What is the most efficient warehouse racking system?

Warehouse Efficiency: Types of Warehouse Storage Systems

Finding the right storage system or a mix of systems is crucial for the efficient operation of your warehouse or distribution center, ensuring all products and materials are neatly stored for safety and easy access. Given the variety of warehouse storage equipment available, it's important to consider the different types of warehouse storage systems before making any changes or designing a new layout.

Contact us to discuss your requirements for a heavy duty rack system. Our experienced sales team can help you identify options that best suit your needs.

Storage Cabinets

Storage cabinets are one of the most basic types of warehouse storage systems, ideal for storing a large volume of small items. The size of the cabinets and storage capacities can be tailored to the materials and products your warehouse stores. A benefit of using storage cabinets is that they can be modified for greater efficiency by using partitions. Partitions allow smaller materials to be stacked alongside lengthier or larger materials. While cabinets may seem limiting compared to other systems, they are perfect if you need to protect materials from external conditions or require extra security.

Static Shelving

Static shelves are similar to storage cabinets in that they are fixed to a particular location. Adjustable shelving heights allow you to create a layout that enhances your warehouse efficiency, especially if quick location of stock-keeping units (SKUs) is crucial.

If locating your SKUs quickly isn't a top concern, the primary benefit of static shelving is their stability. Their simple design allows other static shelves to be built close together, optimizing space and increasing efficiency.

Mobile Shelving

Unlike static shelving, mobile shelving offers higher storage capabilities. In mobile shelving, shelves are affixed to tracks that allow for fewer aisles, making each rack easily accessible. The structure for mobility is supported by robust conventional components like decks and bracing, which stabilize and support the chassis that allows the storage structures to move along the tracks.

Pallet Racking

For warehouses with large quantities of standard inventory, pallet racking is an ideal choice. It is designed to make use of both floor and vertical air space. Pallet racking is flexible and easily fits into available space. To maximize this system, carefully plan its organization to align with your material flow process and density requirements.

Dynamic Storage

Dynamic storage systems, also known as "Forward Pick," are designed for the section of the warehouse where items are frequently used to fulfill orders. In this area, high selectivity and dense storage are crucial. There are several options to enhance accessibility:

• Push-Back Rack: This system ensures no space is wasted. When a product is added, prior inventory is pushed back to reduce honeycombing and maintain organized and easily accessible inventory from the aisle.
• Pallet Flow: Pallet flow uses a combination of elevated rails and components like wheels, conveyors, or rollers to leverage gravity for improved rack-supported structures. Pallets are loaded at the back and move towards the front, ready for unloading as others are removed.
• Drive-In: This high-density storage solution maximizes space and height by reducing forklift operating aisles. Common in warehouses with homogenous inventories, this method effectively increases storage capacity.

Double-Deep Racking

In scenarios where a warehouse must handle high-volume inventory with limited space, double-deep racking is often the most efficient. Standard-sized pallets are placed back-to-back to create double-sided shelving. This setup usually follows a "last in, first out" inventory system, making it less suitable for perishable inventories but ideal for items like clothes, appliances, and electronics. Double-deep racking helps in managing inventory by prioritizing SKUs according to their value while utilizing limited space efficiently.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS)

With the growing demands for faster deliveries and increased customer expectations, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) are becoming more common. These systems enhance warehouse efficiency by eliminating forklift travel time and reducing the time required to locate and retrieve specific products. AS/RS systems are best for high throughput scenarios, heavier inventory loads, and high-volume processing with a limited number of SKUs. They also increase space for storage by reducing aisle spacing traditionally used for lift trucks. Integrating AS/RS systems with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Warehouse Execution Systems (WEX) is crucial for improving inventory management, order accuracy, and safety.

Mezzanine Work Platforms

Mezzanines and work platforms add instant usable floor space to your warehouse by utilizing air space for storage, picking, or other activities. When relocation is not an option, or site limitations prevent expansion, adding a mezzanine or platform can offer immediate benefits.

To choose the most efficient system for your warehouse, it is key to visualize your future needs and growth plans. Anticipating future requirements ensures your chosen system will meet your immediate needs while providing the flexibility and capacity to expand with your business.

8 Types of Industrial Rack Systems Tailored for Warehouse Efficiency

Pallet racks are metal structures designed to support goods in warehouses or industrial facilities. Various factors, such as product types, inventory retrieval order, space/cost limitations, and turnaround time, impact the selection of rack types.

Selecting the right rack type can be challenging. A well-designed pallet racking system can optimize available space and throughput while ensuring operational productivity and safety.

This article explores key differences between industrial rack systems, highlighting the pros and cons of each type. Whether seeking a new rack system or understanding options better, this article provides valuable insights into warehouse rack types.

Static vs. Dynamic Racking Systems

Two main categories of racking systems are commonly used in warehouses: static and dynamic. Each category includes various systems with unique advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these differences helps select the best racking system for specific needs.

