Cost-effective Selective Warehouse Pallet Racking For Bulk Storage

Selective pallet racking is a kind of storage setup that allows for easy access to each pallet. The system has the lowest storage capacity when compared to other solutions, but it is one of the most inexpensive to implement. It is one of the few storage options available for some warehouses, such as those where perishable goods like food, beverages, and other items are held.

The following contains information on the precise design, features, benefits, and downsides of a selective pallet racking system. The knowledge is intended to help you decide whether this kind of storage is suitable for your warehouse operations and business.

Characteristics

Only one pallet's worth of items is deposited in a selective rack system. For optimal space management and minimal aisle requirements, two distinct, neighboring racks can hold no more than two pallets stacked back to back. But there are no height restrictions on selective racks. They typically stand between 10 and 15 feet tall, but if you have the right tools to remove and store items at such heights, they can reach 35 feet or more.

The functionality of selective racking has several effects, but one of the most significant is that it enables FIFO, or First-In-First-Out, access. In contrast to a FILO (First-In-Last-Out) system, selective racking allows you to remove the first stock you deposited. FIFO access is probably necessary if your warehouse mostly stores perishable goods.

Another factor to think about while choosing between various storage systems is aisle space. Because selective rack systems only allow for one-pallet deep racks, your back-to-back bay lanes can only be a maximum of two pallets wide. As a result, you will require extra aisles. If your warehouse uses reach trucks, selective rack lanes should be between 10 and 11.5 feet long, whereas counterbalanced forklifts need clear aisles between 11.5 and 15 feet long.

Selective Racking System: Uses and Advantages

♦ Access to Each Pallet Directly

A forklift can access every pallet when you utilize selected racks. This is especially helpful if you keep a wide variety of products in stock or if order picking from pallets is frequently required of your staff.

♦ FIFO Access

When food and other things with a very short shelf life are deposited, your inventory needs to be rotated often. If not, there is a chance that the first-deposited products will spoil and become useless. FIFO access is the best option for preserving a healthy rotation.

♦ Many Accesses Per Aisle

Any selective storage system allows for the simultaneous operation of more reach trucks or forklifts in the same aisle. The effectiveness with which orders are delivered and things are stored may be significantly impacted by this.

♦ Cost-effective

The least expensive type of warehouse storage per square foot is selective pallet racking. Additionally, you may reach certain racks without the use of specialized forklifts, which further reduces the overall cost.

Selective Pallet Racking: Drawbacks

For all purposes, a selective pallet racking system is not appropriate. Before using this sort of storage in your warehouse, you should think about some of the disadvantages, such as:

♦ A Larger Space is Needed

You will require more room overall to store the same quantity of product in a selective rack system because more aisles are required to operate it effectively. Selective racks might not be the most space-efficient method of storing for you if you handle more than 3,000 pallets at once, while this is not necessarily a problem for some warehouses. The same holds if you keep a lot of pallets per SKU, thus you may utilize systems that run many pallets deep better.

♦ Higher Costs For Stock with Above Medium Volume

Due to the significant space needs, if your warehouse handles medium to large volumes of inventory, you'll have to pay for more space and units to selectively rack everything. On the other hand, pushback or comparable solutions will cut your costs in these circumstances.

Selective Pallet Racking From Ironstone

Ironstone creates and provides robust selective pallet racking systems to homes, businesses, and warehouses all over the world. We know the ins and outs of every type of storage we offer, so we can give you more specific advice about which one will fit your space the best. Contact Ironstone with the specifics of your project to learn more about selective racks or any other storage option.