Pallet Flow Pallet Racking is the perfect system for warehouses with perishable items, such as food products. Pallet Flow is a high density system that uses gravity to work, making it very low energy and low maintenance. Read on to find out if pallet flow is the right system for your facility.
General Characteristics
Pallet flow pallet racking is a FIFO (first in first out) system, which makes it ideal for date sensitive pallet items, high turnaround shipment areas, and holdin
g warehouses. It incorporates roller track sections on a sloped lane, and uses gravity to move the product. The pallets start on the high end of the roller track section and move down to the other end as the pallets before it are picked. Fewer aisles are needed to utilize storage, and depending on the length of your system, the lights can be turned off above it and only need to be used on each end, cutting electricity costs.
System Components
The pallet flow racking system usually uses standard pallet rack frames as the core structure. The flow lanes are housed in the standard frames. The rails are slightly inclined and incorporate rollers (wheels made of metal or plastic) to move the pallets along the lane. In systems with deeper flow lanes, brakes should be used to manage the speed and flow of the pallets to prevent damage.
Different Flow Types
The most common flow type is for regular pallet sizes, and it consists of three rows of wheels, one on either side and one in the middle. A normal pallet’s runners would roll along the rows of wheels. However, if you have different pallet types and need the system to be more flexible, there are full roller designs that have long tubes running across instead of rows of wheels.
Full Roller
General Pallet Flow Lane
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
- Perfect product turnover with FIFO
- Saves time due to smaller distances travelled by forklifts
- Less forklifts needed
- Good stock control and easy access to pallets
- Quick installation
- Fewer aisles needed so space is utilized
- Can get up to 25 pallet positions deep
Disadvantages:
- Requires good quality pallets
- Limited SKUs, with one in each lane
- Wheels and brakes require maintenance
- High cost per pallet position
What you need to know before installing Pallet Flow
If you are thinking about going with Pallet Flow pallet rack, there are a few things you will have to be sure you know ahead of time. There must be enough space at the top to accommodate the slight incline of all of the levels. Make sure the ceiling and anything hanging from it is measured. Depending on the size of the system, you will need to get brakes to ensure safety and the quality of your pallets. You must have an aisle at each end of the system for unloading and picking.
Pallet Flow is the perfect system for a warehouse with date sensitive inventory and a very high product turnaround. It utilizes space and energy costs with its use of gravity to move the pallets. In fact, it is the deepest system you can get. If you want more information on any of these storage systems, check back with us to find out about other storage options.
