Pallet Racking Terminology Explained
There are a number of terms used when talking about pallet racking to describe various component parts, configurations and types of system. In this glossary we explain the most common pallet racking terminology you’re likely to encounter.
Aisle
An aisle is the space between rows of racking that enables access to the racks. Aisles are used by forklifts and personnel for loading items onto racks, unloading and picking items.
Anchors / Bolts
Anchors are used to secure pallet racking uprights to the floor or slab on which the racking is installed. Typically steel bolts are used to achor the system.
Anti Collapse Mesh
Anti collapse mesh is used to provide added safety to racking systems by preventing items from falling off pallets or racks. It’s particularly useful for multi-tier systems to reduce the risk of injury or damage to stock. Made from durable steel wire, anti collapse mesh allows for full visibility of items and also enables sprinkler systems to remain effective in the event of a fire.
Back Stop
Back stops in a racking system prevent pallets from being pushed too far into the rack and either falling off or overhanging from the end. Back stops are often created from beams attached to columns at a different height than those used to support the pallets.
Bay
A bay is the space between two upright columns in a pallet racking system. It can consist of multiple levels created by beams depending on the height of the rack.
Beam
Beams are horizontal components of a racking system that are attached to upright vertical columns. The beams support the weight of stored pallets and are available in a range of shapes and load capacities. When specifying and installing a racking system it is vital to specify beams that are suitable for the goods intended to be stored.
Bracing
Bracing can be installed horizontally or diagonally on the rear and sides of a racking system and is usually welded in place to provide additional support and stability, preventing lateral movement of the structure.
Cantilever Racking
Cantilever racking is a specialist storage system used for long or heavy items, whereby support arms are supported by a central column, rather than beams placed between columns.
Carpet Racking
Carpet racking is a specialist warehouse storage system designed to hold long items such as rolls of carpet or textiles, offering increased depth over standard racking with ease of access for depositing and retrieving items.
Cell
A cell is the space used to store pallets between vertical columns and horizontal beams. In a standard racking system this would be the space between left and right columns and beams above and below the storage area, typically able to hold two individual pallets.
Coil Cradle
A coil cradle is composed of supports that span across the main beams and enables cylindrical items such as coiled materials to be stored securely on a rack without them rolling.
Column Protector
Column protectors, also known as upright protectors or column guards, are components typically installed at the bottom of columns to protect them from damage.
Cross Aisle Tie
Cross aisle ties can be used to join rows of racks together from the top of each column with a tie that spans the aisle between them to provide enhanced stability and rigidity.
Deck
Typically made from wooden slats or sheets, decks are screwed to the beams in a pallet racking system and can provide additional support for large items, or be used to prevent smaller items from falling through the space between the beams. Decking can also be specified in steel mesh and other materials depending on storage requirements.
Double Deep Racking
Double deep racking is a system that increases storage efficiency by enabling two rows of pallets to be installed back to back, thereby doubling the storage that can be accessed from each aisle. This system is typically used to store multiples of the same item.
Drive Through Racking
Drive through racking allows a forklift to be driven through each bay, enabling items to be deposited and retrieved from both ends while providing increased storage density as bays can be multiples of rows deep. This system is used for first in first out requirements.
Drive In Racking
Drive in racking is a space efficient racking system in which a forklift can be driven into the bays to deposit and retrieve items stored multiple rows deep, and is typically used for first in last out systems.
Drum Chock
A drum chock is a specialist component that is installed on the front beam of a racking system to prevent sideways movement or rolling of cylindrical items such as drums or barrels.
End Protectors
End protectors or end guards are installed at the ends of a racking system, from column to column, to protect them against damage; particularly from forklift collisions which could undermine the integrity of the system as well as cause injury and damage from falling goods.
Floor Slab
The floor or slab is the base onto which a pallet racking system is installed. In a warehouse or factory environment this will typically be constructed from concrete slabs. It’s important to ensure the floor offers the correct load capacity for the goods that will be stored on the system as well as the racking itself.
Flow Racking
Flow racking is a specialised type of racking that is suited to first in first out operations. Pallets are loaded onto gravity operated rollers and unloaded or picked at the opposite end, at which point the next pallet in line moves into position.
Footplate
Footplates or base plates are an essential component of a pallet racking system. They enable vertical columns to be securely bolted to the floor using anchors, providing stability and a solid foundation on which the racking system is built.
Fork Spacer
Fork spacers are primarily used to enable none palletised loads to be loaded and unloaded by forklift from a rack, and support the load while it is being stored. They are supplied in pairs and installed across the beams at a distance equal to the forks on the forklift used to handle the items.
Frame
The frame of a pallet racking system describes the structure, primarily the columns, beams and supporting components, onto which pallets will be placed for storage.
