Selective Pallet Racking

Selective pallet racking is a type of storage system where each individual pallet can be reached directly. The system is one of the most affordable to implement, but also has the lowest storage capacity compared to other options. For some warehouses, such as those where food, beverages, and other perishable goods are stored, it is one of the few storage solutions that offer suitable access for day-to-day activities.

In what follows, we’ve included details about the exact layout and characteristics of a selective pallet racking system, as well as its advantages and drawbacks. The information is meant to give you a better idea of whether this type of storage is adequate for your warehouse management and business.

Basic Characteristics of a Selective Pallet Racking System

In a selective rack system, goods are deposited only one pallet deep. At most, two pallets can be placed back to back in two separate, adjacent racks for an effective use of space and minimal aisle requirements. Selective racks are not limited in terms of height, however. On average, they are between 10 and 15 feet tall, but they can go up to 35 feet or more if you have adequate equipment to remove and store goods at such heights.

There are several consequences to the way selective racking works, but one of the most important is that this type of storage allows FIFO, or First-In-First-Out, access. Compared to a FILO (First-In-Last-Out) system, selective racking means that the stock you’ve deposited first can also be removed first. If your warehouse primarily stores products with a short shelf life, then FIFO access is likely a must.

Aisle space is another matter to consider when you decide between different storage systems. For selective rack systems, you’ll need more aisles because the racks go only one pallet deep and, as such, your lanes can be only two pallets wide for back to back bay, at most. If your warehouses uses reach trucks, aisles for selective racks should range from 10ft to 11.5ft each, whereas for counterbalanced forklifts, you’re looking at clear aisles of 11.5ft to 15ft.

Selective Rack Systems: Uses and Advantages

Selective pallet racking systems present multiple advantages that can be leveraged to improve the efficiency of your warehouse:

Direct access to each pallet

When you use selective racks, no pallet is out of the reach of a forklift. This is particularly useful when you store a wide variety of products or when employees are frequently required to perform order picking from pallets.

FIFO access

When you deposit food and other items with a very limited shelf life, your inventory must rotate constantly. Otherwise, you run the risk that goods first deposited become spoiled and unusable. To maintain a good rotation, FIFO access is ideal.

Multiple access per aisle

In any selective storage system, more reach trucks or forklifts can operate in the same aisle at the same time. This can have a significant impact on the efficiency with which orders are delivered and goods are stored.

Cost-effective

Selective pallet racking systems are the most affordable form of warehouse storage per square foot. In addition, you don’t need special forklifts to access selective racks, which brings down the total cost even further

The type of warehouse that is best served by a selective rack system stores a wide range of products or, in other words, a small number of pallets per SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). Selective racks are ideal for warehouses that see a lot of traffic and where pallets are frequently taken down for order picking before being stored again. Industries dealing in perishable goods are good candidates for this type of storage systems and so are e-commerce businesses, where efficient order-picking is crucial for the well-functioning of the entire enterprise.

Selective Pallet Racking: Drawbacks

A selective pallet racking system is not suitable for all applications. Some of the drawbacks to consider before implementing this type of storage in your warehouse include:

Large space requirements

Because more aisles are needed to efficiently operate a selective rack system, you’ll need more space overall to store the same amount of stock. This is not necessarily a problem for some warehouses, but if you handle more than 3,000 pallets at a time, selective racks might not be the most space-effective means of storage for you. The same can be said if you store a large number of pallets per SKU, which means that you can make better use of systems going several pallets deep.

Higher costs for above medium volume stock.

A direct consequence of considerable space requirements is that if your warehouse handles stock in medium to high volumes, you’ll end up paying for more space and additional units to store everything in selective racking. Push back or similar solutions, on the other hand, will reduce your expenses in these instances.

Selective Pallet Racking from Kingmorack

Kingmorack manufactures and delivers durable selective pallet racking systems to warehouses, businesses, and homes worldwide. We understand the ins and outs of each type of storage we sell and, as such, we are able to advise you further regarding the most suitable fit for your space.

To get more information on selective racks or on any other storage solution, contact Kingmorack with the details for your project.

Discuss your order

For more information, quotes, sample and orders, contact Kingmorack today.