Posted by Stephanie on April 3, 2023
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Selecting the right pallet size for your warehouse will help you save a large sum of money while also improving workplace safety and increasing efficiency. Since there are many different pallet racks at your disposal, knowing the ideal size and weight capacity should make it easier for you to purchase properly sized pallet racks.
Keep in mind that your warehouse operations are only going to be profitable if you’re able to fulfill orders in an efficient manner. If your inventory is disorganized, productivity could be much lower than you’d like. Less productivity equals less revenues and profits.
While there are many steps you can take to improve warehouse productivity, the most important component is having the right racking solution. Once you’ve installed the best racking system in your facility, you should benefit from on-time shipping and more accurate picking. In this article, you’ll find out how to choose the right pallet racking dimensions.
Understanding Pallet Rack Sizes
Pallet rack systems are necessary for every distribution center. They are designed to give you space for storing and organizing your products until they are ready to be shipped out. These steel structures are made from a combination of upright frames, cross braces, posts, and horizontal beams. The beams that are positioned between every upright frame support the pallet weight. Higher frames result in beams that are spaced out further. The average height of a pallet rack is around 25 feet.
Frames and beams can be properly connected with two distinct methods, which include bolting every component to the upright frames or using an interlocking system to create a slotted connection for each piece. When you’re trying to find the right-sized pallet rack for your warehouse, there are several different aspects of the system that you’ll need to take into account, which include the frame depth, frame height, and beam size.
Determining Your Storage Needs
The first thing you should do is determine what your storage needs are. As mentioned above, everything from the frame depth to the beam size will determine which size of pallet rack is right for you. Traditional pallets are 40 inches wide and 48 inches deep. However, pallets are available in numerous dimensions, which is why you should take steps to measure the pallets that you’ll be storing on pallet racks.
If you know the weight of your average and heaviest pallets, you should have a better understanding of which pallet racks you should buy. If you make the mistake of placing too much weight on pallet racks, the entire system would become a safety hazard. There are several variables for you to keep in mind when calculating your required storage capacity, which include:
You can use these figures to calculate your warehouse storage capacity and identify the number of pallets that are able to be stored there.
Choosing the Right Pallet Rack Size
When you’re trying to select the right pallet rack sizes, there are numerous factors that you should consider, which include:
As mentioned previously, the first step in finding the right size for your pallet racks is to identify the weight and size of your pallets, which requires some basic measurements of the average and heaviest pallets.
The next step is to calculate the frame depth, which determines the spacing between load beams. If a pallet is correctly stored, it should hang over the beams by around three inches, which allows these beams to accommodate the entire pallet weight. A proper fit occurs by subtracting six inches from the pallet depth, which allows for a three-inch overhang on each side.
The load beams that are present on pallet racks are meant to carry the pallet’s weight. As for the wire decking, it helps with weight distribution but can’t handle the entire weight of a pallet. Pallet rack frames can have depths of 36, 42, and 48 inches.
The third step in this process is to determine the height of the frame, which will allow you to identify which pallet racking sizes you require. In most cases, a highly affordable method you can use to store more of your products is to use vertical space with larger pallet rack frames. The most common pallet rack frame sizes include:
When you’re choosing frame height, you should identify how tall your ceiling is. There should be at least 18-24 inches of space between your product and the ceiling, which ensures that you comply with all fire codes. In the event that your warehouse ceiling is 16 feet up and the pallets are three-feet tall, the pallet rack frame shouldn’t be taller than 12 feet. Make sure that trusses, pipes, and sprinklers positioned below your ceiling are also considered.
It’s best that you choose a frame that goes as high as is reasonably allowed in your facility. Even if you don’t need the space at the moment, the cost difference between a 10-foot frame and a 16-foot frame is relatively small.
The fourth and final step in choosing the right size of pallet racking is to select a beam size. Pallet rack beams are displayed with a specific height and length. The length dictates the number of pallets that can be stored with each beam level. The most common beam length is eight feet, which gives you the ability to store two 48 x 40 pallets. Make sure that you have three inches of total clearance between the pallet and the upright. Four inches of clearance is necessary between pallets.
If you have weighed your pallets and have the numbers on hand, you can find out which beam is right for you. The length of a beam determines what the pallet rack load capacity is. Beam capacities are shown per beam level, which means that it takes two beams into account.
In the event that you want a load capacity that exceeds 5,000 pounds for every beam level, the eight-foot beam will likely suit your needs. When your pallets aren’t as heavy, you may benefit from a 12-foot beam. The face size of a beam can be anywhere from three to six inches.
Selecting the Right Pallet Rack Capacity
Selecting the right pallet rack capacity requires knowing how much weight pallet rack beams are capable of supporting. The overall weight capacity depends on the beam weight and the beam height. Let’s say that you purchase a pallet rack with a beam length of eight feet. With this beam length, there are four separate beam heights you can obtain, each of which comes with its own weight capacity. These capacities include:
A 10-foot beam supports anywhere from 1,200 pounds to 7,000 pounds.
