Saturday, April 5, 2014

The Right Warehouse Racking System Design Aids In Material Movement And Safety

By Gwen Lowe


Things that are made and the parts or ingredients that go into making them must be stored safely, at least for a while. Proper warehouse racking system design and installations allow for the easy flow of material from one area, through the fabricating process, and into the other area. Steel is usually used as this represents the strongest material, although in some applications, fiberglass or extruded plastics are sometimes used.

The designing of the proper system for your plant should be a collaborative effort, taking input from all levels of management, including front line personnel. They are the ones that will be using the system and have a lot to say about how well it works. The basic shelving is based on the standard pallets that most plants use. Other sized pallets will be an impediment to this structure and plans should be based on real world material handling needs.

Free standing shelving is something to consider carefully. The wall mounted units will be the safest, however, access from the front of the shelves and the back may dictate center of the room placement. The decision about what type of access is appropriate will be a matter of discussion as well. Many operators would like access to both ends of the bay and, occasionally, the sides.

Providing a lot of information to the design engineers will be a good first step in obtaining the best racking system for you. What happens and how it happens is an important part of this data. The weights of average pallets of materials will be listed as well as where it should be placed is taken into consideration. The conditions of the walls, floors, moisture content and how that effects where certain ingredients are placed will be taken into account.

Standard traffic patterns that you have always had may need to be altered in minor ways. The addition of racking systems that will handle all of your needs may not be able to be as close to other equipment as you would like. Different material handling equipment may be needed to allow for the up close removal and placement you have been accustomed to in the past.

Having side access to bays is something that can be done on the extreme ends. In some cases, special systems can be arraigned to allow small materials to be slid, on tracks embedded in the floors, to reach all parts. Some of these will also move levels up and down to allow for the removal and replacement of items regardless of location.

A properly designed racking system will take into consideration all items needing to be stored, even for a short time, on and in them. Some of these units will have self facing rollers to bring material to the front area and they load from the back. Others will have tracks for specific types of pallets. Many of them will allow the storage of individual drums on sliders that assist in removing them with special attachments on fork lifts.

Companies who specialize in these racking systems are available for consultation, design and installation of many types of shelving. Taking advantage of these firms will ensure your plant has the best system for your industry and the work flow you have or want. Bring to them your thoughts, needs and requirements and let them help you discover the easiest way to do the hardest things.




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