Pallet Racks

A pallet rack system is the support system that is used to store pallets and palletized items in large storage facilities such as warehouses and commercial outlets. Pallet racks are typically made of a combination of angled iron and coordinating grids. The type of pallet rack system that is best for use at a particular organization is determined through the process of pallet rack design. Designing an appropriate pallet rack system includes understanding the loading system at the facility, the frequency at which inventory is moved onto or removed from the racking system, the types of materials or inventory items that will be stored and the space available and allocated for a pallet rack system.

Pallet rack systems provide the infrastructure upon which multiple tiers and rows of heavily loaded pallets can be stored. A manually operated forklift is most often used to place items within the pallet rack system and remove the items as required. However, there are some pallet rack systems that are designed for use with more advanced technologies such as a robot-controlled forklift. Every pallet rack system should increase the amount of inventory that can be stored within the available space. An efficiently designed storage rack system will also allow for easy placement and removal of inventory without damage to the materials or pallets and while making the best use of available space for storage needs.

Some of the most popular and functional forms of industrial shelving are pallet rack systems. Pallet rack systems consists of a shelving infrastructure that is designed to store inventory as well as make it easy to remove and add items to inventory that is secured to pallets. Pallet racks combine a stationary rack structure and flexible flow rails with rollers. The rollers are attached to the rails which are then placed in a slightly downward position to allow for easy entry and exit of merchandise that is stored on pallets. A pallet rack system is typically best designed by those who specialize in pallet rack systems. Although it is feasible to design your own pallet rack system, those who have the experience and knowledge of providing appropriate pallet rack systems to other businesses will generally be aware of tips and techniques that will improve upon any pallet rack system you might configure on your own.

In order to obtain the proper type of shelving or racking for your individual needs, you, your suppliers and pallet rack system designers need to take into consideration many details. The size of the pallets that will be used is critical to designing a pallet rack system that will accommodate your goods. The height requirements to adequately and safely store your goods are equally important to the pallet rack system infrastructure. Load capacity and type of decking required also need to be considered when designing a pallet rack system and should include some sense of potential future needs.

Many industrial shelving specialists provide new pallet rack systems that include used pallet racks as part of the configuration. This can substantially reduce the cost of your pallet rack system without sacrificing quality or durability. If you are looking to purchase pallet racks or a pallet rack system, it could be worth your while to investigate used pallet racks.

Those companies that have chosen to replace their pallet rack system or may have closed the doors on a particular warehouse or outlet that included pallet racks can often recoup some of their financial investment by selling the pallet rack system or the components and accessories specific to their pallet racks to a company that specializes in and provides industrial shelving. Although these systems and pallet racks may be used, if the configuration was appropriate for the business to begin with there should be no significant functional structural damage to the pallet rack system. Most warehouse environments are not as concerned about the cosmetic appearance of their rack system as they are about the condition and ease of accessibility to their merchandise. Therefore cosmetic damage may be evident but will not affect the functionality of the pallet rack system.

Used pallet racks and pallet rack systems are also available for purchase from private parties through a variety of sources such as online auction sites, closeout sales and both print and online classified ads. The costs of many overhead expenses can notably affect the bottom line of a business. Therefore it makes good business sense to investigate used pallet racks before you invest in new pallet racks or pallet rack systems.

There are many accessories available to optimize a pallet rack system. Many of the available pallet rack accessories are designed to improve the overall strength and to effectively accommodate various height, width and depth requirements. Those accessories that are designed for pallet rack systems that improve the strength of the unit include skid supports, pallet supports, column protectors and ties specifically designed to attach pallet racks to each other or to a wall. Because industries that utilize rack systems often have a high turnover of inventory, it is critically important that the pallet rack system be strong enough to hold inventory items as well as maintain that strength throughout repeated removal and restocking.

A rack system should be able to accommodate all inventory and storage needs of the particular area of the facility. Pallet rack systems are very flexible in nature and design, and additional accessories can aid in utility. Dividers and drawers can transform a portion of the rack system to accommodate less common inventory items and even allow it to be configured as a retail display. Because pallet rack system accessories can be added and configured for use within the unit after purchase, the pallet rack accessories can help address future inventory and storage needs that might not have been foreseen at the time of the original purchase of the pallet rack system.

A drive through or drive thru pallet rack system is an alternative warehouse solution to drive in pallet rack systems and other industrial shelving options. A drive through pallet rack system provides an entry into inventory rows at both ends, which can enhance the efficiency at which forklift operators can stow and retrieve palletized merchandise. Drive through pallet rack systems provide optimum efficiency for 'first in, first out' warehouse procedures, also known as a FIFO storage method.

