Enter any warehouse or logistics business and you’re almost certain to find Adjustable Pallet Racking (APR) somewhere in the building. Their popularity is very much down to the racking’s ability to provide fast location of your stock, reduce loading and unloading timescales, maximise stock rotation and optimise both the floor space and height of your warehouse.
You can carry almost any load on an APR structure although it is most commonly used for heavy loads stored on pallets which are then accessed and transported by forklift trucks or other handling equipment.
What are the different pallet racking configurations
While APR are common structures in a warehouse, it does not mean every racking is the same. Due to the highly flexible nature of this racking, it is possible to tailor the structure to meet your exact stock profiles and business needs.
What is Wide Aisle Racking?
This is the most common APR configuration. Also known as standard APR, the aisles are set at a width that enables forklift trucks quick access to loaded units. You can also optimise the structure for hand-picked stock at floor level.
What is Double Deep Racking?
Double Deep Pallet Racking takes your standard APR structure and sits two runs back-to-back. Stock is loaded and unloaded from one face, and front pallets are accessed like standard APR. Stock sits at the back of the row which are picked by forklifts with telescopic forks.
What is Narrow Aisle Racking?
If you want to maximise the amount of stock you hold, you can opt for Narrow Aisle Racking (NAR). This racking reduces the aisle width by about 17% compared to standard APR enabling more rows within the same floor space. Pallets are accessed by standard forklift trucks although, due to the smaller aisle widths, greater care is needed when picking.
What is Very Narrow Aisle Racking?
As the name suggests, Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) racking further reduces the aisle width between the rows. This allows for an even greater density of stock, but it does require specialised forklifts and guidance systems for optimal operation.
What weight of load can I carry on APR?
As warehouses get taller, the need for racking that meets these requirements also grows. To offer warehouse owners a standardised solution, our new Link SKMX racking has been designed to meet these new warehouse challenges. The racking features a greater family of uprights to cope with higher bay loads – anything from 2 to over 20 metres in height – while also working seamlessly with crane racking and automated systems. It has even been installed in rack-clad buildings up to 47m high.
The Link SKMX racking can also accommodate most stock profiles with six different light and heavy-duty options available. This flexibility in loading options is down to the different beams we incorporate into the structure. For example, our specialised 'N' section beams, which are manufactured from a single piece of steel, hold a Uniform Distributed Load (UDL) of up to 4,468kg per pair. Alternatively, our box beams, manufactured from steel 'C' sections, can hold a UDL of up to 6,250kg per pair.
Can I adjust my APR?
The clue is in the name with APR, it’s a highly adjustable structure that can meet a wide range of warehouse profiles. This adaptability becomes important when you think about the future growth of your business. With APR racking, you can easily reconfigure or expand your structure to accommodate changing demands.
When looking for a racking manufacturer, you should also consider what accessories are available to meet changing operational needs. Are there racking-compatible accessories such as mesh panels and dividers to segment the shelf or even D-bar dividers which can separate tall items for a mixed storage configuration?
If you’re thinking about getting Adjustable Pallet Racking in your warehouse and would like to find out more information on our Link SKMX range, why not get in touch?
