If you are planning out the design of your storage system in your warehouse, you already have a lot to consider. Something people don’t think about often is if they need a beam level on the floor. There are a few instances where that would be necessary in a facility, and I am going to go over them this post.
First, certain types of forklifts, like narrow aisle trucks, require a beam level on the floor. The outriggers are used to balance the forklift, allowing the aisle to be smaller. In these trucks, the outrigger is driven into the rack, and reaches under the floor level beam, where then the forks are extended to pick up the pallet. The outriggers would not be able to get into place if there was a pallet on the floor, which is why a floor beam level is required. It lifts the pallet enough for the outriggers on the forklift to fit underneath.
Another common situation is in the food or pharmaceutical industries. Often there are regulations keeping the pallets from sitting on the floor. In this case, a floor level beam would still allow you to store the same amount of inventory, while following the rules by not having the products actually on the floor.
If you have any other reasons why you would need a beam level on the floor, let us know in the comments!
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