A first in/first out pallet racking system enables loading of pallets at one end which are then pushed toward the other end where they will appear in the front of the that row. These can them be removed in the order in which the items were stocked. This is especially important to any industry that provides goods that have an expiration date or limited shelf life.

A drive through pallet racking system can be essential to optimizing warehouse space and efficient use of skilled laborers. Though a drive through pallet rack system may initially cost more to implement than a simpler pallet rack storage infrastructure, the initial cost is often recouped very quickly through the increased ability to meet customer demands swiftly and accurately. Drive through pallet racking systems are one prime example of working smarter – not harder – in order to effectively, efficiently and accurately stock and retrieve merchandise in a warehouse type environment.

Drive-in and pallet rack systems and storage rack displays are one of the most common forms of industrial shelving configurations. With shelving and support systems to accommodate inventory arranged in a drive in pattern, a forklift is able to move directly into the isles that accommodate the stacked rows of palletized items using a common exit and entry point. Because merchandise is stocked in a last in, first out basis – also known as LIFO – this stocking method is not always preferred for use within businesses that stock and sell merchandise that is time sensitive or has a limited shelf life. With only one entry and exit point, the most efficient way to distribute inventory is by having forklift operators remove the last item on a shelf when retrieval is necessary, while incoming palletized units can be quickly put onto the shelves in place of items sold.

Pallets are used to protect and ease the transportation of typically large, heavy merchandise. Because of the size and weight of pallets and pallet rack systems that temporarily store inventory in preparation for future sale, important safety factors have to be taken into consideration at all times. One thing to remember is that pallet rack systems are not meant for climbing or for being stepped upon. Slips and falls that are incurred by those who climb or step on pallet rack systems can be severe in nature and are easily avoided with the use of a forklift, which should be mandatory in such environments.

Periodic inspection of pallets and pallet rack systems can help to avoid potential dangers. Pallet rack system frames and components should be regularly examined for structural stability. Any fractured or broken planks or stringers, absent support blocks and protruding nails must be attended to immediately. To not correct these types of issues can result in problems with loading and unloading merchandise, and loose stringers can become entangled in pallet racks causing inventory to fall to the ground from high positions. This endangers employees and may damage merchandise. If the public is exposed to your pallet racking system in any way, you will want to ensure the safety of your employees, merchandise and customers by repeating pallet rack inspections frequently.

There are a variety of industrial shelving options that can facilitate warehouse organization and ease the process by which palletized merchandise is both stored and retrieved for sale. Push back pallet racking systems are based upon the principle of organization by depth as opposed to width. Organizing palletized merchandise on a pallet rack system using a push back pallet rack system design results in the reduction of the amount of space needed in lanes or isles and increases storage density. Industrial shelving configured in a push back pallet rack system requires rows to be organized multiple pallets deep. Wheeled carts that fit onto the rails of the pallet racks make use of naturally occurring gravitational pull. Forklifts that place are used to place a pallet onto the wheeled cart causes the pallet to subtly knock into the next pallet, which causes the entire row of pallets to roll back. When pallets are removed from the front position the pallets that remain are positioned to move forward so that the next available pallet becomes easily accessible. It is common to incorporate a conveyor to move pallets more with ease along a slight slope. This type of system may also include technologically advanced motion and braking systems to adjust the speed of moving pallets.

If you no longer have use for old pallets and an old pallet rack system, you might be able to recover some of your financial investment by selling your pallets and pallet rack system on eBay. EBay is by far the most popular online auction site, and many items for sale are posted with a 'buy it now' price or a predetermined price, as opposed to being offered as auction items. This gives the seller the flexibility to assign a set price and hope a buyer appears or start the auction process by which eBay visitors can bid on the items you are selling. EBay does permit a 'reserve price', meaning that you will not have to sell your items until a site visitor offers at least the reserve price. The downside to reserves and buy it now pricing is that if your pallets or pallet rack systems do not sell at the reserve price or the buy it now price you are still responsible for listing fees. It is always a good idea to include as much information as possible about the pallet rack system or pallets you are selling, including multiple detailed photographs and informative text. Since eBay is accessible by many people in many different areas of the world, it is also a good idea to include delivery as the buyers responsibility, removing you from any liability should the pallets or pallet system be damaged in transit.