Monday, March 31, 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.

Deciding what is the best system will take input from many persons in management and from front line employees who will use the system. One of the most popular forms of racking is, of course, the bays, set up individually based on the dimensions of a standard pallet. This is the way most people expect the system to be and are very comfortable with it.

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.

Designing the best system starts with knowing what is happening, on the floor, and what can happen in a day to day operation. The design engineer will want to observe what happens and how it happens. This will be put down on paper and the system will grow from that. They will want to know weights, conditions of the floors, walls, moisture content. Any special considerations concerning the individual parts or ingredients to be use for the product you are producing are also looked at.

Floor plans will be consulted to determine the weights that can be placed there and reinforcement, as necessary, will be considered. Traffic patterns for material handling equipment must be defined so easy access is possible to all areas. The decision about access to back and front of the bays will also need to be hammered out.

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.

Examining all of the options is what a firm specializing in these systems will help you with. There are many configurations of shelves, some of which have self facing rollers. There are specific designs that will have pallets held firmly with attachments until they are released. Others will be have rails that allow the insertion of specific drums, barrels or tanks.

Safety is one of your first jobs and everyone must buy into that. The companies who offer these types of racking systems have the bases covered as they consult, design and install the best units for you and your employees. Moving material from one place to another is how you accomplish the world class work you do, so helping you do that is their top goal.




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