Pallet racking is not fragile. You know very well that it can hold up to a lot, considering the warehouse conditions it has to withstand and the amount of weight it needs to hold up to for months or years at a time.
But just because something is tough doesn’t mean it will last forever or that it won’t need to be replaced for some reason. Just because pallet racks met the old needs of your business doesn’t mean that it will meet tomorrow’s needs. Today we’re going to take a look at the most common reasons a warehouse might have to replace their industrial pallet racking.
Damage
The most obvious reason that a company would have to replace their industrial shelves is due to damage. A warehouse can be a hectic place, with heavy equipment moving heavy pallets. Whether because a driver is trying to work too fast or is negligent in some way, pallet racking gets damaged all the time.
If your pallet racking is relatively new, there shouldn’t be any problems getting a new piece that has been damaged. On the other hand, if our warehouse pallet inspectors determine that it can’t be repaired, we’ll give you your options on replacement.
Time
Think of a person who is aging. Even if they haven’t experienced any particular injury during their lifetime, their knees will still hurt and their skin will still sag.
Time and entropy make fools of us all, and it’s no different when it comes to the pallet racking we use. Even if a forklift never hits a storage rack, the amount of weight that stays on it day after day is going to stretch the molecules of the steel, causing it to bend. This isn’t going to happen to new pallet racks, of course, but the older they get the more likely it is they’ll cause trouble. This is especially true if the items on them are extremely heavy. (A pallet rack inspection is always a good idea to make sure that your inventory, and especially your employees, are kept safe.)
New Loading Equipment
Pallet racks and loading equipment evolve together. As forklifts and other types of lifters are able to reach higher and require less clearance, pallet racks can also get higher. If you’ve recently upgraded your warehouse loading equipment and it’s able to do more than the old equipment was able to, new pallet racks can help you to increase the amount of vertical space you’ll be able to use. Speaking of which…
Higher Shelving
Sometimes a warehouse will get new equipment that lets them reach higher than ever before, and that means new pallet racking that will allow them to make the most of the vertical space. Space that was once just wasted air suddenly becomes very usable, which can significantly increase the amount of space when new pallet racking is installed by a warehouse optimization expert. Just imagine having one additional space on top of every industrial rack you have. It’s enticing, isn’t it?
Business Pivot
Sometimes a business doesn’t end up doing what they started out doing. Nintendo started as a playing card company. 3M started as a mining company. It was good for business, so they pivoted and grew.
When a business pivots, their warehouse needs will most likely change too. If a company has been selling small items and moves to much larger items, their warehouse needs are going to change. Did Nintendo’s needs change when they switched from playing cards to video game consoles? 3M’s certainly did when they moved from loose piles of grit to finished sandpaper. The size, shape, and weight of the items coming in and going out of a warehouse can certainly affect the type of pallet racking needed.
It’s not just the products that change; sometimes it’s the sales channels. A company that only sold bulk might change their business model and now sell directly to consumers. That means space now has to be found for industrial conveyor systems and material handling systems, which often means securing the advice of a warehouse space optimization expert.
Contact DAK Today!
If you choose to replace the pallet racking in your warehouse due to a company pivot or simply because your current racking wasn’t installed to meet your needs, the cost of doing so might intimidate you. Don’t worry too much, because the cost of new racking can be offset by selling the old pallet racks. There’s a good market for used shelving, and we can help you move it along with The Used Rack Warehouse.
Thanks to improved design, pallet racks are simply getting better and better. They can hold more and hold up to more than ever before. No matter why you’re interested in new pallet racking — whether yours is damaged, is getting old, or simply doesn’t suit the needs of your current business model — our experts are here to help with new rack options and expert warehouse layout optimization. Contact us to find out exactly what we can do for you.
