Explaining types of warehouse racking | Racking & Shelving
What kinds of industrial racking are there?
Choosing your warehouse racking can seem like a daunting task with so many types to choose from, and each type with its own particular ways of working to store your products. This article aims to take the guesswork out of deciding which warehouse racking works for you and your particular storage requirements.
When choosing your warehouse racking there are a few considerations to keep in mind:
Available Space
A lot of your choices of racking will depend on the size of your warehouse, including vertical space, and the volume of products you have to store inside it.
If you don’t have a lot of space, you will need to consider compact racking solutions, or perhaps racking that can be stacked and accessed at height, in order to make the most out of any size of warehouse.
Perhaps you have lots of different types of products which need to be sorted and stored separately? This would lend itself to more shelving with less space per shelf to allow for more segregation of items and increased storage density in your warehouse.
Size of Pallets
How large are the pallets that you will be storing? Your warehouse racking system should be designed taking into consideration the measurements of the largest pallets that you will need to store.
Equipment for Handling
Do you regularly use forklifts or other lifting vehicles? How will the racking be accessed? If you need to be able to drive a forklift or other similar vehicle through the aisles of your warehouse this needs to be kept in mind when choosing your racking system.
What will you use to access the upper levels of your warehouse racking? If it’s not a vehicle, would you need stairs or ladder access? These are all important questions to answer before making your choices.
Type of Racking System
This is where this article comes in.
We will take you through some of the main types of warehouse racking and their benefits, so by the time you’ve finished reading you can be sure that you know your cantilever racking from your pallet racking, and so be confident in your warehouse racking choices.
Adjustable Pallet Racking:
This is the classic warehouse racking that you will most commonly find in warehouses in the UK. It is heavy duty, durable and built to last through the rough and tumble of warehouse life.
Adjustable pallet racking consists of vertical metal frames with horizontal beams, the height of which can be adjusted (as the name suggests!)
Adjustable pallet racking is so popular mostly because of its versatility and flexibility when it comes to the sizes of pallets it can store. The heights of the beams can be readjusted and set as frequently as is called for, so it can adapt to the changing needs of your busy warehouse.
Mezzanine Racking:
Mezzanine racking is built in a similar way to adjustable pallet racking as it is based on a vertical upright frame with horizontal panels on which to store products. However this racking system includes a set of stairs which can be safely climbed to reach higher levels, making this a perfect storage solution for warehouses with a lot of vertical space and access on foot.
Of course any racking which involves people climbing on top of the shelving comes with additional health and safety requirements, namely more frequent checks and testing of the racking and handrails which adhere to health and safety requirements.
Drive-through Racking:
Drive-through or drive-up racking allows access by handling vehicles such as forklifts, with enough space in the aisles for easy manoeuvring and turning as well as access to the shelving.
This racking system often features archways or tunnels in the racking which allows any handling vehicle to drive smoothly under and through the racking to easily get around your warehouse.
A very good option if your warehouse relies on the use of forklifts or other such vehicles for the handling and storing of your pallets.
Drive-through racking should also be fitted with extra protective barriers or guards at their lower levels in case of accidental impact from a vehicle, as otherwise this could compromise the structural integrity of the racking which could lead to a dangerous situation for your employees.
Roller Racking Systems:
There are two main types of roller racking systems:
Roller Racking – Mobile Systems:
This mobile system, in a similar way to adjustable pallet racking, can be adjusted and changed to adhere to the changing needs of your warehouse. In the case of this roller racking system, the whole racking units are placed on rails, allowing the whole units to be moved to allow for different layouts and uses for your warehouse space. Again, this can be done as frequently or infrequently as is required – you could have a different layout every day of the week.
This is a great option for a warehouse with multiple uses or different needs on different days or weeks.
Roller Racking – Conveyor Systems:
In this racking system, the horizontal shelves are formed of rollers, allowing easy movement of products on the shelves within the racking. This can be a perfect warehouse racking system for warehouses with a high turnover of different products as they can easily be pushed or pulled along the shelves.
Tyre Racking:
Tyre racking is fairly self-explanatory as it is, as the name suggests, racking specifically designed for the storage of tyres. It is ideal for warehouses for car or truck parts or connected to vehicle manufacturing.
Push Back Racking:
Push back racking allows pallets to be stored much more deeply into the racking, further from the aisles. This allows for more units to be stored at once in a more densely compact way, so offers a storage solution for warehouses with less space for their pallets.
The name comes from the process whereby pallets are stored, as when a new pallet is added to the racking, the one behind it is simply pushed back, and so on and so forth. When removing items from the racking, the process is reversed until the first item can be accessed again.
Very Narrow Aisle Racking:
Very narrow aisle (or VNA) racking is based on adjustable pallet racking, but adapted to make it take up much less floor space by making the aisles as narrow as they can be, sometimes by up to 1.5 metres.
These narrower aisles allow for more racking, which is a great solution for warehouses with limited floor space. VNA racking also tends to be built higher, which again allows for more storage space than standard adjustable pallet racking.
VNA racking does require specialist equipment to work safely and efficiently in its thinner aisles though. Specialist VNA forklifts work perfectly alongside this racking system. Although it is an investment, this racking system could allow for quicker stock picking as items are closer together, as well as the obvious advantages of being able to store more pallets.
Cantilever Racking:
Cantilever racking uses a different framework than other racking systems. It is built around one vertical support with either one or two arms which come out across it. Cantilever racking is particularly well designed to store long, thin items such as pipes or timber planks.
Cantilever racking is also cost effective as it requires less structural material to function. A perfect solution for any warehouse specialising in items which are awkwardly shaped or too bulky to be stored in more common pallet racking systems.
At Racking & Shelving we are committed to providing our customers with the very best racking solution for you, so are more than happy to provide help and advice on which racking system or systems will be the perfect fit. Whatever warehouse racking you choose, you can rest assured that with us it will be the very best quality, built to do the job for a very long time to come and in the safest way possible.
You might want to look at our gallery of past projects for inspiration, or to chat to one of our team of experts about your warehouse racking needs, please get in touch now. We are passionate about getting the best out of your space and your business, and will make sure you get the perfect solution for you.
