The Advantages Of Pallet Racking In Warehouses.

Posted on by Monarch Shelving

Whether you run a small distribution business or a chain of warehouses; whether it’s peak or the slow season; there is one core goal.

Keeping your customers satisfied.

Even if you are rolling out a new sales channel or adding more services, these changes must be implemented without affecting your customers.

The recent stormy weather, industry demands and government legislations; these can affect your physical and operational processes. Speaking of physical changes, the most frequent in any warehouse revolves around, storage and space constraints, product handling equipment and methods, picking methods. Finding the right fit for the goods you carry can either hit or miss. This is due to the ever-changing type of cargo that can come through your doors. Storage methods fall into four main categories: bulk storage, pallet racking, shelving, and carton flow.

1. Bulk storage is the basic form of warehouse storage.

It basically involves using the warehouse floor as the storage medium with no racks, partitions or boxes. The highest form of organisation in this system is the segmenting of freight by size. They are stored on pallets in rows and may also be stacked, depending on the product. This can be a cost effective method but the downside to this is the low space utilisation it offers. It also increases the potential of product damage if they are stacked indiscriminately.

2. One step up from the floor stacked storage option is the Carton Flow.

The use of this will depend on the available floor space and the consistency of products in terms of size and weight. The size and bulk of the freight play a major impact in deciding the type of carton flow to be used. The major types are:

  • The wheel track which can be easily expanded/lengthened if your product mix changes. The downside of this option is that, over time, the wheels can bind and eventually lock thus halting product flow.
  • The full width roller is a popular option if a retrofit is required. It is much easier to install but cannot be altered once fixed in place.

3. Shelving is a preferred storage medium when the freight is relatively smaller.

Think cartons, boxes, and bins under 2 metres square. The two major types are:

  • Wide Span shelving is used in environments where the materials are loose or can be stored in industrial tote bags. These shelves are usually stocked and emptied by hand, as opposed to using a forklift.
  • With industrial shelving, there are multiple levels in the shelving, while maintaining a small footprint. These can be open or have shelves and bins built in. It is built to store even smaller items than wide span shelving.

4. The upright frames and horizontal beams of most pallet racks are unmistakable in a warehouse.

They are most common storage option, but of the four types, which will suit your business best?

  • Drive-In Racking – This is a multi level system of racks creating multiple levels of storage. It is installed in a way that forklifts can drive in to store or retrieve goods, using a FIFO or LIFO sequence. It’s used in industries where square footage costs are much higher.
  • Single or Double Deep Racking – This is the most common type of racking available. Relatively easy to set up and allows for the best space utilisation of all storage options. However, taking full advantage of it, may require the use of specialised reach trucks.
  • Cantilever Racking – These are used for storing very long and rigid products. These goods can’t be stacked haphazardly and are better supported on arms rather than beams.
  • Pushback Racking – This involves the use of carts that can be stacked up to 6 deep. The slight decline toward the front beam allows the carts to roll out as the one in front is retrieved.

Warehouse storage options vary but with pallet racking provides the best ROI. Other advantages include:

  • The numerous options allows you to find the one that fits your specific needs
  • Initial installation costs are balanced by the long term savings.
  • The use of racking allows total stock control, as there is one pallet per space.
  • Pallet racking can be easily expanded by addition of extra beams.
  • Offer a high storage density.

Choosing the best type of racking for your warehouse will depend on the floor space and type of freight you handle.

While you can mix and match some of the storage options, most warehouses can do well enough with standard pallet racking.

Buying new or used? Contact Monarch Shelving Ltd. for expert advice on choosing and installing a storage rack.