Posted by Stephanie on January 30, 2024
If you want to learn more, please visit our website pallet rack mezzanine Wholesaler.
Is your existing warehouse beginning to run out of space? If so, a pallet rack mezzanine may be the ideal solution if you want to add more storage to your warehouse. Once installed, you’ll no longer need to contemplate moving to a new facility.
If you’re able to install a mezzanine that supports pallet racks into your current work area, you would increase pallet storage without reducing the amount of workspace you have. There are several reasons why this is a solid investment for any warehouse owner or manager, the primary of which involve better floor space utility and low installation costs.
If you don’t use your warehouse space efficiently, you’ll end wasting time and money. Using space efficiently maximizes your profits and boosts productivity. Installing a pallet rack mezzanine can effectively double your floor space in the area where the structure is installed. This guide offers a comprehensive overview of the safety features, design elements, and benefits of pallet rack mezzanines.
What is a Pallet Rack Mezzanine?
There are two kinds of warehouse mezzanines, which include rack-supported and free-standing ones. Free-standing mezzanines are structures that need to be tied directly to the surrounding structure through the floors or walls. In comparison, rack-supported mezzanines gain the necessary support with racks that are solely used for structural reasons.
If you want to save a considerable amount of space, pallet racking mezzanines are the way to go. Otherwise, you would be tasked with increasing rental costs or building out horizontally, the latter of which is much more expensive than buying a pallet rack mezzanine.
How Pallet Rack Mezzanine Systems Benefit Warehouses
The main benefit of using pallet rack mezzanine systems in your warehouse is that you’ll save an ample amount of space and can avoid moving to a larger warehouse or adding on to your current one. You’ll be able to increase the vertical storage in your facility as well.
Components of a Pallet Rack Mezzanine Safety System
Pallet rack mezzanine safety systems come with numerous components, which include everything from staircases and high-quality flooring to handrails and safety netting.
Staircases – There are numerous features you can customize when selecting your mezzanine, which include the angles, tread, step width, risers, and number of rails.
Flooring – The flooring you can choose for your mezzanine includes corrugated decking, resin board, open steel planking, concrete, and bar grating. Each floor type comes with its own advantages and operational features.
Handrails – Handrails are oftentimes implemented to make sure that employees don’t fall.
Safety netting – This netting ensures that your employees and stored materials are kept safe. It can keep stored items from falling to the lower level.
Gates – You can have gates installed onto your mezzanine to make sure that materials are correctly handled. Some of the options at your disposal include sliding gates, double swing gates, single swing gates, safety pivot gates, and lift-out safety gates.
Kick plates – These plates can be positioned along the upper levels of a mezzanine to keep personnel from tripping. Make sure that you install kick plates on all main aisles and aisle row ends.
Flue keepers – These items are attached to uprights to make sure that the proper transverse flue space is maintained. Once installed, the flue keepers should prevent cartons and pallets from getting into this space.
Moving Items From Upper Levels to Ground Level
When you’re moving from a single-level system to a multi-level approach, you’ll need to determine how your items will be moved to the ground level to be distributed. There are several technologies that are designed to make material handling easier when placed into a pallet rack mezzanine system. The one that works best in your facility depends on your picking process as well as your budget. The main material handling solutions you should consider include:
What are the Benefits of Pallet Rack Mezzanines?
Since pallet rack mezzanines automatically add vertical storage space to warehouses and similar facilities, there are many benefits of these systems that you’ll gain access to after they’ve been installed.
Product Space Utility
The most significant advantage of adding a pallet rack mezzanine to your warehouse is that it provides more storage space than conventional mezzanines. These structures have small footprints, which ensures that you can stack storage high without using a considerable amount of space in your facility.
Conventional mezzanines require supports to prevent sagging issues or a collapse. Pallet rack mezzanines offer the same amount of support while also using the space for better storage capacity.
Floor Space Utility
Pallet rack mezzanines also give you an opportunity to maximize existing floor space. Since pallet racks are taller than conventional storage solutions, you can store more materials and products per square foot while also using much less floor space than if the same items were being stored on the ground.
It’s common for mezzanines to be used for storing goods further away from the primary warehouse floor. If you want the level to function correctly, it requires an elevated platform that will be used as a landing platform for people to walk on when loading and unloading inventory.
Pallet rack mezzanines are perfectly suited to this task since pallets are commonly placed on racks that keep them off the ground. An open space is then available that can be used for practically anything else.
