What is warehouse racking?
Warehouse racking is a structured storage system used to organise pallets, goods and materials within a warehouse or industrial building.
The right racking system can help a business make better use of available floor area and building height while maintaining suitable access for forklifts and other handling equipment.
There is no single racking system that is best for every warehouse. A business storing hundreds of different products may need a very different solution from a warehouse holding large volumes of the same palletised product.
Pallet dimensions, stock rotation, number of SKUs, forklift type, aisle requirements, warehouse height and future growth should all be considered before selecting a system.
What are the main types of warehouse racking?
The most common warehouse storage systems include selective pallet racking, very narrow aisle racking, drive-in racking, push-back racking and cantilever racking. Mezzanine floors can also be used alongside racking to create additional usable floor space.
Selective Pallet Racking
Selective pallet racking is one of the most widely used warehouse racking systems. Each pallet position is directly accessible from an aisle, making the system suitable for warehouses storing a wide range of different products.
The layout can be configured around pallet sizes, warehouse dimensions and handling equipment, while beam levels can be adjusted as storage requirements change.
VNA Pallet Racking
Very Narrow Aisle, or VNA, pallet racking uses narrower aisles than a conventional selective racking layout.
Reducing aisle width allows more pallet locations to be created within the same warehouse footprint while retaining direct access to individual pallet positions.
Drive-In Pallet Racking
Drive-in pallet racking is designed for high-density storage. Instead of every pallet position being accessed from a separate aisle, forklift trucks enter the racking lanes to place and retrieve pallets.
This can significantly reduce the amount of floor area dedicated to aisles and is particularly useful where large quantities of similar products are held.
Push-Back Pallet Racking
Push-back pallet racking stores multiple pallets deep within each storage lane.
Pallets are typically loaded onto wheeled carts or carriers. As another pallet is loaded, the existing pallet is pushed further back into the lane. Loading and retrieval are carried out from the same aisle face.
Cantilever Racking
Cantilever racking is designed for products that are long, bulky or awkward to store within standard pallet racking.
Horizontal arms extend from vertical columns, creating open-fronted storage levels without front uprights obstructing access.
Warehouse Mezzanine Floors
A warehouse mezzanine floor is not a pallet racking system in the traditional sense, but it can form an important part of a warehouse storage strategy.
A mezzanine creates an additional floor level within an existing building, allowing businesses to make better use of available height without increasing the building footprint.
How do you choose the right warehouse racking system?
Choosing warehouse racking should begin with the operation rather than the racking itself.
A good layout needs to consider the products being stored, pallet dimensions and weights, the number of different product lines, stock rotation requirements, handling equipment and the physical dimensions of the warehouse.
Consider your stock profile
Warehouses storing many different products often benefit from direct-access systems such as selective or VNA racking. Where large quantities of the same or similar products are stored, a higher-density system such as drive-in or push-back racking may be more appropriate.
Consider your handling equipment
Forklift type has a major influence on aisle widths and therefore on the amount of racking that can be fitted into the available space. VNA layouts in particular require handling equipment suited to narrow aisles.
Consider height as well as floor area
Warehouse capacity is not simply about fitting more racking onto the floor. Available clear height, equipment lift heights and the building structure can all affect the usable storage capacity.
Consider future requirements
A warehouse may need to accommodate growth, additional product lines or changes to the handling operation. Designing around future requirements can help avoid creating a layout that quickly becomes restrictive.