How to Select Pallet Racks For Your Warehouse

Warehouse management is an industry that is growing every year. As this continues to occur, the daily demands of the workforce inside the warehouse increase as well. Supplies and inventory are two of these factors that increase consistently. As these numbers begin to rise, you will need a method of efficiency to properly house your products. Shelving and pallet racks come in all shapes and sizes and allow warehouse and logistics managers the flexibility they need to store items effectively.

Pallet rack shelving is a common feature in warehouses, and when selecting pallet racks, you should be certain you follow proper procedures for measurements and calculations. To make sure you have the correct size, you will need to take measurements of available space and construct a layout based on where you plan to place the shelving. It is important to check the accessibility and ensure forklifts can maneuver around the shelving and enough space is available for aisle width and ceiling height.

Steps to Picking the Right Pallet Rack

1. Determine the size of your pallet to be stored.
2. Determine the overall load W x D x H.
• For the overall height, add the load and pallet heights together.
• Example: load height 42″ + pallet height 6″ = 48″ overall height. Overall load: 42″W x 48″D x 48″H.
3. Beam Width.
• Determine the width of your pallet/load and allow a minimum of 4″ between the upright frame and the load and a minimum of 4″ between loads.
• Example: to store (2) 42″W loads. 4 + 42 + 4 + 42 + 4 = 96″ wide beam
4. Beam Capacity.
• Multiply the weight of the pallet and load by the number of pallets per level.
• Example: two pallets with a weight of 2500 lbs. each per level. 2500 lbs x 2 pallets per level = 5000 lb. beam capacity minimum requirement.
5. Upright Depth.
• The depth of the upright frames should be your pallet depth (48″) minutes (6″) (3″ overhang in the front and 3″ overhang in the back).
• Example: 48″ – 6″ = 42″ deep upright.
6. Upright Height.
• Determine the overall load height. Add a minimum of 6″ clearance between top of load and next level of beams. Add the beam heigh and multiply by the amount of upper levels required (do not count floor level).
• Example (4 shelf levels): 48″H + 6″ (for clearance) + 5″ (beam height) = 59″. 3 upper levels x 59 = 177″ high upright.

United Rack Solutions is your one stop warehouse solutions in Pennsylvania, contact us today

You may reach on our website here UnitedRackSolutions.com, you will find all of the details needed to make an informative decision when it comes to choosing that right kind of shelving system to meet your needs.