Choosing the right pallet racking for your warehouse
While building or designing your warehouse, you need to make best possible use of every out of space in your warehouse by determining the right pallet racking for your needs. To choose the right pallet designs you need to determine the size, height, beam size, load capacity etc. of the pallets. Another item of importance is what type of forklift you are using because the forklift mast height will have a bearing on the height of the uprights for your pallet racking.
Selective Pallet Racks (Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) or Wide Aisle) is the most common warehouse racking and offers immediate access to each storage unit (SKU).
Gravity-Flow (FIFO) offers maximum density for high-volume goods, expiration date sensitive inventory.
Double Deep (LIFO) increases density for storage units with quantities of 1 or more. Double Deep storage allows up to 33% additional storage over conventional selective pallet racks.
Push Back (LIFO) allows up to 5 loads deep to be stored from each side of the aisle for increased density, each pick face has its own SKU, and uses a standard forklift truck for pick & stock of inventory. Push Back allows up to 75% additional storage over conventional selective pallet racking.
Drive-In (LIFO) provides high density for storage units with large volume storage of the same product.
Double-Wide Drive-In( LIFO) provides the highest density for storage units with large volume storage of the same product. These systems can store up to 100% additional storage in the same amount of space as selective pallet rack, and up to 35% more dense storage than single drive-in/drive-through racking systems. This system decreases labour costs 50% by moving two pallets at a time, and can accommodate any size pallets.
One important point is to consider is the amount of abuse to which the racking will be exposed. Innovative storage methods do not always mean a significant capital expense. Often it is worthwhile to bring in some outside help to help you understand how the entire system should function.
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