27 Jan I Need a Pallet Rack But I Have No Idea What I Am Doing
The truth about being in business is that you are probably an expert at what you do. What you are not an expert in is storage and logistics unless that is your business. What does that mean? It means that you probably do not know the kind of pallet racks you need or what pieces you need to make that pallet rack viable.
What Most People Do
They buy a selective rack and call it a day. In fact, there is not much wrong with this action because it works for many businesses. It might not be what is optimal but it does work.
What You Could Do
Even if you do get that far then you may still need help with the nitty-gritty essentials of getting the right size, let alone style, of rack that you need. We will run you through a process that our website uses when someone orders a rack from us. In fact, it does such a good job that you do not even have to know the part numbers and amounts you need to make the rack. It will grab all that for you and build you your kit based on what it tells you. At any rate, here are five essential things, based on our website ordering protocol, that you need to think about when you are going to order a rack. (Yes, you can shortcut the process by using the website and just following the prompts on screen).
Pallet Rack Frame
The first thing to think about, based on how our ordering program works, is to think about the pallet rack frame and what you need. What parts of the frame are we talking about, specifically, here? We are talking about the depth and height of the rack. The heights you can request from us are 96”, 120”, 144”, or 192”. If you are looking for measurements in feet then that would be 8ft, 10ft, 12ft, and 16ft respectively. The available depths are 36”, 42”, 44”, and 48”.
Pallet Rack Beam Levels
Next, you start looking at the number of beam levels. A pallet rack beam level, basically, is the number of shelves you want the rack to have on it. Keep in mind this includes the topmost level. The other thing you should know is that if you select a single beam level then it is assumed you want that beam at the top.
Pallet Rack Wire Mesh Decks
Next, you start looking at what the deck is made out of, and really, we do not recommend any other material than wire decks. Why? We find that this helps prevent items from falling through the rack. You can also use wire decks racks successfully for smaller pallets and boxes. Another thing you need to keep in mind is that a sprinkler’s water can get to the lower levels to some extent. A plus is that the lower levels are going to have some capability of being extinguished. However, that also means that the product can get wet as well. If you have a product that does not do well in water then this might be a factor. But, it probably does not do well with fire either. In fact, a fire will probably do more damage, so why not protect against it. Finally, some states look at this more closely than others. If the water can get through the levels of the rack then they allow you to store closer to the ceiling in some states. We recommend checking the codes in your state for more information because we cannot track the laws of every single state and local government. Although, if you are working with us then there are many of our employees who may be able to assist you with this process. Notwithstanding, we cannot promise we will find the answer in every case as every situation is different.
Pallet Rack Safety
Pallet rack safety is another issue to be aware of when you order a rack. Unfortunately, this is a necessary step that gets skipped a lot. Accidents happen because we are all human. The best you can do is prepare for the worst and things like anchors, drop pins, and column guards and dramatically decrease the chances of an accident being as serious as it could be or could have been after the fact. If you choose to get any of them then you should know that you should probably have a minimum amount of one or all of these products. Here are the minimum amounts you should get if you are only getting one rack. If you get anchors then you should have at least 4 per frame. If you get column guards then you should have, at least, 1 per frame or 2 for a frame that has two columns exposed. If you get drop pins then you should, at least, have 2 per beam.
Layout or Starter Bays and Add-ons
Finally, you should think about the layout of the rack. The layout involves, or can involve, a starter bay and, possibly, an add-on bay. What is a starter bay? It starts a row and includes two frames. An add-on bay has one frame and they connect to a frame that is nearby them. You can have as many starter bays as you wish but the add-on bays have to be attached to those starter bays. The Add-on bays are what they sound like additions to the starter.
Want to take a shortcut? Click here and select the options you want. The computer will take care of ordering the parts necessary for your planned project.
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