The Top 7 Things to Know Before Purchasing Pallet Rack

All Pallet Rack is NOT Created Equal &#; Use Your Capital Wisely with These Buying Tips

Pallet rack is often the most cost-effective way to store inventory while maximizing your warehouse space. Rack systems are configured to take advantage of otherwise unused cube space while keeping SKUs organized and safe from damage. With a wide variety of manufacturers, systems designs, capacities, and materials, choosing the best pallet racking for your facility will take careful consideration&#; and some helpful advice. Here are 7 Buying Tips that our warehouse storage system experts recommend.

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Pallet Rack Buying Tips

Tip #1 &#; Buying Based on Price is Very Risky  &#; for so many reasons, this is a necessary caution. At a minimum, your pallet rack must be configured to withstand your expected inventory capacity, warehouse activity, and climate/wash down requirements. 

A less costly rack may have a smaller price tag for any number of reasons, such as:

• It&#;s manufactured with less steel which increases the chance for damage

• It&#;s made for lighter inventory

• It comes without safety features

• It could be susceptible to moisture due to the paint process

• It may have blemishes due to the paint process

• It may have longer lead times

• It may require more expensive freight

All that being noted, it doesn&#;t mean you can never choose the least expensive option; just be sure you know what you are getting and that it meets your warehousing needs.

Tip #2 &#; Material Quality and Interchangeability &#; pallet rack is manufactured from steel, but there are different types of rack resulting in a discernible difference in steel thickness. Rack systems are either manufactured as structural or roll-formed. Structural steel rack is formed from hot rolled channel steel. It is very durable and can withstand more abuse than its lighter weight and very popular roll-formed rack counterpart. Roll-formed is molded by feeding steel through dies to form a particular shape. Roll-formed systems are typically manufactured from 12 &#; 16 gauge steel making them lighter and less expensive to ship. While they can withstand significant load capacities like structural systems, they are more vulnerable to damage from equipment and harsh conditions.

Tip #3 &#; Seismic Considerations &#; there are seven seismic zones (A-E) in the United States. Depending on which zone you are building in, your rack system must meet the requirements of that region and particular zip code, which can include using heavier gauge steel, larger baseplates, anchoring modifications, different bracing, etc. This is one area of rack purchasing where consulting with an expert will save you significant time and expense purchasing unsafe racking. The WOI team will help you understand the seismic requirements for your area to ensure a safe design and installation.

Tip #4 &#; Be Selective&#; or Be Dense &#;  selectivity vs. storage density is an important distinction for your rack system. For example, a selective rack system provides 100% accessibility to every pallet, but it is only one pallet deep, meaning that every pallet must have its own SKU face. If your inventory comprises a significant number of low-volume SKUs, that is an excellent option for you. If you have fewer SKUs with a high volume of each, you will want a dense storage solution to consolidate your rack footprint. 

Tip #5 &#; Use a Reputable Rack Manufacturer &#; this is an area where reputation really does matter. Leading rack manufacturers have a lot riding on the success of their rack systems. An established rack manufacturer relies on strict quality controls, conditions, and safety checks. They will also provide warranty and expert service technicians, engineering, and field support.  International manufacturers, by comparison, may not meet U.S. quality regulations or RMI standards, and you may have difficulty with installation, service, certificate of occupancy, and/or rack safety. This is one area where &#;Go with what you know&#; is the right answer. Asking for references is always a good practice.

Tip #6 &#; Used Rack Risk  &#;  Used rack systems are abundant. What is less abundant is often the information specific to each rack system, i.e., manufacturer, gauge, specifications, stresses from the original installation, etc. Again the initial price point can be very tempting, but with the work that you have to put into gathering specs, producing engineering plans for approval, reconfiguring to meet your inventory requirements, perhaps replacing base plates or refurbishing components, and potential installation difficulties, you have to seriously consider the projected final costs of a custom-designed new system to a reconfigured used rack system.

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Tip #7 &#; Is Appearance Important? &#; most likely, you will choose colors to paint the components of your rack system, but is paint just paint? We suggest looking for a powder coat finish over other popular options. It is more durable, able to withstand washdown, and has a nicer overall finish. A galvanized coat will add a moisture barrier to protect the rack against corrosion. A little expense upfront can save you down the road in repairs and replacement.  

Find a Dealer You Can Trust

There is a lot more to purchasing pallet rack than looks and cost. These systems last for many years, so a smart investment should check off your inventory needs for today and as much as you can anticipate into the future. Working with an experienced, professional dealer like Warehouse Optimizers, Inc. (WOI) will get you the most cost-effective result.

The WOI team will walk you through every stage of the process. We strive for nothing less than expert customer service to deliver outstanding results and peace of mind. We call it our 5-Step Total Satisfaction Experience&#;.

WOI will:

1. Listen to your needs

2. Execute your project with special attention to your unique application

3. Stick to project timelines

4. Ensure a safe environment

5. Pay close attention to the detail  of the finished product

Call WOI today to discuss your inventory storage rack needs. Call (865) 540- for a prompt response. We proudly serve customers throughout the Southeast, including KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, NORTH CAROLINA, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA.

