Pallet racking is an essential part of any warehouse or distribution center. It allows businesses to store and organize products efficiently and effectively. There are various types of pallet racking, including specialized equipment for specific product types. Choosing the correct type of pallet racking for your particular business needs is essential.
Pallet racks are typically made from heavy-duty steel to withstand frequent use. Since most are designed to store pallets, they can accommodate various items, from lightweight pharmaceuticals to heavy-duty building supplies. Whether you need to store boxes, containers, or machinery, pallet racks can provide the perfect solution.
Many pallet racking systems are easy to assemble and disassemble, so you can quickly adjust your storage needs as required. They are essential to virtually every warehouse, storage facility, or distribution center.
Why You Need Pallet Racking for Your Warehouse
There are several advantages to using pallet racks in your warehouse or distribution center. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is that pallet racks allow you to store products efficiently and organize your warehouse for maximum productivity. They can accommodate various items across your facilities, from food distribution centers to outdoor storage yards. They are versatile and useful for any warehouse storage space.
Another major advantage of pallet racks is that they are easy to assemble and disassemble, making them adaptable to your specific storage needs. If you need to adjust your storage capacity, you can quickly and easily reconfigure your pallet racks to meet your new needs. With so many benefits, it’s easy to see why pallet racks are essential to any business.
Different Types of Pallet Racking
Warehouse space is at a premium, particularly in busy facilities and fast-moving distribution centers. It is important to use maximum warehouse space to ensure high efficiency and productivity. Choosing the right type of pallet racking for your warehouse space and business needs is fundamental for fast, safe, and accurate order picking.
There are many types of pallet rack storage systems available to warehouse managers. When selecting storage solutions, opt for a system that offers sufficient storage density, easy access to inventory, and is compatible with your material handling equipment. By taking the time to assess the needs of the business and choosing the right type of pallet racking, companies can maximize volume order picking and reduce their overall storage cost per pallet.
At Shelving + Rack Systems, Inc., we carry a wide range of pallet rack storage systems from industry-leading brands. Our extensive inventory list delivers a selection of new and used storage solutions. We provide equipment at various prices, ensuring you can find traditional storage systems or modernized warehouse rack systems that align with your budget.
Some of our most popular warehouse pallet rack systems include:
Cantilever Rack Systems
Cantilever rack storage systems are designed to hold bulky or cumbersome items such as lumber, piping, siding, and furniture. A cantilever system is a freestanding rack structure with arms that extend from the main upright column. The arms support the load. These units are highly versatile and can be adjusted to accommodate different load sizes. They can even be fitted with decking to house palletized inventory.
Cantilever systems are strong, durable, and even customizable. They are often made from heavy-duty or structural steel, providing your warehouse facility with up to two decades of reliable service. We stock several cantilever racks and common components, helping you build a safe and robust storage system.
Our Series 2000 medium to heavy duty cantilevers are some of the strongest and most durable systems. Each arm level can support up to 32,600 lbs. when equipped with sturdy double-sided upright frames. These units are ideal storage solutions for large, slow-moving inventory and bulky items, like steel sheet packs, building supplies, or machinery.
This dynamic storage option is easy to install and reconfigure. Each upright column is adjustable, facilitating manual loading and unloading. However, the cantilever design ensures the base is open for seamless forklift access. The high-quality steel build can endure significant abuse from forklift damage.
Selective Pallet Rack Systems
Selective pallet racks are one of the most popular storage solutions for businesses because they offer a high degree of flexibility. Selective racks can be adjusted to accommodate different types and sizes of products, and they can be easily reconfigured if your storage needs change.
Selective racks provide good visibility and access to stored items, which makes them ideal for businesses that frequently restock their inventory. If you are considering implementing a selective pallet rack system in your business, you should keep a few things in mind.
First, you must decide what type of selective rack system best suits your needs. You will also need to consider the height of the selective rack system. Selective racks are available in various sizes, so they can accommodate the tallest items you plan to store.
Next, you must decide how many shelves you want in your selective rack system. This largely depends on whether you require high-density storage solutions for high-volume SKUs or lower-density decking for lightweight pallet loads. While selective racks aren’t typically used for bulk storage, structural steel varieties can meet significant load requirements at affordable costs.
