CCDM

How does pallet flow racking work?

21st December 2021

Pallet flow racks, or flowrack, is a pallet storage method that uses gravity and wheels or rollers, to convey and accumulate pallets in a storage module. Depths can range from 2 to over 20 pallets deep, thereby giving you higher storage density than other forms of racking. Because pallets travel from the load end to the unload end on their own, forklift travel is reduced, and different forklift operators can independently load and unload pallets.

A pallet flow rack system contains either a set of wheel tracks, pallet flow rails, or full width rollers set on a slight slope downward from the load end to the unload end. Thanks to gravity flow rack system design, when an operator places the pallet in the first position, the pallet begins to roll forward toward the other end.

Speed controllers are installed in the lane to ensure the pallet travels in a safe manner to the unload end. The operator can continue to load pallets into the lane, and they will accumulate until the lane is full.

When a pallet is removed from the unload end, the pallets in behind will roll forward one position and come to rest on the ramp stops at the end of the lane. The first pallet loaded into a lane will be the first pallet unloaded, giving you First-in First-out or FIFO.

Pallet flow technology typically involves high volume products; they can be found primarily in manufacturing environments where many pallets of the same item are produced. Others will use flow rack to stage orders for shipment, or in picking systems to store pallet loads of goods for high volume case picking.

This article comes from 3D edit released