Industry Storage Solutions: Pallet Storage & Pallet Racking Systems
Convenient storage solutions form a very important part of keeping the entire work process organized and accessible. Following ideal storage solutions ensures that all materials are put in their proper place so that they can be retrieved quickly when needed. Storage solutions also help in reclaiming lost valuable space.
When it comes to storage solutions in industrial and factory situations, pallet racking has always been at the forefront of storing boxes of inventory and supplies. In this blog, we have a detailed look at pallet storage systems and the different features.
Pallet Storage/Pallet Racking
Pallet storage or pallet racking is a material handling storage solutions system designed to store materials on flat structures called pallets. Pallet storage usually involves storing materials in horizontal rows on multiple levels. The multiplication of storage surface by multi-tier or high bay pallet storage systems works very well for a large factory set-up.
Some features of pallet racking systems are:
- Pallet storage is suited for a high stock rotation frequency.
- There are lower investment costs as compared to storage at floor level height.
- Workers will have direct access to all bays in the pallet racking system which means easy and convenient order picking.
- Fast adaptation to changing reference lines without the need of exchanging the service fleet
- With pallet storage, lower costs are entertained by storing bottom level of pallets on the floor
Pallet Storage System with Decking Panels
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A pallet storage system with decking panels facilitates storage of non-palletized items. Ideal for medium to large sized items that can be handled manually, this kind of pallet racking system is flexible and can manage a variety of items. Higher levels can be added by providing catwalks and multi-tier systems. Other features of the pallet racking system with decking panels include:
- Loading levels can be customised based on the height of the SKU stored.
- With this kind of pallet racking system, integration is possible (with suitable material handling equipment) for moving materials to various levels.
- Goods lifts can be added on custom fabricated staircases that have been provided for ease of use
Live Pallet Racking System
Another form of a pallet racking system is a live pallet racking system. Mainly used for order picking, live pallet storage systems play an increasingly important role in warehousing and storage technology. Due to the system specific compact lane configuration, floor space utilisation in live pallet racking system installations is 60% higher than in conventional pallet storage systems. Some other features of the live pallet racking system are:
- It’s a compact storage solution that maximises the use of available warehouse space and reduces the number of aisles.
- Increase in efficiency over a conventional pallet storage system can be up to 60%
- Unlike bulk storage, live pallet storage systems provide direct access to all items stored
- Strict adherence to the FIFO principle eases control of sell-by dates, call-off quantities and production batches
- Live pallet racking systems are ideal systems for fast movers — there are always sufficient quantities of each item in reserve
- Live pallet racking systems show increased staff efficiency as loaders and order pickers do not disturb each other
A factory can greatly increase its operating efficiency and reclaim lost space by implementing the right industrial storage solutions. The reason that pallet racking is the most popular and economical system for pallet storage is due to its quality of being a storage solution that’s suitable for any type of pallet size and weight. The pallet storage system can be designed to be serviced by any type of material handling equipment starting from hand pallet trucks at floor level to electric stackers, reach trucks, forklift trucks, etc.
