least amount of maintenance from the warehouse operators. These types of racking systems are generally known to increase storage density as well as allows easy transportation of goods. As such, more industries are now using pallet racking for storing warehouse inventory.
Cantilever pallet rack structures allow for stacking longer items that will not fit in one pallet space. A cantilever rack is a rack with arms that adjust to hold bundles of long products.
Structural pallet rack is made out of structural steel and offers positives over other forms of pallet rack. Structural steel is made with reinforced channels and provides for thicker steel columns. Should an accident happen between the rack and a forklift, it can withstand far greater force of impact than roll formed steel. Structural pallet racks also feature a stronger construction. Structural racking uses positive mechanical connections such as bolts and are sometimes also welded.
Push-back racking is a type of rakcing that uses wheeled carts that move by force of gravity. When a pallet is removed from the front, the pallet behind it moves forward to take its place. Different cart designs can be ordered to accomodate increasing storage capacity or providing a level surface for use with swing reach turret trucks.
Indentify the Pallet Rack Style
To help you indentify the types of racking to source new components that will match existing racking in your warehouse, images are included here. Look at the way the beams fit in the frame and you will know what style of pallet rack to ask for and order from the manufacturer.
Pallet Rack Construction Basics
Pallet rack beams are adjustable on 2 inch centers and come in three different options: Structural, Roll Formed, and Hybrid (a combination of structural frames and roll formed beams). A pallet rack system is designed to store materials on skids (pallets) positioned in horizontal rows with multiple levels.
The most cost effective coating for your pallet rack is powder coating. This finish will guarantee that your pallet rack demands significantly less maintenance, and will look good longer and last for a long life. The powder coated finish will shield the rack by providing it sixty percent greater resistance to solvents that may be utilised in the warehouse, 74 percent higher resistance to salt sprays and 94 percent larger strength against impact.
More Pallet Rack Styles – Different Types of Pallet Rack Styles
Below are more images of different styles of pallet rack. Use this as your guide to help identify the racking you currently have in your warehouse.
Unarco Sturdi-Built Pallet Racking
SK2000 Pallet Rack by Steel King
