Blogs and Case Studies

It's tempting to look at pallet rack as a simple construction project. Lift the uprights, attach the load beams, and you're done. Presto. Just like an erector set. But while the new rack you've installed in your warehouse may look pretty, it sure isn't sitting pretty. Because aside from the framework itself, there are a half dozen other little bits you've ignored, and which are necessary to the safe construction of your pallet rack, not to mention for full compliance with Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) standards.

Whenever you're installing new or used pallet rack, we highly recommend consulting material handling experts like us at Speedrack Midwest before beginning work. The following is a list of components that should come standard with every pallet rack project you undertake, and which you should seriously consider whenever you're installing rack in a new building you're unfamiliar with. These components are meant to save lives, prevent injury, and avoid damage to your rack and inventory.

It's easy to get caught up in the specifics of pallet rack. Brand names and hole patterns, measurements and steel gauges, new and used. There are plenty of little things that go along with finding the right style of rack for you. So let's step back a moment and look at the bigger picture.

In the grand scheme of things, how much of a victory is it that you got a steal on used load beams that match the hole pattern of your unidentifiable uprights when you might not even have the right type of rack to begin with? You may think you're happy with the system you cobbled together over the years, but a material handling expert might have an altogether better solution – a different kind of pallet rack – that will work better for you.

It's bound to happen one way or another. No matter how many safety protocols you have in place, it's only a matter of time before a fork truck butts heads with your pallet rack, crumpling an upright column to leave whole stacks of inventory hanging precariously over your workers' heads. No matter what protocol was broken for this to happen, you better have another one ready for what happens next. When your pallet rack is damaged, you need to make sure you take the right steps to keep workers safe and fix your rack before using it again.

Of all the things that can break down in your distribution center, your conveyor system just might be the worst. There's nothing more sure to bring your production to a standstill than a busted conveyor line, which adds insult to injury by not only sitting there motionless, but by doing sitting there in the most efficient path between two points. Yes, a broken conveyor is an ugly sight. Which is why you don't want it to happen to you. Lucky for you, there are plenty of ways to keep the unthinkable from happening, and most of them amount to common sense and a small amount of elbow grease.

A full warehouse can mean a few different things, depending on whom you ask. It might mean that sales are down and product isn't moving. Or it could be a dream come true if it means you're outgrowing your original building. In any case, there's one person who's guaranteed to be anxious about space getting tight, and that's the warehouse manager.

It's not a popular position to take, but sometimes you have to play the party pooper. With winter on its way out the door, along with all the stresses it takes on warehouse and distribution center managers, you'd think that this is the time of year to rejoice. But thanks to an age-old tradition (which we're quick to deny was our idea), this is such a great time of year for cleaning that the very act is named after the season. That's right. It's time for spring cleaning. So lest we fall into another winter funk, let's take a positive approach to waste removal and accident cleanup. Anyplace can benefit from a deep clean every now and then, so think of all the things you can do to keep your warehouse clean all year long.

Of all the things involved in running a warehouse to make operations managers furrow their brows, order picking efficiency has to top the list. The process by which your workers pick and pack orders contributes to the highest costs of running your business, as well as your greatest losses in productivity when things don't running smoothly.

There's never a bad time to brush up on your pallet rack safety, and even if you're reminding yourself of a number of rules you already follow, you're doing yourself a big favor. The pallet rack experts at Speedrack Midwest make safety their number one priority, and we make a mantra of every one of these tips to ensure that no one ever gets hurt.