Pallet Rack Optimizes Warehouse Storage and Efficiency

For those with warehouses and products moving in and out of their business, pallet racking is one of the best ways to maximize your space and efficiency. Pallet racking is an excellent way to keep your products and warehouse organized. There are a variety of different kinds of pallet racking systems, each suited for different products and warehouse sizes. 

Before selecting a pallet racking system, it is important to take into account what you will be storing including the size and weight of your product. Considering the types of pallets your product will come into your warehouse on and the flooring in your facility is important as well.

There are several types of pallet racking systems, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. 

Selective pallet racking is one of the most common choices for pallet racking because you can pick any pallet you need from the aisle without disturbing the others. Selective racking allows for easy customization to best suit your warehouse at a low cost. Selective racking takes up many aisles, so it can be a less efficient use of floor space depending on how your warehouse is laid out. It also has lower storage density than other kinds of pallet racking systems. Selective pallet racking is a good fit for businesses with low product turnover and multiple stock keeping units. 

For warehouses storing bulkier products or products with non-uniform lengths, cantilever pallet racking would be a good fit. Cantilever pallet racking does not have a front column but instead has arms attached to posts, so you have easy access to the products you need. The design best stores products like timber and piping that do not have uniform length and can be bulky.

Cantilever pallet racking is also easily installed and configured to fit your warehouse. They need very wide aisle space and cannot store pallets. Loads need to be self-supporting and more flooring reinforcement may be needed to best support the cantilever racks. 

Push back pallet racking works well for warehouses with high-density storage that is structured for last in and first out product rotation. When a new pallet is added to the rack, the old ones get pushed back. If the front pallet is removed, the pallets will roll forward on the rack to the front due to the slope of the rails. Push back can only be about five or six pallets deep. Due to the slope of the rails, you may lose some vertical space. Push back racking has higher costs and more frequent maintenance. 

Drive-in racking allows for your business to maximize warehouse floor space by storing your product in a small, densely packed area. Your operators drive into the racking on the side and load and unload the product from one entry/exit point. Like push back racking, drive in uses first in and last out storage to work.

Drive-in racking works well for warehouses needing high-density storage for similar items. In addition to having similar items, drive-in racking needs the same shaped pallets. Pallet condition also will need to be closely monitored, and inventory management can be more difficult. 

Pallet flow racking lets you load on one end, and let gravity move your pallets down to the front for picking using rollers. As pallets are loaded, the movement is automatic, so pallet flow racking works very well for warehouses needing high density storage. It also decreases the amount of labor required since storage and retrieval are easier.

Pallet flow racking is dependent on the pallets to move, so it is important to keep them in good condition since broken pieces can get caught in the rollers. Maintenance to the wheels and brakes is needed as well. Pallet flow racking is one of the more expensive pallet racking systems. 

For businesses with high product turnover rates, carton flow racking can be a good fit for your warehouse. Carton flow racking works best when you have small, lightweight products that need to be picked frequently.

Using rollers mounted to the rails, products inside cartons can move from the loading side to the picking side with ease thanks to gravity. Workers at ground level can have easy access as they are loading and unloading cartons of product. Pallets are often stored above the carton flow racking.

Carton flow racking provides a clear view of your inventory and enhanced efficiency in fulfilling orders.

Carton flow racking is more expensive than other kinds of pallet racking. You will also need to manually unload the pallets to load the cartons into the racking. 

Finding the best pallet racking system for your warehouse can be a challenge, but our team at Madland Toyota can help you find the most efficient and cost-effective system for you. Contact us for more information.