Common Pallet Racking Mistakes

By: Larry Rausch – Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Many prospective customers ask us about the importance of safety when it comes to pallet racking systems. In most every case the question surrounds the pallet racks themselves. This post is intended to provide an overview of the common mistakes we have seen users make that go far beyond the racking system itself.

Regardless of how your organization uses warehouse racking, safety should always be your foremost priority. Efforts to maintain stable and trustworthy structures involve proper installation, routine maintenance, the use of high-quality components and timely repairs following all impact events.

Pallet racks are considered the most effective and efficient option in warehouse storage solutions. Both new and used pallet racking systems are utilized by companies all throughout the world. These structures can be found in manufacturing facilities, fulfillment companies and retail outlets.

Over the years we have seen the following five most common mistakes that businesses make when it comes to protecting the integrity of these structures and the safety of their workers.

Not Understanding Size Ratios

A vital factor that many companies fail to account for is the height-to-depth ratio. This ratio should be 6:1 or lower and represents the ratio of the distance between the top beam level and the warehouse floor, divided by the frame’s depth. It is often necessary to use special base plates, overhead rack ties and anchors to achieve optimal stability considering this ratio.

Working with a trusted supplier is the best way to ensure overall rack safety. Whether you’ve purchased new or used pallet racking, having a solid maintenance and repair plan in place is critical. With proper employee training and excellent upkeep, you can avoid a host of common problems that could lead to significant loss.

Poor Pallet Rack Loading

There are numerous factors that can affect the capacity of a warehouse racking system. In addition to weight, you also have to consider the type, size and density of the goods that must be stored. The manner in which loads are positioned can have a significant impact as well, particularly for loads that are placed on the wire deck. This is not merely a weight versus structure exercise. Unless all relevant factors are considered in your loading strategy, things will eventually go awry.

Using The Racks As A Ladder

Pallet racking systems are meant to be used with specialized picking equipment. Unfortunately, many employees attempt to manually scale these structures. This is one of the most dangerous mistakes that a warehouse worker can make. In addition to the risk of falling, this places an undue amount of stress on key system components and could cause them to give way. Climbing these structures can also result in puncture wounds on the hands due to fractured or broken planks and protruding nails or other hardware.

Ignoring Pallet Rack Damage Control

There are countless forms of damage that warehouse racking systems can sustain. Improperly loading or overloading racks, forklift collisions and many other potential problems make it necessary for employees to always handle these structures with care. Forklift drivers should be trained on proper loading and equipment operating procedures, limiting the speeds of forklifts and keeping the work area free of debris. When considering the costs of training and routine inspections, it is important to note that just one collapsed bay will ultimately prove to be more costly than both of these preventative measures combined.

Stressing The Racking Systems

The pallet racking system that you use has a very specific weight limit and load capacity. The best way to avoid overloading these structures is to have a keen understanding of the system capacity before any items are put in place. Placing excess weight on these structures will invariably lead to collapse. Heavier pallets should always be stored at the back of each rack and at the lowest levels.

Conclusion

Based on many factors, many users of pallet racking systems make many mistakes in the daily use of these systems, resulting in product damage or worse yet, personal injury. Key mistakes include improper sizing, overloading the system and ignoring damage control to name just a few.

We hope this post provided you helpful information as it relates to the proper care and use of pallet racking systems.  To speak with one of our technical experts, please call 1-216-229-9300. And thank you for reading our post.

 

The Basics of Revamping and Configuring Your Pallet Racking System

By:  Larry Rausch – Vice President of Sales and Marketing

This post is intended to provide a high-level overview of the basics of revamping and configuring your pallet racking system. There are many more steps if you want to gain a better understanding of varying rack types and configurations. The key considerations include beam and uprights, the product size and the quantities of each that are needed.

Below we have outlined three simple steps to help you understand how to get going when setting up your pallet racking system.

We know that industrial strength racking rarely wears out, but sometimes warehouses and distribution centers change configurations and rearrange their layouts.  Other issues requiring a new layout is if the company gets a new product in and they need to make room for it.

Whatever reason, you will have to rearrange the pallet racking in your warehouse.  Like a giant Erector set, when you modify it, you are going to need more parts that match the set or it won’t work.  Yet you have noticed that some of the pallet racking you already have is no longer made, and the used stuff in that style is harder to find each and every day.

Below we have outlined three simple steps to help you understand how to get going when setting up or revamping your pallet racking system to accommodate growth or increased efficiency.

Understand The Beam and Upright Sizes

Determining the width of your shelving is very important in the planning process. In doing this,  you will have to determine how wide your shelves need to be. For example, if you have a typical pallet, you have 80″ of load on your shelf (based on two pallets per shelf) and with 4″ on each side of each pallet, you will need at minimum a 96″ beam.

Following width, you need to determine the necessary beam capacity. As stated above, once you have the rack width established, you will need to select the correct capacity beams for your load. Each shelf level will require two beams.

Choosing the uprights is as simple as figuring out how many shelf levels you want to have and using your pallet height to determine the needed upright height. Also keep in mind both load and total shelf capacities when choosing the correct upright. Upright depths will be strictly based on the depth of your pallets. You must keep the entire pallet load balanced on the front and rear rack beams.

Clearly Know The Size Of The Product

Start by measuring the width, depth and height of your pallets (typical pallets are 40″ wide x 48″ deep). You will also want to keep a little room between pallets to give yourself leeway when loading and unloading the rack. Keep note of this measurement as the rest of the steps will rely on these figures.

Determining the heaviest load weight is critical. Also important is the weight of the heaviest load you will be storing. Keep in mind, you must also include the weight of the pallet.

Step 3: How Much Do I Need?

Now you can determine the total number of beams and uprights you’ll need for your planned storage system. Remember, you can use one upright as a connecter for multiple bays of rack. Two racks in a row can share a center upright as long as the total shelf and upright capacities are within range.

Conclusion

Based on growth or adding new products, from time to time you may need to revamp or add more pallet racking systems.  The three keys are understanding the size of the products to be shelved, the size of the beams and uprights and how much of each you will need.

We hope this post provided you helpful information as it relates to revamping or adding new pallet racking systems. To speak with one of our technical experts, please call 1-216-229-9300. And thank you for reading our post.