When it comes to planning warehouse racking, it is not only a matter of selecting the racks and positioning them within the warehouse. Effective warehouse planning includes arranging the goods efficiently, making full use of the available space, keeping the products in an organized manner, and ensuring that workers can access and move the goods easily. A well-planned racking system will enable businesses to make better use of both floor and vertical space without causing any difficulties for workers.
When you are establishing a new warehouse or when you are improving one that already exists, there are a number of things to take into account prior to selecting an industrial racking system.
1. Work out what you need to store
The first thing you should do is get a good understanding of your product. In industries that have products of different kinds and sizes, the way in which the goods are arranged will also differ. For example, some products are small and are frequently used by workers, such as toolboxes and spare parts. These kinds of boxes and products should therefore be kept in positions that are easy for workers to access so that they can make better use of storage shelves.
Before selecting a rack, consider:
- Product size and dimensions
- Product weight
- Packaging type
- Number of products
- Whether products are stored on pallets
- How frequently products need to be accessed
This information allows you to establish which type of industrial storage racking is appropriate for the warehouse.
2. Measure the warehouse space available
Actually, knowing how much space we have is an important first step; measure the length and the width, and also measure the height if you want to make good use of the vertical space.
Find the doors and entrances and determine which way to face the entrance.
Columns and structural elements
Where to place loading and unloading areas
Emergency exits,
Where to relocate the existing equipments
Some areas might have to leave blank.
Although using vertical space can increase storage capacity, the height available should always be taken into account together with the type of handling equipment and the products being stored.
3. Determine how the products will be accessed
In order to work out the way in which the products should be arranged, you should put yourself in the position of a worker. When it comes to products that have to be accessed frequently in order to reach individual pallets, the pallets in question should be arranged so as to allow easy access to them. With some products being stored for longer periods and therefore possibly not needing to be accessed for a long time, those pallets could then be used in a more dense storage solution.
4. Select the appropriate type of racking
You shouldn’t choose a racking system on the basis of its size alone, since no one racking solution will be suitable for every warehouse. The decision has to take into account the types of products, the available space, the required storage capacity and the access needs.
Selective Pallet Racking
It is commonly used in cases where businesses require direct access to individual pallets. Appropriate for warehouses which store a variety of products and require frequent access to their inventory.
Drive-In Racking
Increase the storage density by decreasing the number of aisles. Appropriate for warehouses that store large amounts of identical products.
Cantilever Racking
It is usually employed for long or irregularly shaped objects, for example pipes, timber, or metal sections.
Multi-Tier Racking
Thought of for smaller products which are picked by hand. Creating multiple levels of storage in order to make use of vertical space.
5. Determine the load requirements
When planning warehouse storage racks, one of the most important factors to take into account is the weight of the products; the rack chosen should be able to support the weight of the pallets and the goods.
Consider:
- Maximum weight per pallet
- Number of pallets per rack level
- Number of storage levels
- Total expected load
- Pallet dimensions.
One should establish the required load capacity before choosing and fitting the system.
6. Planning of the aisles and areas for movement
A warehouse must provide sufficient space so that both people and equipment can move safely; when planning the racking layout it is important to think about how forklifts, pallet trucks, and the workers themselves will move around the area.
Daily operations will suffer for the workers if we leave too small a space. Allocating too much space to the aisles will decrease the amount of storage area available. A balance must be maintained between storage capacity and easy movement.
7. Consider how the product is moved
An adequate racking system must be suitable throughout the entire process involving the movement of goods—not just during storage, but from the very start. It should be taken into account at every stage, starting with receiving and moving through storage, then picking and packing, and finally dispatch. For instance, products which are frequently received and dispatched should be stored in positions that are easier to access; fast-moving items can be placed nearer to the picking or dispatch areas if suitable. This approach will help to cut down on unnecessary movement and make daily warehouse operations more efficient.
8. Think about your future storage requirements.
When the business expands, the number of products might go up, new product categories could be added, and at times the business might begin to use different handling equipment. It is important therefore to take future requirements into account when planning the rack system, since doing so will make it easier to alter the storage system as the business grows.
9. Think about safety and installation.
Warehouse racking constitutes a structural storage system, and therefore safety must be taken into account both when the system is being planned and when it is being installed. The installation has to be carried out in accordance with the system’s requirements as well as with the applicable safety considerations. It is necessary to carry out regular inspections and maintenance even after the installation has been completed. Any visible damage must never be ignored, it has to be dealt with and properly assessed.
What Should You Check Before You Install Warehouse Racking?
Before finalising a warehouse racking system, review the following:
- What is it that is to be stored?
- What is the heaviest weight that the product can have?
- What number of pallets are required?
- What are the dimensions of the pallets?
- What amount of floor space is there?
- How high is the available warehouse space?
- What kind of handling equipment will be used?
- How often will each product be accessed?
- How wide must the aisle be?
- What are the plans for expanding in the future?
- What are the positions of the loading, unloading, picking, and dispatch areas?
This will help you to gain an understanding of exactly what your warehouse really requires before you choose a racking solution.