Front pallet racks - are the most widespread type of metal racks for storage of goods. They offer the most inexpensive solution to the problem of cargo storage, allow the use of a wide variety of warehouse equipment and provide free access to each of the pallets placed on the racks. Pallets are loaded from the front (front) side, which determines the name of the racks.

Frontal pallet racks offer different load capacities in accordance with the characteristic weight of a standard Euro pallet with a load and, depending on the warehouse technology used, also have different aisle widths between the rows of racks. The height of structures can reach 14 meters or more.

Wide aisle front racks are front racks installed with wide aisles (2.5 - 3.5 m). This is the simplest and most affordable, and therefore the most common shelving installation scheme.

Advantages:

• Attractive price
• Simultaneous access to all storage units.
• No restrictions of the type of used warehouse equipment, simultaneous operation of several loaders is possible.
• Possibility to organize a fairly high turnover in the warehouse - up to 26 euro pallets per unit of warehouse equipment per hour (up to 95% of the maximum possible with this rack design)

Disadvantages:

• Low degree of efficiency in the use of warehouse space (usually about 40% of the total area); a significant part of the warehouse area is occupied by wide aisles for the operation of equipment.

Narrow aisle racks are designed to operate a special class of equipment – “narrow aisle” stackers. Interrack passage is from 1.5 to 1.9 meters. The use of a narrow aisle scheme is most optimal for high-rise racks. The maximum height of racks is 14 meters. For high-rise racks, special lifting equipment is used.

Advantages:

• attractive price
• higher storage capacity than standard solutions
• the possibility of organizing a fairly high turnover in the warehouse
• Simultaneous access to all storage units.

Disadvantages:

• use of an expensive type of equipment, such as a narrow aisle stacker or a reach truck
• additional elements are required: rails, consoles, portal beams, etc.
• high floor requirements

The “double depth” system, consisting not of two, as usual, but of four paired rows of racks, is a modification of the front racks. When using it, the number of passes is reduced, the usable area increases, but the availability of goods worsens, and the speed of its processing decreases. Such racks are effective in a warehouse with an average cargo flow. With traditional pallet racking, both LIFO and FIFO warehouse handling principles can be used.

Advantages:

• higher storage capacity than standard solutions

Disadvantages:

• requires special equipment on loaders and stackers (telescopic forks)
• low speed