Racking Storage Solutions

Faqs

Q: What is the calculation of a pallet rack load capacity?

A: In determining your pallet rack load capacity, three primary components are to be taken into account: load beam options, upright frame options and deck capacity. The step wise procedure is as follows:

  1. Determine Load Weight: Find the weight that each pallet can hold at the maximum weight of the product and the pallet.
  2. Take into Account Bay Configuration: Each level of the pallet rack can accommodate two or three pallets and the standard pallet weighed around 2,000 lbs.
  3. Capacity of Cheque Beams: The capacity of each beam pair should have the capacity to handle the total weight of pallets on that level.
  4. Cheque Upright Capacity: The uprights should be able to sustain the entire weight of all the loaded levels.
  5. General capacity ratings assume the case of uniformly distributed loads (UDL)- loads that are continuously distributed across the entire rack deck area.

Note: It is important to always have a safety margin and not operate past the designated capacity of the manufacturer. It is a good idea to have a professional evaluation of complicated settings.

Q: What kind of racking system will fit my warehouse layout and my product types?

A: The optimal racking system will rely on a number of considerations:

By Product Access Needs:

  • Selective Racking: Ideal in the warehouses that experience high rates of pallet travel and retrieving, which provide easy access to any pallet in this specific aisle.
  • Drive-In/Drive-Through: This is optimal in high density storage where SKU counts are minimal, and either LIFO (drive-in) or FIFO (drive-through) inventory control is used.
  • Push-Back Racking: This type is appropriate in the warehouse where there is high turnover of certain merchandise using FEFO inventory approach.

By Space Constraints:

  • A smaller warehouse that has limited floor space is a good place to implement high-density solutions such as drive-in or push-back racks.
  • To maximise the use of the vertical space, look at pallet flow racks or drive through systems that may extend to the floor to the ceiling.

By Product Characteristics:

  • unusual shaped or heavy objects could need specialised racks such as cantilever racking.
    Flow-throughs or drive-through racks are examples of FIFO systems required to ensure perishable goods are kept.
  • Low quantities on individual SKUs and large SKU variety is best suited to selective racking.

Q: What is that distinction between racking and shelving?

The key distinction between shelving and racking is that in the first method, products are involved in the system through the addition of the product and the extraction through manual methods, whereas in pallet racking, palletized material is stored and exchanged using forklift trucks.

Key Distinctions:

Racking Systems:

  • Engineered to carry palletized goods.
  • Material handling equipment (forklifts) is required.
  • Construction of heavy loads in industries.
  • Has 2000+ pounds per pallet location on average.
  • Applied to store large amounts of data in warehouses.

Shelving Systems:

  • Picked manually, one item at a time.
  • Hand loading and retrieving.
  • Lighter duty construction
  • Bins, boxes or used on smaller objects.
  • Widely used in retail, archives and parts storage.

Q. What type of racking would be most appropriate with heavy/bulky items?

A: Each of the three primary categories of warehouse racking can be configured to be heavy duty, yet the right answer would be determined by your specific requirements based on the size of items, access frequency, space requirements needed in a storage area and available space.

There are two best alternatives to consider heavy/bulky items:

  1. Cantilever Racking – Suits best:
  • Heavy, clumsy (lumber, pipes, steel beams) materials.
  • Irregularly-shaped items.
  • Can support 1,500 to 18,000 pounds per arm
  • No front columns to allow free loading.
  1. The best is structural Selective Racking:
  • Massive palletized loads with high frequency of access requirement.
  • Pallet selectivity needed on items.
  • Reinforceable to carry extra heavy loads.
  1. Drive-ins Racking- Suitable to:
  • Bulky goods that are stored in bulk.
  • Same SKU stored in depth
  • Storage of heavy products at the maximum density.

Q: Can the safety of the warehouse be enhanced with the help of pallet racking systems?

A: Yes. Another good method of optimising the safety of your building is the pallet racking systems. To avoid accidents you can instal aisles that are clear and properly sized to manoeuvre your forklifts, places where you store products so they can be coded and that are properly sized as well.

Safety Benefits Include:

  1. Organised Traffic Flow: aisles minimise collisions on forklifts and pedestrian accidents.
  2. Proper Load Distribution: Engineered systems do not overload the collapse.
  3. Minimised Manual Handling: Mechanical retrieval at height minimises the risk of injury.
  4. Code Compliance: The racking corresponds to OSHA and fire safety guidelines.
  5. Everything is in View: Having a well-organised storage enhances visibility and eliminates blind spots.
  6. Stable Storage: Well anchored racks are used to avoid falling and tipping of products.

Maintenance Requirements: Racks should be examined at least once a year, and as soon as possible in case of any equipment damage.

Q: What is the kind of wood materials that can be stored?

A: Lumber storage racks are able to receive a very diverse range of wood materials such as:

  • Dimensional Lumber: Pre-cut wood that are of standard size such as 2x4s, 2x6s, and 4x4s which are used in the construction industry.
  • Timber Beams: This is larger and heavier wood that is utilised in the construction of framing, bridges, and heavy work.
  • Plywood and Sheet Goods: Wide sheets and flat such as plywood, MDF and particleboard.
  • Hardwood: Furniture and cabinetry: Furniture and cabinetry made of high grade woods such as oak, maple, or cherry.
  • Engineered Wood Products Laminated veneer lumber (LVL), oriented strand board (OSB), and other engineered wood products.

Storage Considerations:

  • Lumber storage goes through three major processes, which are drying (to manage the moisture content), processing (both the raw logs and cut materials), and holding (keep the condition of the storage)
  • Timber packages are to be placed on five rollers so as to fit different lengths of timber which can easily roll to their storage places.
  • The type of wood used might have to have varying spacing of the arms and support set ups to avoid warping and breakage.