A User’s Guide to the Different Types of Pallet Racking

Industrial shelving and pallet racking serve two main purposes: ease of storage and safety. It is therefore fundamentally important to appreciate the different types of systems that are available. From a general point of view, pallet racking can be broken down into two main categories.

These two categories are known as first-in, first-out racking or last-in, first-out systems, these are often simply abbreviated as FIFO and LIFO.
Push-Back Pallet Racking and Storage
One of the most common forms of industrial storage revolves around the use of a system where when the pallet is loaded into the stack the other pallets are subsequently pushed back; hence the name. Obviously, this is a last-in, first out configuration and is primarily used in warehouses where a pallet will only be stored for a short period of time.
Cantilever Storage
These are perhaps the most easily recognised industrial stacking systems. A cantilever is a front-loading shelf that is ideal for storing pallets vertically. These are frequently used in combination with forklifts, for they can grow to be quite high. As numerous shelves tend to be grouped alongside one another, they are particularly sturdy and are suited to relatively heavy loads. Of course, different load ratings will accommodate unique storage requirements.

Flow-Through Shelving
Another form of industrial shelving and storage is known as a flow-through system. As the name suggests a series of shelves is slightly angled downwards. Any pallet or item placed upon the back end will use gravity to slide down towards the front for retrieval. Therefore, this system incorporates a FIFO (first-in, first-out) system.
 

These are three of the most common types of industrial shelving and pallet racking options that are currently available. As previously mentioned, the primary goal of these designs is to maximise workflow efficiency while not compromising the safety levels that are mandatory to store items in a warehouse environment. All of these systems are quite modular in design and Greenoak’s Ltd will be happy to provide any further information that may be required as well as to address individual questions.