How to Properly Size Pallet and Storage Racks
If you own a factory or a store with a large quantity of items, pallet racking is the perfect shelving system to have in place – the system itself is easy to set up and your products will be highly accessible when you need to offload them.
But many business owners do not know how to properly size pallet racks, and as a result they do not implement the system. This lack of implementation results in a great loss in productivity, which in turn affects the company’s bottom-line.
Here are some easy to follow tips that will help address the confusion surrounding sizing pallet racks:
Choose and Measure Pallet
First and foremost, it is important to determine the best pallet size for your product. Take into consideration the weight and dimensions of your product when choosing a pallet size, and then when you have come to a decision, measure the empty pallet. This will give you an insight to how your pallet system can be constructed in your storage facility.
Measure Your Product
It goes without saying that in accordance to measuring your empty pallet, you should also measure the product that you intend to rack. Determine how many of product ‘X’ you will place on each pallet. Measure the height, depth, breadth and weight of each full pallet. Make sure that your products sit squarely on each pallet with no parts hanging off the edge.
Determine the Span of Each Pallet Shelf
This is a crucial step in constructing a pallet system. How many pallet do you intend on placing in the open spaces between the upright beams? This really depends on the size and weight of your product and the size of your facility. The usual rule of thumb is – the smaller the facility, the smaller the span.
Determine the Height of Each Pallet Shelf
The height of your pallet shelf will depend on the size of your product. Just be sure to allow 2-5 inches of free space between each level when building your pallet system. This will allow for easy storing and removal.
Determine the Depth of Each Pallet Shelf
Again, this is highly dependent on the type of product you intend to store. Remember to add 2-5 inches of free space on either side of your fully loaded pallet.
Know the Weight Capacity of the Pallet Rack
Every pallet rack system will come with a maximum weight capacity. Know the maximum weight capacity of your system and NEVER exceed it. Should you exceed this maximum weight you will endanger the lives of your workers and you risk destroying all of your products.
Determine the Overall Height of the Pallet Rack
This will depend on the height of your storage facility. In order to save space, you should build as high as your facility can accommodate. But remember, the higher you build, the more you will have to secure and stabilise your pallet rack system.
Properly sizing pallet and storage racks can seem daunting at first, but with some basic computations and accurate measurements, your pallet rack shelving system will be up and running in no time!