What Is Push Back Racking?
Push back racking (sometimes known as pushback rack) is an extremely efficient pallet storage scheme that configures pallet lanes from 2 to 6 units deep. Pallets sit on nested shuttles that travel up a gradual slope as units are loaded, or “pushed back” from the face of the racking system.
When pallets are subsequently unloaded, the pallet adjacent to the first position pallet glides back down the incline to the facing position.
Push Back Rack Advantages And Disadvantages
Push back racking is perfect for certain applications, but is not appropriate for all warehouses. There are several benefits and drawbacks to investigate.
Higher Density Storage
Since push back pallet racks can store between 2-6 pallets in any given lane, they can recover between 1-5 aisles, which can be a significant chunk of warehouse space.
Less Forklift Travel
By eliminating aisles, lift trucks don’t have to rack up as many hours, reducing equipment wear and increasing efficiency. Reduced lift truck traffic also makes a safer environment inside the warehouse. Reduced forklift traffic directly correlates to fewer accidents.
Greater Selectivity
Push back pallet racking gives warehouse managers an ideal combination of product selectivity and storage density. In contrast to drive-in rack, where entire bays are usually a single SKU, push back features direct access to many more pallet positions from the rack front.
LIFO Configuration
Unlike pallet flow rack, which is a First In First Out (FIFO) style of system, push back rack is a Last In First Out (LIFO) type of plan. LIFO systems are not generally suitable for products that are perishable, because items that are stored first can sit for long stretches of time as goods are added and removed from the aisle.
How Does Push Back Racking Work?
Push back racks utilize a couple of tracks declining in the direction of the rack face and a collection of nested carts which ride on these tracks.
An initial pallet is placed on the uppermost cart by a forklift. When another pallet is added, the lift truck driver pushes the first pallet back and sets the second pallet on the next cart. The very last pallet positioned in the lane rests on the tracks.
As goods are retrieved, carts of unit loads slide down the tracks. Lift truck drivers remove each pallet in turn until the lane is empty, or add pallets, replenishing the lane.
Push Back Pallet Racking For Sale
To learn more about push back racking systems, contact a warehouse storage expert at Welch Equipment today. Welch Equipment’s storage design engineers can help you find a system that is ideal for your operation.
