Pallet racking is a fundamental component of warehouse or distribution centres that maximises storage density by using vertical space. It creates a positive effect on the organisation and productivity of a warehouse facility. Often part of logistics solutions, pallet racks are made up of vertical upright frames and horizontal load beams that are designed to support different loads. There are different racking systems that can be used depending on your storage needs. We have listed here some of the commonly used pallet racking configurations.
Wide-Aisle Pallet Racking
This cost-effective racking system allows direct access to palletised products because of its spacious aisles. It also offers flexibility as you can easily adjust the beams to reconfigure the rack and to load new products when needed. This can support up to 5,000 kgs of load depending on the size of the support beam. Wide-aisle racking does not need specialised handling equipment as it can accommodate different types of forklift trucks. It is ideal for industrial and warehouse applications such as food manufacturing.
Drive-In Pallet Racking
Drive-In Pallet Racking is a high-density storage option wherein the forklift drives through the rack systems and places the pallets on the load rails. It follows the First-in, Last-out principle, which means that each pallet cannot be accessed directly, the pallets can only be retrieved from the front of the rack. This racking eliminates the need for operating aisles, which provides more cubic metres than other storage systems. It is great for seasonal goods, bulk goods of the same type and frozen goods.
Push Back Racking
Ideal for bulk storage and manual handling, this accumulative storage system considers the optimum use of warehouse space by allowing up to four pallets deep to be stored per level. At each level, the pallets are placed on a set of wheeled carriers. They are then pushed along the rolling rails, having a last-in, first-out rotation. This means that a pallet can be picked from the front area while the remaining pallets are pushed forward to fill the space.
Pallet Flow Racking
Also known as gravity flow racking, this system follows the first-in, first out principle. This means that palletised loads are stored at the higher end and removed at the lower end of the rack. The rotation becomes automatic as products are loaded because of how the rack flows. It suits high-density storage as it can hold up to 20 pallets deep in one lane, allowing quick and efficient inventory turnover.
VNA or Very Narrow Aisle Racking
Warehouses such as our Amco Park use VNA racking. Our VNA features a smaller aisle width of around 1.8 meters which means warehouse floor space is put to better use increasing usable space by up to 44%
VNA Racking means specialist forklifts are required to facilitate the pallet access. These forklifts are able to lift higher and work quicker than standard counter balance FLTs.
VNA Trucks don’t turn in the aisles and require a guide rail, or in Amco Park’s case, a wire guidance system is used to ‘steer’ the trucks with an impressive level of accuracy.
The main benefits of VNA are: high-density goods storage as it uses roof height and floor space very efficiently and every pallet is accessible.
If you want to focus on your core business and you want someone else to handle your pallet storage and distribution, let AMCO Services do the work for you. AMCO takes pride in its state-of-the-art warehousing facilities that offer pallet storage solutions as well as the distribution of your palletised goods across the UK and Europe. With our skills and long-term experience in logistics, we are committed to transport your goods on time and in good condition. Please feel free to get in touch with us today to discuss your needs or to request a quote.