Pallet racks are a popular system of storage in warehouses and distribution centres. Pallet racking is a flexible and scalable storage solution that can be adapted to any capacity requirement.
To ensure safety and proper operation, it is important to perform a pallet rack inspection regularly. In this article, we will cover the major components that make up a typical pallet racking system: Base plates. cross beams, and shims.
Upright Frame
The upright frame or column is the foundation for your warehouse racking. The base is what holds your beams, and supports your weight. Most racking systems use either roll-formed or structural upright columns, each with their own advantages.
The type and height of uprights will depend on your warehouse’s load capacity. Generally, lighter loads require roll-formed uprights while heavier loads demand structural uprights.
All uprights should be securely anchored into the ground using footplates. These are positioned at the base of each column and secure to the floor with bolts. Anchoring the uprights prevents movement of the rack as a result of impact, seismic activity, or loading.
Some uprights feature a slantback design to reduce damage caused by forklifts when used in drive-in and selective racking systems. These columns may feature a c channel post reinforcement to provide additional strength and stability. C-channels are compatible with the majority of methods for connecting crossbeams. This includes slotted and teardrop hole punches in 2-inch centers. To ensure maximum durability, choose uprights with thicker gauges of steel and a corrosion-resistant coating.
Cross Beams
The horizontal components of pallet racks, warehouse racking beams, connect to upright frames in order to create shelves that can be used to store materials and allow forklifts access. They are available in a wide range of lengths, weight capacity and connection types that can be adapted to almost any warehouse layout.
Teardrop-style beams have become one of the most common types of beams on the market. This is because they can be used with a wide variety of racking systems. Boltless installation is also available, saving time and money. You can easily identify the teardrop-style beams because they have elongated rectangle slots on their base.
Another popular type of beam is the hook and slot beam, which can be identified by the trapezoidal-shaped holes on the face of the upright frame. These slots are spaced 4″ apart vertically from center to center. The slots compress the pins into the slots, making them almost impossible to remove without lifting the beam.
Finaly, structural beams can be made of heavier gauge steel. This will increase their strength and durability. These are ideal in areas with high traffic and environments with heavy loads.
Base Plates
At least two baseplates are required to anchor and stabilize a pallet rack to the warehouse floor. The size of the base plate is determined by a variety of factors, including the load capacity, height and seismic forces. Engineers must always review the rack design to ensure the correct base plate size is specified, especially in seismic locations.
It is important to anchor a racking system to the floor unless it is less than 8 feet tall or exclusively used for hand stacking. This is an essential aspect of responsible and safe use and prevents the racking from tipping in either direction due to impacts during loading or unloading.
A standard pallet rack upright is made up of a 3″x3″ column and a baseplate that measures 5″ wide. This means that a standard post protector will not fit around it. In a perfectly level environment, the base plate does its job without additional support, but warehouse concrete floors are rarely plumb. When this is the case, a shim is called in to act as backup and can be installed adjacent to an existing anchor hole.
Crossbars
Pallet rack crossbars prevent items and whole pallets from falling in between the beams. This can be a danger to workers or damage inventory. They are installed on or in the orange horizontal load beams of a selective pallet racking system, and they come in various lengths and weight capacities to suit different types of loads.
The waterfall pallet support is another type of cross bar for pallet racks. It hangs from the sides and drops over the front load beam. This type of pallet support comes in standard sizes that are compatible with the most popular selective pallet rack systems. These pallet supports are easy to install using tek screws.
For a more compact option, consider the 48-inch galvanized top hat pallet support, which sits flush with the front of the beam. It’s a great choice for order picking as it leaves the front of the beam clear and unobstructed for labels with SKUs and pick locations. The top hat style works well with step beams that are roll formed and can be tek-screwed to the beam.
Shims
Pallet flow racks offer extended lane lengths compared to some other high-density systems, creating space efficiency and streamlining warehouse operations. It also minimizes forklift travel distances and reduces energy consumption to lower operational costs. However, it requires more planning and design to ensure seamless operations and efficient flow of materials. It also requires a larger initial investment than most other storage systems.
Reconfiguring your pallet rack system may be necessary if you have to make changes in weights or dimensions. This could include adjusting the layout, adding cross-beams to support heavier weights or relocating certain levels of racking in order to gain height for more row levels.
Shims are thin, metal plates that can be placed under the footplate of a rack column to help level and stabilize it on uneven surfaces. These are essential to the overall structural integrity of a pallet rack system, as even a fraction of an inch can throw off racking’s alignment and lead to damage from forklifts.