Pallet racks are metal structures used to store goods on pallets. They allow the warehouse of many goods in height, in order to optimize the storage space.
The different methods of pallet storage
The pallet racks are up to ten meters high, and allow pallets of goods to be stored in the spirit of a “very large format shelf”. The bases where the pallets rest are called the heddles, and are obviously horizontal. Pallet racks can offer one or two entries, either a front entry only, or a front entry and a rear entry.
Pallet racks are not suitable for manual forms of handling, their height and the weight of the stored goods are far too great. They must therefore be loaded and unloaded using forklifts or other similar handling tools. The landings are separated by aisles to allow the circulation of these machines in complete safety.
The advantages of rack storage:
– it is a method that can be adapted to all types of goods, whatever their weight and volume; – the removal of goods is facilitated by easy access; – you easily control your stocks.
The different pallet rack formats
– Pallet racks are designed for all sectors of activity and all types of goods to be stored reliably, among which you will find: – "high-rise" pallet racks: as their name suggests, they are reserved for the storage of bulky goods – so-called "mobile" pallet racks: they are placed on motorized rails fixed to the floor. When searching for a product, the pallet racks move to open a single handling aisle to retrieve the desired product, for ever greater optimization of space. – so-called “dynamic” pallet racks: the beams are equipped with an ingenious system of rollers which means that once the first product has been removed, the one stored behind advances in first place.
How to choose the pallet rack adapted to your needs?
To choose a pallet rack, the main questions to ask concern the dimensions and the maximum load desired. Your pallet racking specialist will travel on site to assess your needs and therefore the maximum load that the beams of your pallet racks will have to support. A study of the soil and the configuration of the storage place will support its study and its advice. The weight supported by the heddles varies between 500 and 9,000 kg, so a wise choice is essential! The arrangement of the rails can be changed at will, according to your needs, thanks to the notches provided for this purpose along the ladders.
Pallet racks allow you to optimize your storage area by storing your goods at height. Forklifts or other lifting devices allow you to place or remove the pallets from the racks. You thus optimize your storage space by saving floor space.
