Why Your Warehouse Needs a Multi-Tier Racking System

In the midst of a global pandemic wherein more and more people are placing online orders, maximizing warehouse storage space in distribution centers and supply chains has never been more crucial than it is now. Since warehouses have limited wall-to-wall space, the only direction left to go is up. That’s where high-end multi-tier racking systems come in. Also known as high-rises, these innovative pallet racking systems offer multiple levels of storage capacity, allowing you to expand your warehouse storage capabilities and even tap into new markets along the way.

Increasing your inventory input/output capacity also makes for a more lucrative, efficient, and productive warehouse operation.

How Do Multi-Tier Racking Systems Work?

Multi-tier racking systems are an ideal warehouse storage solution for distribution centers and manufacturing facilities that are looking to expand their operations without occupying maximum storage space. Rather than being forced to expand your warehouse facility outward, which involves hiring new personnel and expensive structural modifications, you can simply build on the existing pallet racking system in your warehouse.

Suitable for medium to large warehouses that are looking to expand their operations but have limited square footage to do so, multi-tier systems are an excellent space-saving and cost-efficient solution.

Starting from the ground up, these modular pallet racking systems allow for upward expansion to increase storage capacity as needed. Since the bays are completely unobstructed on all sides, product access and reachability is relatively safe and simple.

Multi-tier racking systems come in a variety of configurations, including:

• Multi-tier metal shelving systems
• Catwalk metal shelving systems
• Free-standing mezzanine metal shelving systems

Metalware, one of the leading manufacturers of multi-tier pallet racking systems, offers a versatile line of compatible accessories that can enhance warehouse efficiency, productivity, and safety standards. These include the following:

• Staircases to allow workers to climb the side of the pallet racks to retrieve products by hand
• Guardrails to prevent products or workers from falling
• Mezzanine safety gates to ensure products are always organized and secured in place
• Various flooring options (bar grating, open steel planking, Resindek, etc.)

Advantages of Multi-Tier Racking Systems

Multi-tier racking systems bring a lot of valuable features and advantages to the table to help you boost your warehouse and fulfillment centre operations.

Here are just a few perks to consider if you’re still on the fence about whether or not this is the right warehouse storage solution for your business.

Expand Your Warehouse without Expanding Your Budget

From employee salaries to workers’ compensation insurance, offering safety training, purchasing supplies, etc., running a warehouse facility is expensive enough as it is. What happens when you need to expand your operations and require a higher storage capacity due to growing product demand? You can’t just fold under the pressure.

Multi-tier pallet racking offers a safe, easy, and affordable solution to help you expand the storage space in your existing warehouse. The answer is to simply build upward.

Building up your warehouse storage capacity allows you to stock more inventories while boosting your operational efficiency and making it easier for workers to retrieve products as needed.

Double or Triple Usable Storage Space

Using modular engineered and customizable shelving units, you can easily double or triple your warehouse storage space based on the dimensions of the products that need to be stored.

Each shelving level can be as long or wide as you need to be with a significant weight capacity and strong supporting beams to ensure the durability of the structure and eliminate the chance of collapse.

Keep Warehouse More Organized

Multi-tier pallet racking allows you to stack your products as high up as necessary to ensure a more organized and efficient operation. Workers can choose from an assortment of material handling equipment available to retrieve products if the boxes are light enough to carry by hand.

Forward facing labels allow for easy product identification, which streamlines the order picking process and ensures items are shipped out on time or as quickly as possible.

Maintain High Worker Safety Standards

Warehouse safety should always be top of mind when installing new fixtures and pallet racking systems. Workers should be trained on how to use multi-tier pallet racking systems and their accompanying accessories to reduce the risk of injury and liability.

Multi-tier racking systems and their accessories are extremely safe and easy to use once you learn how. Safety features such as guardrails can be installed all around to prevent loose-sitting boxes and products from falling to the ground from high up. In fact, one of the most common causes of warehouse injuries is workers being struck by falling objects. Guardrails and polymer safety netting prevent this from happening.

For additional safety protocols, you can even mandate that all workers retrieving products from high levels, whether they’re using forklifts or staircases, must have the appropriate safety attire on at all times. This includes helmets, standard reflective safety vests, and harnesses to prevent serious injury.

Features of Multi-Tier Racking Systems

Here are a few useful features of multi-tier racking systems that can help maximize operational efficiency in your warehouse:

• Flexible Decking Options: Choose from a variety of decking options to suit your needs and the aesthetic of your warehouse including perforated panels, mesh decks, steel shelving, and MDF decking.
• Easy Access to Stored Items: Workers have the option of using material handling equipment or staircases to safely retrieve items on all levels.
• Compact Storage Capabilities: Store small and large items with varying weight capacities as needed without having to expand your warehouse square footage. Take advantage of vertical space as much as you need.
• Modular Design: The modular design of multi-tier racking systems gives you endless configuration and storage options based on your changing storage needs. You can adjust levels by lowering them or lifting them up as much as necessary.

What Products Are Suitable for Storage on a Multi-Tier Racking System?

Multi-tier racking systems are most suitable for e-commerce and retail—both industries that demand a great deal of product turnover in short timeframes. These products include clothing, kitchenware, toys, and any other items that can typically be purchased at an online or in-store retailer. They’re not suitable for storing flammable items, however, because these products can’t be retrieved quickly enough in the event of an emergency.

Canadian Rack Technologies Inc. provides reliable, state-of-the-art multi-tier racking systems that can be customized to suit the requirements of your warehouse. We’ll install and maintain your racking system for you and teach your workers how to handle it safely. Contact us today to learn more.