While it’s always best to seek the advice of an industrial storage system expert when purchasing a new pallet rack system for your business, it never hurts to have as much knowledge as possible of the products that are available. Here is a closer look at some of the more common types of pallet rack systems that are sold today.

Single-Deep Rack System

The single-deep pallet rack system is the most utilized today, and the least dense option available. Palletized loads are stored one deep on the system, or one pallet per bay. While density is not great, there are some advantages to a single-deep system, the most notably being unimpeded access to every load in your facility and a cheaper cost compared to other higher-density options.

Push Back Rack System

Push back rack systems are among the highest density options available. Pallets are situated on wheeled carts or rollers that are slightly declined. Pallets are loaded from the front of the system, and when you load a new pallet it pushes the existing pallets back further into the bay. Many push back rack systems allow for up to six pallets to be loaded per bay. While these systems are ideal for bulk storage, it operates in the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method, so it may not be ideal for companies storing products that don’t have an extended shelf life.

Gravity Flow Rack System

The gravity flow rack system combines a stationary structure with a roller conveyor, with complex braking systems to control the speed of moving pallets on slightly inclined rails. Gravity flow systems can be loaded and unloaded utilizing the first-in, first-out (FIFO) or last-in, first-out (LIFO) method, depending on whether you choose to load and unload pallets from the front or rear position of the system. Most gravity flow systems are designed to handle multiple pallets per bay, making it among the higher density storage systems available. Because of its versatility with loading and unloading, the gravity flow system is ideal for storing products that can have a long shelf life.

Drive-In Rack System

The drive-in rack system is designed to allow an industrial forklift to drive into the system to load and unload pallets. Operators typically drive into one side of the racking system and remove pallets from the same entry point; some drive-in systems have a wall or are closed at the opposite end. Drive-in rack systems offer exceptional storage capabilities, though they utilize last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory management. These systems are ideal for companies that store products that can have an extended shelf life, or for companies that have quick turnarounds for the goods they store, which would cause palletized loads to be rotated frequently.

Drive-Through Rack System

Drive-through pallet rack systems are very similar to drive-in systems, though there are two notable differences. First, forklifts have the ability to enter and exit from either end of the system, and second, the system operates with a first-in, first out (FIFO) method. Having the ability to enter and exit from either end of the system calls for additional aisles to be needed, which slightly reduces the storage capabilities of a drive-through system when compared to a drive-in system. However, with FIFO inventory management, forklift operators do not have to handle pallets more than once because the stock is automatically rotated and the rack system ensures that the first pallet loaded will be the first one retrieved.

Charlie O\’Brien is a professional writer specializing in the material handling industry. His writing focuses on new and used pallet rack, cantilever rack, and other industrial shelving, and his work has been featured on multiple material handling industry websites.

Charlie O\’Brien is a professional writer specializing in the material handling industry. His writing focuses on new and used pallet rack, cantilever rack, and other industrial shelving. His work has been featured on multiple material handling industry websites. http://www.aceshelf.com/

Author Bio: Charlie O\’Brien is a professional writer specializing in the material handling industry. His writing focuses on new and used pallet rack, cantilever rack, and other industrial shelving, and his work has been featured on multiple material handling industry websites.

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