Frame Cladding
Cladding can be fitted to racking frames for various applications and can help to provide additional support to the structure as well as preventing items falling from the ends of the system.
Guide Rails
Guide rails are used to provide guidance for forklift trucks, and are used particularly in drive in/through or narrow aisle racking systems to prevent collisions with the structure and help trucks move into position accurately.
High Bay Racking
High bay racking systems offer high storage density and maximum use of vertical space, able to be configured up to 40m high. They are typically serviced by cranes running on floor mounted rails and connected to the top of the structure by additional guides for extra stability.
Level
Within a pallet racking system, a level is a row of horizontal beams. Typically the system will include multiple levels with some systems capable of housing many levels for maximum storage capacity within a given floor space and may require specialist equipment to access pallets.
Load Capacity
The load capacity describes the maximum weight that can be placed on the beams of a rack. When designing a racking system, it is important that the goods to be stored are identified in order that racking with sufficient load capacity is specified.
Locking Pin
Pallet racking locking pins, also known as safety pins, drop pins or beam clips, help to secure the horizontal beams to the upright columns. These components are dropped into the frame through the column into the beam and are a safeguard to maintain the integrity of the structure should beam connectors become damaged or disengaged.
Mesh Deck
Mesh decks or wire decks are typically made from high strength steel mesh and are connected to the beams of the system. They are often used in conjunction with sprinkler systems and also provide additional support and security as well as ventilation for stored items.
Narrow Aisle Racking
A narrow aisle racking system is a pallet racking configuration where the size of the aisles between rows of racks are up to 50% smaller than standard racking, offering increased storage capacity within a space.
Pallet
Pallets are broadly used in a wide range of industries for the storage and transportation of goods. Made from wood, or sometimes plastic, they are typically loaded onto racking systems and removed using forklifts.
Pallet Foot Support
Foot supports are installed across beams and are used to support boxed or caged pallets that use corner posts, feet or skids, enabling these types of pallets to be loaded, stored and unloaded securely from the racking system.
Pallet Support Bar
Pallet support bars are installed across beams and are used to provide support for smaller items or pallets that would not otherwise fit onto a standard size rack. Support bars can also be used to fit shelves to a system for storing suitable items, as a form of warehouse shelving.
Push Back Racking
Push back racking delivers excellent use of space by enabling pallets to be stored up to 4 deep. The system uses inclined channels in conjunction with wheeled carriers so that when the fist pallet is removed, the rest move into position to the aisle or picking face. When pallets are loaded, each pushes the preceding one back into the bay.
Rack Identification Labels
Identification labels can be used to ensure accurate placement and location of items. Installed on the front facing surface of beams, they can include details of the items stored as well as bar coding for use with picking and stock management systems.
Rack Nets
Rack nets are made from high strength polypropylene and prevent items from falling from racking. They prevent injury and damage to goods by ensuring items do not fall from the end of a racking system.
Row Ties
Row ties are used to join multiple rows of racking together in order to improve stability within the system, and are connected between the frames of each row.
Run
A run describes a series of pallet racking bays and the surrounding frames. Runs can contain multiple bays and be single sided, usually installed against a wall, or double sided with a picking face on each side of the run. Specialist types of racking can also provide runs that can be multiple pallets deep or that can be driven through from one side to the other.
Run Spacer
Run spacers are installed between double sided or back to back rows of pallet racking to ensure a uniform and parallel clearance between the columns is maintained.
Safety Bar
Safety bars are installed across the beams of a racking system in order to prevent items or pallets from falling through the rack, such as if loaded incorrectly, in the event of a collision or should a pallet fail.
Shims
Shims are used when pallet racking is installed on a floor that is not completely level and provide adjustment to account for a small height difference across a floor. They are typically made from steel and are placed under the footplate, covering the same surface area. Anchor bolts then pass through the footplate and the shims into the floor.
Shuttle Racking
Shuttle racking uses deep lanes that include self powered shuttles to deposit and retrieve pallets remotely, to provide a highly dense storage solution.
Signage
Racking signs and labels are used to provide warning and loading safety notices and information relating to correct use of the racking system to conform with SEMA guidelines.
Sprinkler Systems
Installed as a safety measure, sprinkler systems are activated in the event of a fire and help to minimise damage and risk to personnel. Sprinkler systems are installed as part of fire protection measures and must comply with relevant legislation and regulations when used in a warehouse setting.
Upright
The upright section of a racking system is the vertical columns and necessary bracing that is bolted to the floor and used to support the horizontal beams.
Wall Tie
Wall ties are used to secure rows of pallet racking to a wall within a building, when racking is positioned with the back of the system adjacent to a wall to provide additional stability.
Pallet Racking From Avanta UK
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