Pallet Racking Guidelines: The Essentials

The product handling industry is packed with innovation and new tech. Behind all this, however, is the less thrilling, but equally important equipment, such as pallet racking. With all the moving parts of a material handling system, pallet racking is often seen as a basic element. It’s often considered last and is usually viewed as just a plain bit of the puzzle. However, there are many areas to consider when designing and ordering pallet racking. If not, how can you be sure you have the proper fit for your product handling system? This is why it’s important to have pallet racking guidelines in place so that you know everything about what you can and cannot store and how you can go about doing so.

Pallet Racking Guidelines: Storing the Products

First, you need to check the size and weight of the product, as it is important that you don’t want to put too much weight on the rack and risk breaking it. You should also ensure that the product doesn’t overhang the pallet. If it does, the racks may need to increase in width or depth.

Site Considerations

Health and Safety is the first thing you need to think about when it comes to the arrangements for your pallet racking. Be sure to have strict training and guides in place for handling your products to avoid any incidents. You should also consider other areas such as seismic classification, concrete floor specifications (which determines whether the concrete slab can support the weight of both the rack and products), separation requirements between the rack and building elements, and even building specific elements.

Pallet Racking Design

• Definitions – An upright frame that is made from two vertical columns with bracing between them. Horizontal beams connect the uprights together and support the pallets.
• Rack Profiles – This is a drawing that demonstrates the distance between beam levels for each racking bay. Additional bracing may be required if there are long spans between beam levels.
• Reinforcement – Extra bracing of the upright frame might be necessary and is determined by the distance between beam levels and the seismic classification. This can include thicker or doubles bracing and even a different bracing pattern that is closer together.
• Beam Design – this is driven by the seismic classification. It determines the size and type of connector and the ways in which the connectors are attached to the ends of the beams. The beam’s length is determined by establishing the clearances required between pallets as they are stored on the rack and the necessary distance between the pallets and the rack uprights.
• Closed Tube or Open Tube – This refers to the construction of the vertical columns of the upright frames. Columns can have an open back or closed back. This is often a customer preference, but there can be advantages of one over the other depending on your needs.
• Structural Steel Racking – This may be utilized in lieu of formed steel racking, based on what you need. Traditionally structural steel racking costs more than formed steel racking but can also offer more load capacities if required.
• Column Punching – These are the holes that are punched in the face of the vertical columns, to which the beams are connected. They can vary depending on the manufacturer. This is something to make note of in case the punching needs to match an existing pallet rack.
• Pallet Racking Accessories – The most common accessories are wire decks, pallet support bars, column protectors, and end-of-aisle guarding.
• Pick-Up and Drop-Off Stations – Pallet racking is commonly designed with one bay removed from the end of every other row. This is to ensure that pallets can be temporarily stored on the floor until it is time to put them away inside the racks. These are referred to as P&D Stations (Pick-Up and Drop-Off Stations).

Talk to Monarch Shelving

We hope you feel a bit more informed about Pallet Racking. If you would like to learn more, or you are interested in purchasing new or second-hand racking, then get in touch with Monarch Shelving today.