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Additional Considerations for Choosing Pallet Racks
There are several additional considerations that will play a part in the pallet racks you choose, which include rack configurations, rack decking options, and accessories. The types of pallet racking systems at your disposal include:
The types of pallet rack decking that you can select include plywood, bar grating, corrugated steel, and solid steel. As for accessories, the many different types that you can add to your pallet racking system to extend its functionality include:
Tips for Accurate Pallet Rack Measurements
To obtain accurate pallet rack measurements, you’ll first need to measure your pallets. Measure the width and length of the pallet in inches, after which you should measure the pallet height in inches. The total volume is obtained with the following calculation:
Length x Width x Height = Pallet Volume
You should also measure the available floor space in your warehouse, which is done by first measuring the total floor area. The next step involves subtracting out all space that’s occupied by restrooms, offices, or non-storage space.
If you already have pallet racking systems in your warehouse, you can measure an existing pallet rack by measuring the outer edge of the upright, which will provide you with the upright depth. You should also measure the column’s inside face and outside face.
Why Choose QMH?
Choosing the right-sized pallet racks for your warehouse is essential if you want to maximize your space and make the loading and unloading processes more efficient. There are many pallet racking solutions to select from, which is why it’s highly recommended that you seek professional assistance to find the optimal solution for your facility. Call us today to begin your search.
Pallet racking systems come in a range of different heights, depths, beam lengths, and weight capacities. In order to maximise warehouse storage and improve your warehouse processes, your pallet racking system should be designed specifically for your products and warehouse.
When calculating the ideal dimensions for your new pallet racking system you will need to determine the optimal frame height and depth, beam length, and weight capacity for your products, while taking into account the required clearance between racks and building components.
Most pallet racking standard sizes are derived from the imperial system using measurements of inches and feet. MACRACK pallet racking frames are designed in 3-inch increments with standard frame heights ranging from 3ft (914mm) to 29ft (8840mm).
Choosing the right height pallet racking for your product range and warehouse can increase storage capacity while saving floor space.
Our pallet racking frames can also be built with a customised frame depth that is suited to your pallets. Standard Australian pallet size is 1165 x 1165 x 150mm. For pallets of this size, a racking frame of 840mm deep is suitable frame depth. However, larger pallets, such as US (1219 x 1016) or European pallets (800 x 1200), or smaller Australian export pallets (1100 x 1100) will require custom sized rack frame depths.
Similar to our racking frames, our standard beams are built to accommodate standard pallet sizes measured in the imperial system of inches and feet.
The beam length in your pallet racking system should be based on how tightly packed your pallets will be as well as the size of the pallet and the amount of space available. You should also take into consideration whether or not your pallets have any overhang to allow for enough clearance between the load and the frame or between two loads stored on the same beam.
You will also need to take into consideration how many pallets will be stored on each beam. Longer beams can be used to store multiple pallets between each frame which will reduce costs, as it will reduce the number of frames needed. However, this is only suitable for lighter pallets, as less frames means a lower weight capacity. For the storage of heavier pallets, shorter beams are ideal as this will increase the number of frames needed and dramatically increase weight capacity.
Alternatively, if the size of your pallets and loads vary, a combination of different beam lengths can be used to create a pallet racking system tailored to your products with no wasted space.
MACRACK offer standard beam lengths from 4’6” (1372) to 13’ (3962mm). However, as no business or product range is the same, we can custom-make any length beam to suit your products and space at no extra cost. We can design racks with weight load capacities of 500kg per level, or 5000kg per level to best suit your needs.
When determining the dimensions of your pallet racking system you need to take into account the minimum clearances required between the racks and the building’s structures, as well as clearances around the pallet in the racking system.
It’s important to ensure that minimum clearances are observed between pallet racking and structural components of the building, such as columns, walls, beams, etc. This clearance is left to prevent the racks from coming into contact with the building’s components due to impacts (such as a forklift collision) or in the event of an earthquake. Without leaving the required clearance, contact between the rack and the building in the event of an impact could cause damage, and can even compromise load bearing capacity of both the rack and the building.
In accordance with the Australian Standards for Steel Storage Racking (AS 4084:2012), pallet racks need a minimum clearance of 200mm from building components such as walls and columns. Additionally, clearance from the top of the pallet to the underside of the load beam above should be a minimum of 75mm for beams under 6.0m, and 100mm for beams above 6.0m. There must also be at least 430mm clearance between back to back rows.
Whether you’re looking for a stock standard pallet racking system to store standard Australian pallets in, or you need a more customised solution with tailored beam lengths and weight capacities, MACRACK has the perfect storage solution. With a locally based manufacturing facility in Brisbane, we can proudly offer customised storage solutions with short lead times across Australia. Plus, each of our racking systems come with a lifetime guarantee, so you can rest assured that they have been built to last.
Call Macrack today on 1800 048 821 for a free quote and warehouse design or fill out our contact form.
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