page_title: Pallet racking
section_title: Other common types
hierarchical_section_title: Pallet racking / Other common types
caption_attribution_description: High Bay Racking Supported Cold Storage Building under construction (info)
context_page_description: Pallet rack is a material handling storage aid system designed to store materials on pallets. Although there are many varieties of pallet racking, all types allow for the storage of palletized materials in horizontal rows with multiple levels. Forklift trucks are usually required to place the loaded pallets onto the racks for storage. Since the Second World War, pallet racks have become a ubiquitous element of most modern warehouses, manufacturing facilities, retail centers, and other storage and distribution facilities. All types of pallet racking increase storage density of the stored goods. Costs associated with the racking increases with increasing storage density.
context_section_description: Many types of pallet storage racks are available with different designs to fulfill specific functions or create specific advantages. To create the ideal pallet racking system, several considerations should be taken into account:
  Desired storage density
  Floor space and building height
  Placement of building doors and columns
  Inventory accessibility
  Inventory rotation
  Item/load size and weight
  Optimal storage design
  Cost of materials and installation
  Some of the most common types of pallet rack systems used include:
  Drive-in and drive-through (sometimes spelled Drive-thru) are storage rack configurations that allow the forklift to drive directly into the lane of stacked rows (called a bay). The difference between a drive-in and a drive-thru pallet rack system is simply whether the bays have an entry at only one end, or at both ends. Drive-in rack systems use a common entry and exit, while drive-thru systems have entry points at either end of the bay. Because a drive-in racking system has only one entrance, it uses what is called a LIFO (last in, first out) storage method. With only one entrance, the last pallet put into a row is necessarily the first one to be taken out. A drive-thru storage system, with two different entry points, can also use a FIFO (first in, first out) storage method. With a FIFO system, pallets are loaded in one end and are pushed back to the other end, where they are then at the front of the row on the opposite side. The first pallet put into such a row is the first one taken out at the other end. This system is advantageous for material with an expiration date or wherever shelf life is a major concern.
  Push-back pallet rack systems are designed around the principle of organizing space by depth rather than width. This depth arrangement greatly reduces aisle space and increases storage density. In this configuration, each bay can be up to six pallets deep; each pallet stored on wheeled carts that fit onto rails.  The rails are slightly angled toward the load/unload side of the rack in order to take advantage of gravity, saving enormous amounts of energy for moving heavy pallets. When a forklift sets the pallet onto the cart, it drives forward and causes the pallet to bump the next pallet, causing the entire row of pallets to roll backwards. When removing a pallet from the front position the remaining pallets immediately stage themselves forward so that the next available pallet can be accessed.  Push back rack is a LIFO (last in, first out) storage system.
  Pallet flow systems are high density pallet storage systems that utilize depth to increase capacity.  This system uses a slightly inclined rail with rollers that allow pallets to move easily along the sloped plane. These systems are also called gravity flow or dynamic flow systems. The pallet flow system often has complex motion and braking systems to control the speed of the moving pallet.  Pallet flow racking systems are either a FIFO (first in, first out) or a LIFO (last in, first out) storage system.  If the system is loaded from the back and unloaded from the front, it is FIFO; if the system is loaded and unloaded from the front it is a LIFO system.
  Compact mobilized pallet racks (also known as motorized mobile pallet racks or mobile industrial rack system), are designed to maximize the use of warehouse storage space.  This can reduce your pallet storage area in half, or double the capacity of your pallet rack storage in the same floor area.  It allocates space by converting static access aisles into productive storage space. By mounting rows of pallet racks onto heavy-duty rolling carriages and positioning them on floor tracks. Rows of pallet racks (up to 96’ long) move sideways along the floor tracks creating a movable floating access aisle. Typical warehouse storage facilities may have dozens of static access aisles but only one or two forklifts capable of accessing stored materials.  This reduces the number of access aisles to match the velocity requirements of your storage area. Rows of pallet racks are moved by pushing a button or by remot
caption: High bay racking supported cold storage facility, under construction in 2018
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