Whether you are planning a new warehouse space from scratch or upgrading an existing space, one of the best areas to focus on is your pallet rack design. Taking the time to fully understand your needs is the key to creating an effective system that fits with your company’s goals. It might seem straightforward, but consider that pallets which are racked incorrectly waste valuable space in your facility, decreasing efficiency and potentially costing your company revenue. Here are some important things to think about when drawing up your pallet rack design.
Load-Bearing Requirements
While the size of the pallets you are storing can inform some decisions you make in the planning stage, it is definitely more important to think about the size of the load being stored. Sometimes, product can overhang from the pallet, so that will also need to be considered. If your pallet racks aren’t able to handle the load you expect them to, it can cause serious damage and potentially even injure your floor staff.
Compensate for Shock Loads
Another common reason why pallet racking fails is because there was no thought given to the shock factor when loading a pallet onto the rack. A shock load occurs when the pallet is dropped onto the rack. If you have a load-bearing requirement in mind, add about 25% to this number and build according to it so you won’t have any surprise failures after a pallet is dropped onto your racking.
Give Your Team Space to Maneuver
Most experts recommend designing a pallet rack so that you have around six inches of space between the top of your pallet load and the bottom of the rack above it. This allows you to have plenty of lift-off height when loading and unloading the rack.
Keep Building Codes in Mind
Some municipalities may have regulations surrounding the building of pallet racks in an industrial facility, so double check before building or consult with an expert familiar with these rules.
For Exceptional Pallet Racking Solutions, Contact S.W. Betz!
The S.W. Betz Company, Inc. has been providing businesses in Maryland and beyond with all of their essential Weighing, Material Handling, Dock, and Warehouse equipment since 1933. We also offer warehouse layout and design logistics solutions from experienced, knowledgeable experts.
We carry a variety of top warehouse equipment brands to help with your design logistics, such as: Wesco, Magliner, Cogan, Quantum Storage Systems, and more.
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If you would like to learn more about pallet racking or warehouse design, or you have further questions, please contact S.W. Betz by calling 410-574-1414 or 800-332-0322 today! You can count on the S.W. Betz Company to work with you and provide you with our extensive knowledge of the industry.