Warehouse Racking System Design Is A Science By Itself

By Paulette Short


The shelving that is seen in many of the manufacturing plants you have been in are thought up and put into effect by people who know what they are doing. The warehouse racking system design, involved in this work, is critical to the performance of all of your personnel. The units, themselves, must make that possible.

These shelving units can be made from many different materials. The most popular, because of their strength, is metal. There are also units made form various plastic compounds that are popular for food processing areas. These plastic shelves will be able to be cleaned, completely and sanitized easily.

The planning of this installation will begin by knowing what it is that will be stored there. The larger than normal materials may need to have special considerations as far as size of compartments. The regular material, placed on standard pallets will go into large bays, however, to make sure everything is accounted for, larger holes may be the order of the day. This is for those mixed sizes that many plants have to account for.

Weights of the stored items will need to be looked at seriously. The height of many shelving units will make for a big problem if it can not hold the weight of the stored material. The make up of those things will also be a consideration. If they are liquid, gelled or powdered, there will be safety concerns that will not be present in a solid load. Leaks must be prepared for and recovery will also be on the list of issues.

Being able to get to all sides of the stored goods will also need some thinking. Having an open compartment, within the racking, means being able to get to all sides of each nook. This is not as practical as it might seem as that would mean free standing shelving taking up a lot of space. Being able to get through the front and the back of each bay is sufficient in most cases.

Looking into all of the equipment needed for moving material around should be looked into. The pallet jacks will only move pallets if they are already on the floor. Forklifts have reaches that may be insufficient for the racks you are thinking about. The system designers will have recommendations about which equipment is appropriate for all applications.

Work flow can be influenced with the right racking system. Making this flow as direct and unimpeded as possible will benefit the productive nature of your site. Having everything in its place can help in the inventory phase and in the training of new personnel. This is just the way to make sure all workers know where things are and how to get them and where they go next.

The professionals who will make the specific recommendations you need as far as warehouse racking system design is concerned will assist in preparing your personnel to use them. This may mean a large change from the way things have been done in your facility, however, the need for these units usually means growth. The best system will indeed save time and money as they will make the work as seamless as possible.




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