This blog discusses eight racking types, categorized as static or dynamic:

• Static Pallet Racks: Includes selective (single-deep), double-deep, cantilever, and drive-in/drive-through pallet racks.
• Dynamic Pallet Racks: Includes push-back, pallet flow, and mobile racks.

Static Racking Systems

1. Selective Racks (Single-Deep)

Selective (single-deep) pallet racks are the most commonly used pallet rack systems in warehouses. They are cost-efficient and inexpensive compared to other rack types, offering adjustability for storing different products. Beam heights and bay widths can be adjusted to meet various pallet size and weight requirements, often configured in back-to-back rows to conserve aisle space.

Advantages:

1. Inexpensive compared to other rack types.
2. Immediate access to all storage locations.
3. Easy to modify (requires engineering approval).

Disadvantages:

1. Not very dense, requiring multiple aisles unless configured with very narrow aisles (VNA).
2. Costly for high-volume storage, requiring numerous racks and ample warehouse space.

2. Double-Deep Racks

Double-deep racking systems are similar to selective (single-deep) racking systems but feature an added second row, enhancing storage capacity. They are suitable for items with high inventory levels, often used in cold storage to maximize space and cost efficiency or dry storage where expiry is not a concern. A specialized deep-reach forklift truck is required for loading and unloading due to the two-load-depth configuration.

Advantages:

1. Increased storage density compared to single-deep racks.
2. Cost-efficient with fewer aisles, allowing more storage capacity at a lower cost.

Disadvantages:

1. Require deep-reach forklift trucks to access pallets on the second row.
2. Reduced accessibility, requiring movement of front pallets to access rear pallets, leading to slower retrieval times.

3. Cantilever Racks

Cantilever racks offer space-efficient storage for long and bulky items, such as PVC pipes, steel sheets, and lumber. Constructed with vertical columns, braces, arms, and bases, they can be used for light to heavy-duty applications. They are assembled in single or double-sided configurations, providing direct pick access from one or both sides, and are frequently found in plumbing supply warehouses, lumber yards, and shipping yards.

Interested in learning more about heavy duty cantilever racks? Contact us today for an expert consultation!

Advantages:

1. Ideal for long/bulky loads.
2. Variable storage capacity, from light to heavy-duty products.
3. Quick storage and easy retrieval of products.

Disadvantages:

1. High capital cost compared to other storage racks.
2. Considerable floor space required for safe forklift access.

4. & 5. Drive-In and Drive-Through Racks

Drive-in and drive-through rack systems offer high-density storage by maximizing warehouse space. Forklifts drive directly into the rack structure to access and place pallets on rails spanning the structure's depth. Drive-in racks have a single entry and exit on one side, whereas drive-through racks have entry and exit points on opposite ends for forklift access from the front or back.

Advantages:

1. Optimize warehouse space.
2. Cost-effective with high-density capacity.
3. Less square footage needed than selective pallet racks.

Disadvantages:

1. Not ideal for warehouses with diverse products.
2. Prone to damage as forklifts enter the rack.
3. Standard pallet sizes required, lacking design flexibility.

6. Push-Back Racks

Push-back racking systems offer high-density storage with a last-in, first-out (LIFO) stock rotation. Pallets are loaded onto gravity-fed wheeled carts that roll on inclined rails. The incline makes loading and unloading significantly faster than drive-in systems.

Advantages:

1. High-density storage capacity.
2. Lower rack damage as forklifts do not enter the rack structures.

Disadvantages:

1. Costly compared to drive-in pallet rack systems.
2. Higher maintenance and lifetime service costs for the rolling cart system.

7. Pallet Flow Racks

Pallet flow racking is a high-density storage system with pallets on roller conveyors, operating on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis. Forklifts access both ends of the system, loading pallets on one side and unloading on the other. Gravity-induced rollers move pallets to the front of the system for easy unloading.

Advantages:

1. Increased productivity by reducing travel time for loading/unloading.
2. Quick inventory turnover through FIFO stock rotation.

Disadvantages:

1. High initial capital investment.
2. Frequent maintenance of the braking system required.
3. Pallets must be in good condition to prevent jams.

8. Mobile Racks

Mobile racking is a compact storage solution with racks on wheels that move along floor rails. Adjacent rows are moved using motorized units to access an aisle, saving space. Various safety features can be incorporated to minimize collapse risks and workplace incidents. Mobile racking is ideal for environments with space restrictions.

Advantages:

1. Space-efficient, requiring less space than selective racking.

Disadvantages:

1. High installation and maintenance costs.
2. Increased safety measures required.
3. Additional time to move rows before accessing pallets.

Conclusion

Choosing the right pallet racking system for your warehouse is essential for optimizing space, throughput, and safety. Each system has unique advantages and disadvantages, and selecting the appropriate type depends on your specific needs and constraints, such as product types, available space, and budget considerations.

To ensure safe and reliable operations, regularly assess the condition of your racking systems and address potential hazards promptly. Visit us for more information on mold rack solutions tailored to your needs.