Tips to Optimize Used Pallet Racking in Your Warehouse

Storage space is a seriously hot commodity in warehouses and distribution centers. When floor and physical space is limited, there’s usually nowhere to go but up. And that’s where used pallet racking in Mississauga comes in handy. Used pallet racking systems allow warehouse workers to stack inventory as high up as the structure allows to make excellent use of vertical space. For safety and ease of use, bulky items should be stored on the bottom shelves with lighter items stored in the middle and toward the top. Keep reading if you’re looking for great ways to optimize storage space in your warehouse with used pallet racking.

Choose the Right Pallet Rack for Your Warehouse

The best way to properly incorporate a pallet racking system for your warehouse is to understand your specific requirements. Start by getting a proper lay of the land. Measure your entire floorspace and examine blueprints so you can get a good understanding of your layout. 

Then, assess the type of inventory that you usually store in your warehouse and the flow of movement throughout your space. Determine whether there’s room for improvement and ways you can enhance efficiency and productivity. Is there any dead space that you can make better use of? Are the aisles completely clear for safe passage on foot or by forklift? Once you’ve identified the issues that need to be worked out, you can find a viable pallet racking solution that fits your needs. 

Optimize Warehouse Space for Efficiency

Warehouse efficiency increases safety standards, organization, and the flow of inventory in and out of your facility. Here are a few ways that you can maximize efficiency in your warehouse. 

• Minimize aisle spacing. You want to make sure that once the pallet racks are installed, there will be enough space for material handling equipment and workers on foot to safely pass through the space and retrieve inventory without bumping into things or feeling cramped.
• Repurpose storage racks. If you have racks in your warehouse with available storage space, use them to store excess inventory that doesn’t move as quickly as others. Move the faster moving or more in-demand inventory to more frequently used racks in your warehouse.
• Install pallet racking safety panels. Safety panels or safety netting that is installed along the sides of tall pallet racking systems prevents inventory overload and safety hazards such as accidentally knocking a box off the rack. In case of a seismic event, safety panels can also help minimize warehouse and inventory damage as well as the risk of inventory falling on workers. 

Improve Warehouse Storage Capacity

Vertical space is an excellent method for improving the storage capacity of your warehouse when wall shelving and floorspace is limited. Stacking smaller and lighter items towards the top and bulkier items at the bottom also increases the stability of the pallet racking system and ensures you always have easy access to inventory when you need it. Make sure all of the labels on the boxes are facing outward so inventory stays organized. 

Understand How a Purchased Pallet Rack Will Work with Existing Shelves

Accurately measure your space and compare the measurements to the dimensions of the pallet racking system you intend to purchase. Make sure there’s enough clearance between any existing wall shelves and the pallet racking system to allow for safe movement. If necessary, move the wall shelves either vertically or horizontally to make more space.

Looking for used racks in Toronto? Canadian Rack Technologies Inc. has a wide selection of state-of-the-art and well-maintained cantilever, carton flow, selective, pushback, and other types of pallet racking systems. We also provide thorough pre-health and safety reviews and plans to maximize warehouse safety and efficiency. Contact us today to learn more.