There are few pieces of technology quite as essential to Australian logistics as pallet racking. In an environment that is often fast-paced and high demand as a warehouse, good racking isn’t just a piece of storage equipment, it’s an organisational asset.
Whether you’re running a distribution centre, a cold storage facility, or a regional warehouse, a good racking system can do a lot to improve the efficiency, safety, and profitability of your logistics operations.
Here, we’re going to take a look at the most common types of pallet racking systems used across Australia, as well as the importance of staying compliant with your local safety standards. With the help of the right provider for your business, you can ensure that you’re using pallets to their utmost strategic potential.
The Importance Of Pallet Racking In Australian Warehouses
The demand for effective warehouses and storage solutions has risen dramatically with the boom of e-commerce, manufacturing, and logistics sectors in Australia. As land costs are on the rise and there is an ever-increasing pressure to provide fast deliveries to growing customer bases, making the most efficient use of your storage space has become essential.
Pallet racking systems have played a huge role in helping logistics providers ensure the best use of the space they have, maximising their vertical space use, reducing handling times, and improving inventory control. Staying competitive in the fast-paced world of warehousing is vital for everything from small-scale operations ot large distribution hubs. Finding the right pallet racking systems and using them effectively can ensure your business can scale its operations safely and efficiently.
Types Of Pallet Racking Systems
To make sure that you make the best use of your space, choosing the right pallet racking system is vital. Which works best for you may depend on the type of inventory you stock, the necessary access requirements, and the space you have available, but here are some common types worth a closer look.
Selective Pallet Racking
The most common type of industrial rack storage, these racks are one pallet deep, designed for flexible, easy inventory control. They’re easy to erect and adjust, allowing you to alter the racking levels with ease. They also offer great flexibility in the weight, size, and volume of the palleted products being stored.
Versatile as they are, they can speak to all manner of needs and are also low-footprint enough to work for those who only have a little space and need to store a few pallets at a time.
Cantilever Racking
Designed with enhanced strength and safety in mind, these racks are typically designed for long-term storage as well as storage of heavier products, such as PVC, piping, timber, board, or carpet. Available in single row, double row, or placed against walls, they also maximise warehouse floor space, which can be vital for warehouses using vehicles.
Cantilever racking systems come with different weight capacities, lengths of arms, and spacing of arms, so there are systems designed for many specific product needs. If you have products that have to be held for longer periods of time or are heavier than other racking systems can handle, they’re worth considering.
Drive-In Racking
As the name suggests, these racking systems are designed for storage setups where forklifts are able ot enter the racking to deposit and retrieve pallets. As such, they’re designed to hold the large, heavyweight volumes of items that would necessitate a forklift in the first place.
Typically designed to hold a low quantity of dense or different items, these pallets offer concentrated storage that saves space and allows for the efficient and safe block stacking of unstable and fragile loads.
Cable Racking
Also known as drum racking, these are specialist solutions for rope, cord, chain, electrical cables, and other coiled products. They can be customised to specific product needs and are typically made of a drum (or spindle) holding a coiled item around a steel rod that can be inserted through the centre.
These racks offer immediate and easy access to coiled products and can be easily adjusted to suit the changing products your business stores.
Stay Complaint With Regular Inspections
All Australian businesses using pallet racking have to comply with national standards to ensure that their systems are structurally sound, correctly installed, and safe for daily use. While you might be satisfied that your systems are working to your expectations, regular inspections can help by identifying issues such as bent or damaged beams, overloading, incorrect pallet placement, or changes in layout that might affect the structural integrity of your pallet systems.
Failing to comply with these standards can result in legal liabilities, including fines, but most importantly or all, can endanger your staff. Schedule periodic safety audits to ensure a safe and productive warehouse environment.
Choosing a Reliable Pallet Racking Provider in Australia
Selecting the right supplier is just as important as choosing the right racking system. The right provider can ensure the custom solutions you need for your specific stock type and space and help you fit the local compliance standards in your state or territory.
At PRQ, we’re proud to deliver all that and more, so get in touch to find out if we can help you with your pallet racking needs.
