Category: PALLET RACKING

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Protect Your Rack with Pallet Rack Column Guards

pallet rack column guards

Pallet rack column guards are an excellent investment. Warehouses are high-traffic environments where forklifts and other heavy equipment are used daily to move goods around. This makes it essential to prioritize the safety and security of both employees and equipment. One way to achieve this is by investing in protective equipment like rack protection devices that protect the pallet rack columns from impacts.

Pallet rack column guards are designed to protect your pallet racks from accidental collisions that can cause significant damage to your equipment. These guards are made of heavy-duty materials and are designed to withstand the toughest conditions. They are available in various sizes and can be customized to fit your pallet rack configuration.

Here are some key benefits of investing in column guards for pallet racking:

Reduced Maintenance Costs with Rack Protection

Pallet racks can be costly to repair or replace if they are damaged. By installing pallet rack column guards, you can reduce the frequency of repairs and maintenance needed on your pallet racks. This translates into cost savings and a more efficient operation.

The cost to repair a pallet rack column costs more than just the price of a replacement upright. In addition to the racking upright replacement costs, which can range from $175 to $400 plus freight each, you must also calculate in the labor to remove the surrounding pallets, remove the beams, remove the damaged upright, replace the upright, reset the beam locations and re-anchor the baseplates. Finally, the pallets must be put back into place. You should budget up to $1000 per damaged upright being replaced in parts, labor, lost productivity, and freight.

Compare that significant maintenance cost to an investment of less than $50 per upright for a column protector.

Improved Safety with Upright Column Guards

A damaged pallet rack can be a significant safety hazard in a warehouse. Installing pallet rack column guards can help prevent accidents and injuries by providing a physical barrier between the rack and equipment. Rack column guards like Rack Armour with a foam insert absorb some of energy from the impact of a collision, minimizing damage and protecting both the racking equipment, lift truck, and employees.

Increased Productivity by Reducing Rack Impact Damage

By reducing the frequency of pallet rack damage, you can ensure that your warehouse operations continue to run smoothly without interruptions. This can help improve productivity and efficiency in your warehouse, leading to a more profitable business.

What is the lost time expense of damaging a pallet rack column? You must consider the lost time required to report the incident, tag out / lock out the damaged racking, remove the surround pallets and place them elsewhere, call a racking repair company for a rack repair, schedule an inspection of the damaged rack, request funds to complete the repair, schedule a crew to repair the racking, and retrain the forklift operator to be more careful in the future. All of these cost time, which will reduce a warehouse or distribution center’s productivity.

Versatility of Upright Protectors

Pallet rack column guards are available in various sizes and can be customized to fit your specific pallet rack configuration. They can be installed on both new and existing pallet racks, making them a versatile and flexible solution.

Cost-effective Rack Protection

Investing in pallet rack column guards is a cost-effective way to protect your pallet racks. By preventing damage to your equipment, you can save money in the long run by reducing repair and replacement costs. In addition, time lost to the inconvenience of having a damaged upright column is significant.

In conclusion, investing in pallet rack column guards is a smart move if you want to keep your warehouse safe and secure. They reduce maintenance costs, increase safety, and improve productivity. Upright column guards are versatile and cost-effective, making them an excellent investment for any warehouse looking to protect its equipment and employees.

Don’t wait any longer – protect your rack with pallet rack column guards today and enjoy the benefits of a safer and more efficient warehouse operation.

Buy Rack Protection Column Guards

Click below to buy different options in pallet rack column guards and other impact prevention products.

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How to Design Pallet Racking for an Electric Stacker

electric pallet stacker

If you have a storage area in which you want to install pallet racking, you need to get your dimensions right and design the pallet racking for the electric pallet stacker correctly. This calculator and guide will help you. Of course online calculators are fun, but you should still check with us to discuss the best storage design to work with your electric pallet stacker.

Calculate the number of pallets you can store in your storage area using an electric stacker

Use this calculator by entering in the data in each the data input boxes below. Compare two scenarios to test different storage designs.

Pallet Rack Calculator for Electric Stackers

This pallet rack calculator will estimate as close as possible the number of pallets you can store, the height of each beam level, and number of racking components you will need.

When designing a pallet storage warehouse that will use an electric stacker, there are several important considerations to keep in mind. Here are some key things to consider:

Things to consider when designing pallet racking for an electric pallet stacker

  1. Dimensions of the pallets: You need to know the length and width of the pallet. Electric stackers straddle the width of the palletized load, so you will need to have an electric stacker that has a wide enough baseleg opening.
  2. Height of the pallet: You will need to know the height of the palletized load. This will allow you know to calculate the height of the first beam level and each subsequent beam levels.
  3. Lift off: You will need to know how much space you need to lift the pallet off the ground or the beam level to take it off the level for removal.
  4. Beam dimensions: You will need to know how tall the face of the beam is.
  5. Baseplate widths: You need to know how wide the baseplate is so that you can calculate a long enough beam to keep the baselegs away from the anchors.
  6. Staddle baseleg widths: You will need to know how wide the baselegs are. Remember, you need enough space for three baselegs per bay of racking (2 pallets wide).
  7. Upright column widths: You need to know how wide the column is – usually 3″ or 4″.
  8. Length of the storage area: To calculate the length of the row of racking, you will need to how long the pallet storage area is.
  9. Lift heights: You need to know lift height of electric stacker to be sure it has adequate forkl elevation to lift a pallet off of the top load beam.
  10. Load capacity of the electric stacker: You will also need to know the load capacity of the electric stacker. This will determine the maximum weight of the pallets that can be stored and moved in the warehouse.
  11. Storage density requirements: The next thing you need to consider is the storage density required. This will determine the height of the storage racks and the aisle widths needed for the electric stacker to operate efficiently. Generally, narrow aisle racking systems are used to maximize storage density.
  12. Floor surface: The floor surface of the warehouse should be flat and even to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the electric stacker. Uneven surfaces can cause instability and damage to the equipment.
  13. Lighting and ventilation: Adequate lighting and ventilation are important for the safety and productivity of workers using the electric pallet stacker equipment.
  14. Power supply: You will also need to ensure that the warehouse has adequate power supply to support the electric stacker and any other equipment that will be used in the warehouse. Usually, you will need 110v single phase power for the charger.
  15. Safety features: Finally, you should ensure that the electric stacker has appropriate safety features such as emergency stop buttons, backup alarms, and warning lights to prevent accidents and injuries. Additionally, training programs should be implemented for the safe operation of the electric stacker.

Design a storage area for a reach truck using the straddle method

You can also use this calculator to calculate the correct beam length for a reach truck application using the straddle method. The principles are the same. The difference is that Reach trucks have wide baseleg straddle arms. The can also lift higher in the area.

The downside to reach truck is they are bigger, need a wider aisle, are much more expensive, and require a drivers license in many jurisdictions to operate.

Buy Electric Stacker Online

Click below to buy (or find out more about) the EOSLift Electric Stacker. It is available online in our warehouse supply store.