Low Installation Costs
Another benefit of using a pallet rack mezzanine is that the installation costs are low. If you were to have a traditional mezzanine installed in your warehouse, it would need to be secured to make sure that it could bear the necessary load. Pallet rack mezzanines are cheaper than new construction and will allow you to maintain storage areas in a space that’s just nearby the work area.
High Throughput
Rack-supported mezzanine systems allow for more than one loading and unloading spot where cartons and pallets can be moved simultaneously. These tasks can be performed with pallet drop areas, conveyors, or VRCs.
High Density
Another advantage of pallet rack mezzanines is that they offer extra vertical storage, which means that your entire space will be used.
High Selectivity
Multiple employees are able to access the pallet rack mezzanine at the same time, which reduces the amount of downtime that takes place throughout the picking process.
Customizability
Pallet rack mezzanines are customizable to meet your company’s exact needs. Since the floor of the mezzanine is supported by racks, you shouldn’t need to have columns installed to better support the mezzanine. Because of how this system is designed, you can make a mezzanine level in your warehouse without spending a large sum of money.
Since there aren’t any support columns below the mezzanine level, forklifts and other pieces of heavy machinery will be able to move throughout the aisles below. Once you have the base mezzanine installed, you can customize it with a wide range of safety features to keep your personnel safe at all times.
Easy Installation and Integration
If you want to increase your facility’s work area and storage space, it’s possible to do so with a pallet rack mezzanine. The mezzanine itself can be supported by several types of rack systems. For instance, you can choose selective pallet racks that allow personnel to pick a pallet load without needing to move other pallets.
Push-back racks also help with high-density storage. You should look into carton flow racks if your warehouse takes part in high-volume loading and unloading processes. Regardless of the exact pallet rack mezzanine you choose, all of them are easy to install in a warehouse setting.
Why Choose QMH?
Our design experts and experienced racking professionals can help you choose pallet rack mezzanines that expand the available space in your warehouse and help you improve efficiency. We can design pallet rack systems for you to make sure that your specific needs are taken into account. If you have additional inquiries about pallet rack mezzanines and how they can be used in your warehouse, call us today to talk with a material handling expert.
Posted by Stephanie on February 20, 2024
Different types of mezzanines can be highly beneficial when used in different types of facilities and warehouses. For instance, a rack-supported mezzanine is commonly used in distribution centers because of the numerous advantages it provides. These mezzanines are made to be supported by rack uprights as opposed to structural legs, which is why they are oftentimes referred to as catwalk systems.
The walkways on these mezzanines can be used as rack aisles. It’s possible to store products below or above the platform. You can also use it as a component of the pick module system. Hand-stacked beams or flow storage can be used for the racks below and above the catwalks.
If your business is currently growing and you need more space to accommodate this growth, using a mezzanine is much more cost-effective when compared to adding to an existing building or moving to a new one. In the following guide, you’ll discover how your distribution center can take advantage of rack-supported mezzanines.
What Are Rack-supported Mezzanines?
A simple way you can add space to your distribution center without needing to make an addition is by implementing a rack-supported mezzanine system. These are affordable solutions that add capacity by using vertical space. The total number of levels in the building varies depending on the operation. In many cases, rack-supported mezzanines have around five-to-six levels of vertical space.
Why Use Rack Structures to Build a Mezzanine?
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit mezzanine racking.
Warehouse and distribution center managers should consider using rack structures to build a mezzanine because these systems are:
Mezzanine joints and stringers are designed to bolt directly to the upright columns in order to create the mezzanine’s decking. By placing pallet racking below the floor, the support columns are high, which ensures that the mezzanine remains stable and well-anchored.
The main benefit of installing this mezzanine is that you’ll be able to use your warehouse space more efficiently, which effectively increases the amount of square footage in your facility. You’ll also gain extra floor space that can be used as more office space, pallet racks, or work zones.
Expertly Engineered Storage Platforms
The rack-supported mezzanines that you install in your warehouse are designed by engineers who know how to make sure that these structures adhere to the latest building code standards. When you attempt to meet these standards, keep in mind that the columns will need to be rated to support the contents that are being stored on the rack as well as a certain amount of weight.
The mezzanine’s framing members need to be structurally sound in order to meet the necessary requirements. Stringers provide support for the upright columns in a pallet rack. In comparison, joists are made to be factory welded to stringers to make sure that safety and rigidity are enhanced. By following these design standards, your facility should benefit from a mezzanine that’s sturdy and stable.
Components and Design Factors
There are numerous design elements and components that must be considered when designing a rack-supported mezzanine, the primary of which include decking materials, pallet gates, handrailing, and catwalks. Safety components like handrails and kick guards help prevent falls from taking place. Falls in a warehouse can result in severe injury or death.