Have you been tasked with designing a warehouse pallet racking system for your facility and don&#;t know where to start? Are you moving into a new building and need help designing a warehouse storage solution?

In our extensive experience consulting with customers from all different industries, we find that clients will often spend time attempting to design their pallet racking system prior to meeting with us. While it never hurts to come into a meeting with extra information, we find that utilizing a team of experts from the beginning will help to save you and your company valuable time while ensuring you get the best solution to fit your warehouse.

Not only can we quickly provide a pallet racking design for your facility, but we also have the necessary resources to make sure our design is correctly engineered and abides by industry standards and regulations. Knowing how each of these considerations applies to your facility will help you to be prepared, educated, and confident going into your first pallet racking system design consultation.

7 things to consider when designing a warehouse pallet racking system
When designing a new pallet racking system, keep reading the 7 things you need to know about warehouse workflows, features, and limitations.



1. Pallet size and type
Pallet load and dimensions (length, height, width) are the basic measurement values &#;&#;that need to be paid attention to when designing the layout of the pallet racking system. The industry standard pallet size (1m*1.2m) is the common size for most systems. Pallet size information will help determine the system size, the width of the shelf depends on the size of the pallet.
In the following situations, the type of pallet item may affect the type of pallet racking system required:
Requires specific environmental conditions
Fragile and cannot be stacked
Date sensitive/has an expiration date

2. Pickup rate
If the shelf life of your products is not sensitive to dates, you can apply the LIFO system to optimize warehouse space. For example, the drive-in rack system can make the warehouse utilization rate up to 80%



3. SKU / number of pallets
The number of SKUs in the facility and the number of pallets per SKU play an important role in determining the type of pallet racking system you may need. Facilities with only one pallet per SKU can use selective pallet racking because it allows SKU variability while making them easily accessible.
Facilities with multiple pallets per SKU may wish to use a higher density storage system, such as drive-in or push-back pallet racking.

4. Warehouse environment
The price of your shelf system will fluctuate based on the type of environment your product requires. Products can be stored in a variety of different environments, including:
Cold (freezer or cooler) temperature
temperature control
Ambient temperature (the product does not need a specific temperature)
Environmental environment is the warehouse temperature is not a key factor in maintaining product integrity. Cold storage environments usually store food or other perishable items at low temperatures, while temperature-controlled warehouses usually store items such as medicines and cigars, where the temperature is kept within an acceptable range to maintain product integrity.
Environments, where the temperature is not important, will have fewer associated costs. But pallet racking systems in cold environments have the highest additional costs because they require:
Long installation time-workers cannot stay in the refrigerator for a long time
Strategic settings-because refrigerator/freezer storage space is more expensive, strategic planning is required to ensure optimal storage space

5. Building structure
The racking system is designed to update an existing building or install it in a new building. Other important considerations regarding the structure of the building include:
Column spacing-you need to know the location of the building&#;s support columns and their spacing from each other in order to "bury" them in the space between the back-to-back racks
Indoor ceiling height-this will tell us how high your columns and beams can be
Available warehouse space



6. Material handling equipment in the facility
The type of material handling equipment used to retrieve pallets in your facility (forklift, forklift, or manual picker) and its size are related to determining the width of the aisle and the number of rack rows suitable for the warehouse.
For example, a standard counterbalanced forklift requires an industry-standard aisle longer than three meters, while manual pickers can pass through a narrower aisle. It is ideal to design a warehouse with as narrow aisles as possible because it can provide the most storage space.

7. Seismic activity
Whether your facility is located in an area with frequent/severe seismic activity will affect the type of materials and support required for the system. If your facility is located in a seismically active area, the pallet racking system will require higher specifications of steel (usually structural steel is required because rolled steel is weaker), wider/larger footrests and additional anchors.
Basically, the more seismic activity in your area, the more structural integrity your system needs to adapt to seismic motion, which will increase the price of your racking system.



We hope this article will help you understand the pallet racking needs of your facility and become more comfortable when having educated conversations with experts. In summary, 7 things to consider before consulting pallet racking are:
Pallet size and type
Inventory retrieval order
SKU/pallet quantity
Warehouse environment
Building structure considerations
Material handling equipment in your factory
Seismic activity

Our warehousing solutions department is committed to providing complete, custom-designed warehousing solutions. Our talented and experienced team consists of technicians, system installers, project engineers, project managers, and a wide range of sales and support personnel.

During our consultation process, our experts will spend a few days with the person supervising your facility to ensure that we understand every detail needed to effectively design a pallet racking system. If you are interested in knowing more information or want to arrange a consultation, please contact us with a shelf expert.
Our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff is ready to discuss your requirement and send you a prompt professional quotation. We&#;re just a click away at [ protected] or at +86 137 . Let us help answer your questions.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of teardrop pallet racking. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.