Fast Picking Process Push Back Racking System With Extended Lifespan

Customized Efficient RMI Certified Push Back Pallet Racking System For Industrial Storage

In modern warehouse and distribution centers, storage capacity and efficiency are the most important factors in maximizing a facility. The desired types of steel storage pallet rack include selective, push back, drive in, drive through, pallet flow, cantilever, work platforms and any other related systems. Here are some common details about warehouse pallet rack.

Specifications of Warehouse Rack

We have known that drive-in pallet racks offer a high-density storage capacity while only having fewer selectivity.What if we want both the high density and improved accessibility to each pallet? In that case, I strongly recommend you trying push back pallet racks—a perfect mix of high capacity and proper selectivity.

As usual, let’s start with its basic structure. In this system, pallets are pushed back by forklifts in each lane facilitated with several carts resting on inclined rails. Sharing the similarities with the drive-in pallet racks, push back pallet racks also provide high cubic footprint utilization by increasing pallet count while eliminating aisle numbers.

However, push back pallet racks have maintained enough picking faces while drive-in systems haven’t. Now I will show you some pictures and detailed illustrations to help you getting a thorough understanding of this complicated but delicate structure.

Structures and Components 

♦ Upright frames

Upright frames are the basic supporting parts of push back pallet racks , which consist of upright columns and several horizontal and diagonal braces just like standard pallet racking systems. Several frames are connected by row-spacers, working together with beams, rails and other components providing strength and stability for the whole structure.

♦ Beams

Beams are used to connect adjacent frames bearing loads from rails where carts and pallets are resting. Beams can be divided into front beam, middle beam and back beam for their different positions.

♦ Rails

Rails are usually made of rigid structural steel, where carts are housed with wheels slotted on two sides of the channels. Mounted with a slight slope onto the beams, rails can ensure a proper movement of the carts allowing a fluent process of pallets placement and removal. And the number and length of the rails depend on pallets’ number and depth. We’ll discuss this specifically in the next part.

♦ Carts

Carts, also called trolleys, play a distinctive role in push back racking system where pallets are storing. Usually designed with welded structural steel, wheeled carts can move along the rails with proper friction.

Carts from different manufacturers may be slightly different in their designs, configurations and sizes, but they all carry the responsibility of facilitating pallets storing and retrieval. Some qualified carts should be able to offer enough load-bearing capacity, great shock absorption, longer life for using and lower need for maintenance.

♦ Pallet stops

Pallet stops are usually attached to the rear of the rails to stop the pallets being pushed off, resulting serious accidents. In this push back system, pallet stops can also be found at the front beams where pallets on nested carts will descend to fed by gravity.

Advantages of Push Back Pallet Racks

► Increased storage space

Like we said repeatedly, push back pallet rack is a high density storage solution like drive-in/drive-through. The following picture has shown a comparison between selective pallet racks and 4 deep push back racks, who have different space utilization patterns. Clearly, push back pallet rack can make better use of the floor space by eliminating redundant aisles.

► Efficient products rotation rate

In push back pallet racks, pallets can automatically roll to the front of the bay one by one, offering multiple picking faces compared to drive-in/drive through pallet racks. This improved selectivity allows easy product access and relatively fast stock rotation rate. The automatic pallets movement also contributes to the efficient product storage and retrieval.

► Increased operational safety

Push back pallet racking system is much safer compared to drive-in pallet racks since forklifts don’t need to drive into the structure, eliminating collision risk. In addition, owing to the continuous improvement of the manufacturing process, the push back system has becoming more convenient for operators.

For example, the interlocking carts with bright color can ensure a constant and easy inventory placement and retrieval. The design of the pallet centralisers from some manufacturers can help centre the pallet and facilitate manoeuvre.

► Versatile products storage

Having large capacity, push back pallet racks are suitable for the storage of bulk products with low or medium SKUs. Multiple lanes make the multiple SKUs items storage solution possible in some situation. It also offers a perfect choice for distribution centers or pick modules who require a high product turnover.

With Last In/First Out(LIFO) stock rotation rule, push back pallet racking system offers an ideal storage solution to non-perishable food, beverages, hardware, construction materials, etc. Push back pallet racking system is also very popular in freezers, coolers, or high temperature environments.

► Flexible utilization options

Push back pallet racks can accommodate to various forklifts and different sized pallets. They can be configured against the wall or back to back fitting to the warehouse’s layout. And they can also work together with any other type of racks to build a combination system for various storage options. In addition, the relocation of this push back pallet racks are feasible and the modification of them are also convenient.

The following are some minor drawbacks of push back pallet racks for your reference.

Disadvantages of Push Back Pallet Racks

► Only suitable for palletized products.

► Not suitable for perishable products.

► Not ideal for products with many SKUs.

► Relatively expensive.

► Less operation errors allowed.

To conclude, push back pallet racking system has perfectly settled the conflicts of the increasing need for both capacity and selectivity. They are widely used in many areas such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage distributions and so on.

Not only can they be used in small warehouses independently for space-saving, they can also be an important part in large distribution centers or complex pick modules. Mixed inventory acceptance is their prominent character that distinguishing push back pallet racks from other denser storage solutions.