Do you walk out into your warehouse and feel like it’s a chaotic and unorganized nightmare? Are there forklifts buzzing by, pallets scattered on the floor, and workers scrambling to figure out where products and inventory are located?
Or, are you looking for a warehouse management system to maximize the existing storage space in your facility and reduce “honeycombing” in your high-density storage areas?
You can reduce clutter, maximize your warehouse space, and increase worker productivity by investing in a warehouse pallet racking system. Pallet racking systems can solve a number of warehouse storage issues, including:
At Mazzella FHS, we understand how frustrating it can be to feel like your warehouse or distribution center isn’t as organized or working as efficiently as it could be. We offer a variety of warehouse solutions to solve any obstacle you may encounter and we work with our customers to deliver a custom solution that fits within their budget and time frame. We offer everything from simple selective rack and drive-in pallet racking, to more innovative and complex storage technologies and solutions.
In this article, we’ll talk about the different considerations for selecting the proper pallet rack storage system, and the different designs and components of the most popular pallet rack warehouse systems.
When designing a pallet rack system, some of the factors you need to understand are: total # of SKUs, total # of pallets, weight of material, inventory retrieval method, turnover time, and whether these will be full or split case picks.
Warehouse pallet racking can vary so much in terms of specifications, applications, and configurations. No two racking systems are exactly alike, and one system that has been designed for a similar building structure, or a similar product type, may not be the best design for your facility.
When considering the best type of warehouse racking system for your business, you should consider the factors below to maximize efficiency, streamline your processes, and get the best bang for your buck:
A stock keeping unit (SKU) is a unique number assigned by a retailer to items in their inventory. To understand the design and layout of a pallet rack storage system, you need to know how many SKUs will be stored in the rack system. For example, you may need to store six different SKUs on pallets, all with their own unique dimensions.
The total number of pallets you need to store per rack system.
You’ll need to know the dimensions of the pallet (width, depth, and height) in order to design the bays and racks to maximize storage space in your racking system.
How much does each pallet weigh? This will determine the capacity of the steel beams, what kind of decking can be used, and if any additional pallet supports are needed to support the materials.
Is it perishable, is it fragile, does it need to be climate controlled?
First-in First-out (FIFO) or Last-in First-out (LIFO) retrieval?
How long will the SKUs stay in your facility? Hours/weeks/months?
The same facility can utilize one method over another or utilize both methods for different products or processes:
Seismic activity can affect the size of footplates, beam sizes, and additional material required for rigidity and support of the system.
Protective plates (shown here) can be integrated into a racking system to protect impact areas from forklift or truck damage.
Below are some of the components and design factors for any type of warehouse storage or pallet rack system:
What material are the beams, uprights, and supports made from?
How will the pallets be supported? Common materials are steel beams, wire mesh decking, carts, gravity rollers, or solid decking (highly specialized for archiving applications).
Additional protection can be anchored into the ground and can be designed to take the brunt of a strike from a forklift or truck.
Galvanized material can be used for outdoor applications, as well as an epoxy or powder coat finish to protect against corrosion.
Selective pallet rack systems are inexpensive and designed to organize product and get pallets up and off of the floor.
Selective pallet racks are the most popular type of warehouse storage and pallet rack system on the market. They offer an inexpensive design and the largest selection of sizes and accessories to be custom configured for your warehouse storage application. Designed to get pallets off the warehouse floor and into a racking system, they provide immediate accessibility to store or unload pallets. Using selective pallet rack systems allows you to fully utilize your warehouse floor space as well as efficiently manage worker time.
Picture a really big book shelving system and you’ll understand how selective rack systems work. Selective storage racks are adjustable—allowing you to change the beam levels so you can find the right height for your load, or reconfigure the entire system for new or different sized pallets. This flexibility allows you to customize and maximize storage space within the racking systems.
Selective pallet racks are available in both roll formed and structural steel to accommodate your budget and support requirements.
Selective pallet racks are great for: Standard storage of all needs that require immediate access to products or pallets.
Inventory management: First-In First-Out (FIFO) retrieval
Drive-in pallet rack systems maximize warehouse space and allow for high-density storage of similar products or SKUs.
Drive-in rack systems offer maximum-density storage of similar products and pallets in your warehouse. Drive-in rack systems eliminate aisles in a warehouse facility because the drive-in system is made for storing high quantities of similar product which use the same entry and exit point for each bay or rack. Since drive-in rack systems are fork-lift accessible, they offer maximum-density storage and product or pallets may be stored in lanes up to six or more positions deep on the rack.
A forklift enters the racking from one side to load a pallet on to the back of the rack. From there, the pallets are loaded in working from front to back—giving more depth and up to 3X the amount of storage as selective pallet racking. This results in lower storage cost per pallet, per square foot.
Drive in racking can be single entry where forklifts have access to one side only, or double entry where the forklifts can access both sides of the racking structure.
The drive-in system can be designed specifically to best fit your needs with different heights and depths, as well as a wide variety of different components. This system can be ordered in roll formed or structural steel for more support. If you are looking for a space saving solution that can increase warehouse area, consider the drive-in system.