Finally, you must determine what racking material you need. Selective racks are available in various steel types, including structural steel, heavy gauge steel, and galvanized steel. Galvanized dipped, or powder-coated steel is a must for cold storage applications. Regular heavy gauge steel may be adequate for a standard storage solution.
Our galvanized steel selective racking is one of the most efficient pallet rack solutions for a harsh warehouse facility. It can be configured for a range of uses and product sizes and takes advantage of vertical and horizontal space. Designed for first-out (FIFO) retrieval, these racks offer easy product access and straightforward stock management. The durable coating can handle some abuse from forklift damage.
Pallet Flow Racking Systems
Pallet flow racks are often called several other names, like gravity flow or carton flow systems. Complex storage technologies like pallet flow racking systems are designed to increase storage efficiency in warehouses and distribution facilities. These systems use inclined rails and floor tracks to gravity-feed pallets from a loading area to a picking location. By using the natural force of gravity, pallet flow systems can minimize the time and effort required to retrieve stored items.
Since it is not a standard storage solution, a pallet flow storage system can be quite expensive. However, with minimum static access aisles, carton flow rack systems may also reduce labor costs significantly.
The main advantage of gravity flow racks is efficiency. This system moves product cartons quickly along the rails, facilitating high inventory turnover. It is an excellent option for food and beverage distribution centers or pharmaceutical plants with high volume order fulfillment requirements.
We stock key components for pallet flow racks, including conveyor systems and gravity rollers. One of our most popular conveyor picking modules is our heavy-duty roller conveyor from Roll-A-Way Conveyors, Inc. The sturdy frame is built from a 10-gauge steel frame, and the conveyor systems use 16-gauge galvanized gravity rollers.
Each frame can support up to 1,400 lbs., while the gravity rollers can withstand 250 lbs. apiece. These durable units offer efficient inventory turnover in the long term.
Push-Back Pallet Rack Systems
Push-back pallet racks are a type of high-density storage system. Unlike traditional pallet racks, which have upright frames, push-back racks have a series of continuous rails that run along the length of the rack. These rails allow pallets to be pushed back into the rack rather than stored in front of it. This provides improved storage capacity and reduces the racking system’s area. By reducing that area, the aisles are wider, making it easier to access the items on the shelves.
This type of warehouse pallet rack is typically used in conjunction with other storage systems, such as mezzanines, interior modular buildings, or conveyor belts. These systems can provide an effective and efficient method of storing and retrieving items in warehouses. These high-density storage solutions can increase storage efficiency in a compact space.
Like most other storage racking systems, push-back racks are built on steel frames. We carry a variety of frames in several different configurations, according to your warehouse design. Our Tri-Boro pallet rack frames are highly-versatile and compatible with various racks, including tear drop style units. They feature self-engaging integral beam connector safety locks for improved stability and safety.
The beams are made from one-piece seams with no exposed welds. These units are finished with a powder-baked coat, providing long-term durability and scratch resistance.
Drive-In Rack Systems
Drive-in racking is a type of storage system that allows forklifts to drive directly into the racks, providing high-density storage and efficient space utilization. This system is often used in warehouses and distribution centers where there is a need to store large quantities of similar products.
One of the main advantages of drive-in racking is that it allows forklifts to enter the rack structure from one side. This can reduce your overall costs and time needed to pick and load orders, which opens up more space in the aisles. In addition, drive-in racking can also help to improve safety by reducing the time forklifts are operating in the aisleways.
Upgrade Your Pallet Rack Storage Systems with Shelving + Rack Systems, Inc.
Shelving + Rack Systems, Inc. is a leading warehouse shelving and pallet rack storage systems supplier. We stock new and used warehouse shelving and racking for industrial facilities, distribution centers, and retail stores. Our comprehensive inventory includes high-quality accessories and replacement parts, ensuring you can maintain your system year-round.
We also provide design, planning, and consultation services. If you need help with a facility overhaul, our team is available to create a plan from scratch. Our installation crews can assemble and integrate your new equipment, ensuring it is safe and fully operational.
Contact us today for more information on pallet racks and our ancillary services. Browse our online catalog to view our entire product range.