If you select fireproof decking materials that bolster air circulation, fire hazards should be effectively mitigated. These materials will also make it easier for sprinkler systems in the facility to get through every layer of stored items. Catwalks and pallet gates make the loading and unloading processes much more convenient while also saving labor and time.
When planning your mezzanine, you should also consider moving methods like conveyors or chutes. Standard forklift placement isn’t always possible or safe depending on if you move lighter or heavier loads to and from the mezzanine.
These mezzanines provide you with numerous options on how you can utilize the space above your pallet racks. They are also more affordable than structural mezzanines and can be installed without a considerable amount of downtime.
The Benefits of Rack Supported Mezzanines
Mezzanine racking systems provide numerous advantages to a distribution facility’s operations, the primary of which include high throughput, high density, and high selectivity.
High Throughput
Rack-supported mezzanine systems accommodate multiple unloading and loading areas in a warehouse. These areas can be used simultaneously with the inclusion of pallet drop areas, conveyors, and VRCs.
High Density
A clear advantage of using a rack-supported mezzanine is that these systems deliver extra vertical storage that allows you to maximize your space.
High Selectivity
These mezzanines can be accessed by numerous employees at a time, which can keep downtime to a minimum throughout the picking process.
Moving Items from Upper Levels to Ground Level
One thing you’ll need to consider when switching from a single-level system to a rack system with multiple levels is what techniques you’ll use to move items from the higher levels down to the ground level to be distributed.
There are a few different material handling systems that can be implemented into rack-supported mezzanine systems. The material handling system that works best in your facility depends on the picking process you use, how much you’re able to alter your picking process, and your overall budget. Below are a few examples of material handling solutions available to you.
Vertical Reciprocating Conveyor
A vertical reciprocating conveyor has an elevator-like design where cartons or pallets of materials are obtained from the highest levels of your mezzanine system.
Conveyor
Conveyor systems are able to be integrated into catwalk systems for easy transport among the upper levels of a mezzanine.
Pallet Drop Area
A pallet drop is a platform found on every level of a mezzanine. Pallets are positioned on this platform via a lift truck, which allows employees to easily load items to specific levels of the mezzanine from the pallet. These devices usually come with a safety gate that keeps employees from falling.
Chute
Chutes allow the picker to more efficiently move products from upper levels to the floor levels.
Other Components of Mezzanine Racking Systems
Mezzanine racking systems contain many additional components that keep employees safe and provide full functionality. These components include everything from staircases to safety netting.
Staircases
There are many different types of staircase options that you can select from, which include the angles, tread, step width, risers, and number of rails.
Handrails
Handrails are regularly implemented to enhance employee safety and prevent falls.
Flooring
The various flooring options that can be used in a rack-supported mezzanine include corrugated decking, open steel planking, concrete, resin board, and bar grading. Each floor type accommodates different operational features and functions.
Gates
Gates can be implemented into any rack-supported mezzanine to expedite material handling. The various options at your disposal include sliding gates, single-swing gates, double-swing gates, safety pivot gates, and lift-out safety gates.
Safety Netting
Safety netting improves the overall safety of your employees and stored materials. Once this netting has been installed, stored items should never fall to the lower level from the upper one.
Flue Keepers
Flue keepers are able to be attached to uprights in order to ensure the proper transverse flue space. These items keep cartons and pallets from impinging in the flue space.
Kickplates
Kickplates are able to be implemented to ensure that employees who are walking on the upper levels of a mezzanine don’t trip. This benefit is provided by eliminating the amount of space that exists between row ends and aisles. These plates are typically meant to be installed along a mezzanine’s upper levels at every main aisle and aisle row end.
Do You Need a Rack-supported Mezzanine System?
Many distribution centers will benefit from having a rack-supported mezzanine system installed. These systems give you the ability to reduce the amount of unused vertical space that exists in your warehouse. This option may be preferable to adding storage space or moving to a new building.
If your building stores a higher number of cartons, this system accommodates high selectivity and density of carbon storage across every level. If you currently have bottleneck issues with your picking process, this system may be perfect for you and your situation. In the event that pickers are waiting for other pickers to finish their task, the inclusion of this system in your warehouse makes it much easier for pickers to be located in the same aisle at the exact same time.
Why Choose QMH?
Our team at QMH knows which solutions to select for any type of warehouse or distribution center. We’re responsive, fast, and relentless, which is why you can be confident that any solution we deliver will meet your needs. Call us today if you have any questions about rack-supported mezzanine systems and how to install them in your facility.
The company is the world’s best radio shuttle supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.