How to Configure and Measure Pallet Rack Components?

Storage is an essential aspect of any manufacturing as well as shipping setup for a product’s safety as well as traceability. To keep your manufactured products, parts, and equipment safe and neatly organized, it is essential to build a storage racking system in your warehouse or an area in your industrial unit. This ensures safety and efficiency and speeds up the production process.

Storage is an essential aspect of any manufacturing as well as shipping setup for a product’s safety as well as traceability. To keep your manufactured products, parts, and equipment safe and neatly organized, it is essential to build a storage racking system in your warehouse or an area in your industrial unit. This ensures safety and efficiency and speeds up the production process. While opting for custom industrial racks is the best option in terms of right fitment, configuring and measuring pallet rack components is key to getting it right. This post discusses various aspects of pallet rack components, standards dimensions, measurement and configuration of each component on the rack and more.

Pointers on Configuring and Measuring Pallet Rack Components and Frames

Here are some pointers that may be useful in constructing custom industrial racks and pallet frames to best suit your storage needs. These are applicable whether you want to repair or upgrade your existing storage racking system or build a new one from scratch.

• Determining storage requirements: Analyze the storage requirements in terms of the type of products or materials you need to store, their shape, size, weight, and so on. This will help you determine the space, shape, and weight bearing capacity you require for the racks.
• Measurement of available area: Measure the space available in terms of length, breadth, and depth. Identify the actual space available for building the pallet frame and the space left to move around.
• Configuration and measurement of the overall pallet rack system: A pallet rack system comprises upright frames and shelf beams connected to each other, wherein the dimensions and load bearing capacity are important aspects. Frames and beams have multiple tiers which store all the pallet loads. There are uprights that are formed by joining two columns with a series of horizontal and vertical struts. Baseplates are placed at the column base right up to the floor and hence serve as an anchor. When taking measurements, the front and rear columns must be considered separately as there may be slight variations. Each of these pallet rack components must be measured separately to get the right output.
• Measurement of upright frame dimensions: Here, you need to measure the upright frame depth, front and rear column depths, baseplate size, column height and width.
• Custom frame measurement: This depends on the number and types of custom frames you add to offer structural stability or meet specific application requirements. These frames usually do not cover the entire length of the main frame and are placed behind the front column. Measure their length from the floor to top end and depth from point zero to the welded point or joint for both front and rear columns.
• Beam measurement: Beams are horizontally placed supporting structures that connect to the uprights. Crossbeams have connectors at both ends that work as an interface between beams and uprights. You need to measure the beam length, thickness, and depth based on the pallet size. The beam dimensions need to be measured without considering the connector as a part of it. The beam length must be measured from the inner side of one upright to that of the opposite one. The beam thickness is an important aspect as it helps determine the load bearing capacity. The thicker the beam, the more is the capacity. This needs to be measured from top to bottom. The depth or width of the beam can be determined by measuring from front to the rear side.
• Beam connector plates: Beam connector plates secure the beam with the uprights as they are welded onto both ends of the crossbeam. Racks may either be roll-formed or have holes for connections. The roll-formed racks may have various types of connectors such as pins, clips, or bolts. Once you identify the types of beam connector, count the number of holes and measure the connector height, width, and depth. Also, measure the distance between each hole on the upright considering the center point of each hole as the beginning and end.
• Beam punches: Some beams may have punches at regular intervals. Based on the number of these punched holes, measure the beam edge and top to the center point of the punch hole. Repeat this for all the punches.
• Strut measurement: Struts are metal bar-like components placed horizontally or diagonally within the rack. Most struts are tubular; however, some may be square shaped. Measure the strut from the inner side from the floor to its connecting point with the column.

The above information may offer some idea about the accurate ways to measure pallet rack components. However, in case you want to get it done in your storage unit, it is recommended to connect with an expert in this segment. Also, if you are looking for custom pallet racks for your application, ensure to source them from a reliable and certified player with experience in your industry segment. SPS Ideal Solutions specializes in the design and manufacturing of custom, racks, pallets, and more for shipping, storage, and shelving. You can contact their team via phone or email in case you are interested in sharing your requirements or have further questions in this segment.