Learning About Industrial Safety Equipment

Tips For Choosing The Right Warehouse Racks

by Jonathan Carroll

If your company moves a lot of inventory from a distribution center to individual stores, then you'll need an efficient storage system in place in the warehouse. An efficient system helps maximize storage space and decreases wasted time. The key to a good storage system is the type of warehouse racks you choose for storing pallets of inventory. Here are some tips for helping you pick the right ones for your distribution center.

When You Have Plenty Of Space 

If space is not a problem in your distribution center, then you might prefer selective, or single-deep, pallet racks. These are one pallet deep per shelf so the pallets are easily accessible to a forklift. A selective rack system is also beneficial if you have a wide variety of inventory and you need access to each pallet. This type of racking system can be several levels high and several pallets wide, but it is just one pallet deep. In order to reach each pallet easily, the racks have to be separated by aisles so the forklift can operate between the rows of racks. This system is convenient and popular, but it takes up a lot of space when compared to other forms of warehouse racks.

When You Have Multiple Pallets Of The Same Goods

If your inventory consists of multiple pallets of the same goods, then a push back racking system might work better than a selective system because it takes up much less room. Instead of being one pallet deep, you can push a pallet all the way to the back and store pallets with identical goods in front of it. A push back racking system can be several pallets deep. This eliminates aisles from your racking layout so more of the floor can be used for storage space. Double-deep racks are a similar storage system, but these are only two pallets deep.

If you store a lot of the same inventory, a push back system is more efficient, and it also helps with inventory flow. There are two systems for this type of storage. One is set up so the first pallet in is the first pallet out. This is an important feature for food. It ensures the oldest food gets pulled off the shelf first. The other setup allows the forklift to pull off the last pallet first, which is a suitable system for non-perishables.

When you're considering new warehouse racks, consider the size of your distribution center floor along with the diversity of your inventory. A simple system that allows you to see all your inventory at a glance might be best if you have the room, but if you have trouble storing all your goods in a small space, you may prefer a more sophisticated shelving system that takes up less space while helping you stay organized.

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