How to Set Up Warehouse Racking Get an idea
Warehouse racking, also known as warehouse shelving is a
warehouse design that allows the storage of materials in vertical shelves to
maximize on space. In this design, shelves are hoisted on vertical pillars
raising as high as the warehouse roof. The width and height on the individual
selves depends on the materials being stored. The shelves are usually built
using tear-down frames.
Process of Setting Up
If you do not already have a warehouse, the first step will
be locating an ideal warehouse space for your materials. Besides factors such
as convenience and costs, the other major factor to consider is the height of
the warehouse roof. Since warehouse racking utilizes vertical space, the higher
the roof, the more the space you will create.
Designing the Warehouse Shelving
Once you have identified the warehouse space, the next
important decision is determining the type of warehouse racking to have. There
are different types of warehouse shelving. Select pallet racking is the most
common type of warehouse shelving. In this design, the shelves are constructed
using beams and materials are packed in the shelves by use of a folk-lift
truck. When constructing the racks, you can use screw-in beams or clip-in
beams. The clip-in beams are used when you need to store different types of
materials. This way, you can easily adjust the size of the shelves using the
clips. The disadvantage of this design is that you cannot store very heavy
materials on these shelves. The screw-in beams are more permanent and are used when
storing heavier materials or products that does not require adjusting the beam
sizes.
Besides select pallet racking, you can also have push-back
or pallet flow design. This design of warehouse racking uses rails and rollers
on each level of storage as opposed to box beams. The materials are hung onto
the rollers and pushed back-to-back along the rail. The rail levels raise as
high as the roof. This method of storage is used to maximize on warehouse
capacity. However, the limitation of this design is that it is difficult to
remove materials stored in the middle of a rail.
Designing the Entry and Exit Points
The entry and exit of the warehouse are also another major
factor when setting up warehouse racking. There are two types of entry design.
The drive-in model has a single entry and exit point. This design usually
creates more space but it is usually hard to manage inventories. On the other
hand, drive-through design has an entry on one end of the warehouse and the
exit on the other end. This design enables easy loading and removal of
materials in the warehouse. You can use 'last in first out' (LIFO) method of
warehousing much easily as the folk-lift trucks can easily navigate within the
warehouse.
Constructing the Racks
Once you have come up with the design and type of warehouse
shelving to install, you can proceed and construct your warehouse. When
purchasing the beams, you can opt for second hand beams to reduce on your
costs. The construction of the racks is simple and straight forward. However,
you may require an expert to advise on various aspects such as safety and aisle
spacing.
Safety and Cleanliness
Once you have set up your warehouse, you should arrange for
regular safety and cleanliness audits to ensure that the quality of your
warehouse is maintained.
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