Drive-in pallet rack systems are great for:
Inventory management: Last-In First-Out (LIFO) retrieval
Push back pallet racks are high-density storage solutions that load pallets from the front onto a nested cart system that slides on inclined rails.
Push back rack systems are designed to allow for dense storage of product that doesn’t require First-in First-Out retrieval. Push back pallet racks are stationary rack structures that load pallets from the front onto a nested cart system that slides on inclined rails.
A push back rack system is great for high-density storage of multiple product lines or SKUs. This product uses a design that eliminates maintenance and offers greater selectivity. In a push back system, a pallet is placed on a free rolling cart that is pushed back in to the system each time an additional pallet is loaded on to the system. These systems are available in two, three, four, five, and six-deep cart configurations. Because the pallets slide down to the aisle position, a push back pallet rack is significantly faster to load and unload than a comparable drive-in rack.
In the push back system, everything can be accessed from the aisle while utilizing a Last-In First-Out (LIFO) method of storage. This system provides multiple pick faces while using fewer aisles, therefore opening up more warehouse space.
Push back pallet racking systems are great for: Warehouses that need selectivity of selective racking, but flexibility and high-density storage of drive-in pallet racking.
Inventory management: Last-In First-Out (LIFO) retrieval
A pallet is placed on the “loading” side, then is moved to the “picking” side using gravity rollers. As each load is removed, the pallet behind it automatically moves one position closer to the picking position.
Pallet flow racks, or “gravity flow” racks are a dynamic storage system that use gravity rollers to automate pallet storage and retrieval and increase storage efficiency. Using a pallet flow storage system can double or even triple the storage capacity in your facility compared to other methods.
A pallet is placed on the “loading” side and is then moved to the “picking” side using gravity rollers. As each load is removed, the pallet behind it automatically moves forward one position closer to the picking position. This makes for an automatic stock rotation, therefore, reducing labor costs.
Thanks to the pallet flow system, companies notice that inventory turnover becomes quick and efficient. Pallet speed can be controlled by the type of rollers and brakes engineered into the system. This system is heavily utilized by companies which have expiration date-sensitive products, which is why they are heavily utilized in freezer warehouse or food distribution centers. Pallet flow systems offer accessories to fit the needs of your product and can be designed to accommodate a depth of up to 20 pallets.
Pallet flow racking systems are great for: Companies who store or distribute dairy, deli, pharmaceuticals, or other date-sensitive or perishable items.
Inventory management: First-In First-Out (FIFO) retrieval
Carton flow systems can be loaded from the back and the product cartons slide down gravity-fed rollers or wheels to the front of the racking for picking and packing orders.
Essentially, carton flow racking systems are the same as pallet flow racks, but designed for boxes and small products, or split case picking. While using the First in First out (FIFO) method, carton flow rack brings a dramatic upgrade in cost-savings because it improves warehouse efficiency by organizing product and rotating stock automatically.
Typically found in warehouses with high volume order picking, these systems can be loaded from the back and the product cartons slide down gravity-fed rollers or wheels to the front of the racking system for picking and packing orders.
Since the system uses gravity as a free source of power, carton flow can save anywhere from 25% – 75% in labor costs over your standard storage solution. Carton flow rack systems are versatile and can accommodate fast-moving to slow-moving inventory, and are ideal for odd-shaped cases, cartons, bins, or merchandise.
Carton flow pallet racking systems are great for: Warehouses that utilize split-carton picking and require high-volume order picking. Common applications include order fulfillment centers, food and beverage distribution centers, small parts distributors, etc.
Inventory management: First-In First-Out (FIFO) retrieval
Cantilever racks are comprised of towers, arms, and bases to store long, items like tubing, pipes, bars, and lumber.
Cantilever racks are the best solution for storing longer, bulky items without an aisle upright column to limit horizontal storage space. Their design allows them to be built out of towers, arms, and bases. In most cases, these are stand-alone systems that don’t need to be tied back to the building for support. The components of the system can be roll formed or made from structural steel and can also be galvanized for use in outdoor storage yards or in tough and demanding environments.
With adjustable arms, cantilever rack systems are practical for storing even some of the most difficult items. These types of warehouse rack systems maintain a high load capacity and also offer versatility, durability, and easy installation.
Cantilever rack systems are available in roll formed or structural steel to suit different obligations such as weight, size or space. This rack system offers plenty of accessories to fit the needs of your product.
Cantilever racking systems are great for: Storing long bulky items like piping, lumber, steel sheet, and even boats. Really, anything that is long, flat, oddly-shaped, or low-profile is a great candidate for cantilever rack storage.
From simple selective racks to more innovative and complex storage technologies and solutions, FHS can work with you to design and install a pallet rack system for any facility or budget.
At Mazzella FHS, our Warehouse Solutions team is dedicated to helping design, plan, and execute our customer’s warehouse needs. Our talented and experienced team consists of technicians, system installers, project engineers, project managers, and a dedicated sales and support staff.
We also have our own fabrication shop where custom components and solutions are modified and, when required, fully fabricated.
If you’re interested in partnering with an innovative warehouse storage designer and manufacturer, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We offer consultation services that will help guide you through the entire warehouse operation, from start to finish.
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