Have you ever been tossed into the deep end?  You learn to swim pretty quickly – or hopefully get saved pretty quickly.  However, that same theory doesn’t apply well to purchasing and managing warehouse equipment.  To create and maintain an efficient storage and handling process, you need to not only have a thorough understanding of the workflow but the equipment as well.

Determining your needs.

Purchasing pallet rack doesn’t take a rocket scientist, but if you’re going to do this right, the pallet rack that best fits your needs will be determined by a number of criteria:

• What will you store? Weight, shapes, sizes?
• What is your picking system? How does your product move?
• Are there regulations that you need to follow?
• What type of rack works best with your forklift? Aisle spacing?

And of course, there may be engineering services needed to ensure efficiency, safety regulations and procedures to follow, and skilled installation crews to safeguard the finished system.

Saving time and money.

If you were ‘tossed into the deep end’ and needed a hand, your best bet would be to reach out to your local material handling specialist.  Whether it be a large complex system, or a few rows of pallet rack, an experienced specialist will be able to help you determine the right equipment and its safe application – saving you time and money.

Tossed into the deep.

Our good friends at TK Aviation in Grapevine TX, reached out to us with a similar situation.  They store heavy aircraft engines and bulky parts and needed racking.  So they brought in some used pallet rack (odds and ends) which they put up on their own.  Safety soon became a concern.

A lifesaving hand.

Rode Chambers, storage and automotive specialist, has developed a great relationship with TK Aviation by being attentive to their needs.  He heard their concerns, went out to their facility, and walked through their storage area with them.

Immediately, Rode noted that the rack uprights/beams were not uniform and lean was evident.  The uprights weren’t properly mounted to the concrete floor.  Some beams had developed sag and there were no safety clips for secure placement.  The wire decking didn’t fit the bays properly which created gaps and overlays.  All this summed up?  Definitely a huge safety risk, especially with the weight of airplane engines and parts.

Safeguarding the pallet rack system.

Rode’s consultation and plan of action:

• Replace all upright rows with new, uniform uprights
• Like-new pallet rack beams with appropriate weight capacities from our used equipment inventory
• Anchor all uprights to the concrete floor to prevent lean or topple
• Safety clips on all beams to prevent dislodging
• Correctly fitted waterfall wire decking
• Proper spacing of rack rows
• Active inspection and maintenance plan

We provided TK Aviation with a much safer work environment.  Their rack system is sturdy, up to code, and safe.  We have a partnership of continual improvement for their workflow and storage systems and we’re their go-to-resource for best-practice consultation and services.

Or call us at 800.442.3061 for tips, consultation, or any questions on warehouse safety and prevention.

We also provide design and installation services!