Selective Pallet Rack
Selective pallet racking is the most versatile and cost effective pallet storage solution available. Unlike other pallet rack systems, selective racks provide direct access to the stored merchandise at all times, which is particularly important in warehouse applications where the goods are turned over very quickly.
The most commonly manufactured style of selective pallet racking in the U.S. is roll-formed “teardrop” racking, named after the distinctive shape of the holes in the column of the upright. These teardrop holes facilitate the quick installation and/or reconfiguration of horizontal load beams into the system, which means that the initial cost of the installation is much lower than the other types of pallet storage and that the shelf heights can be quickly and easily re-sized as the application requires.
Selective pallet racking can also be manufactured in a structural, bolt-together configuration. In this type of system, heavy duty beams are bolted to the vertical columns. This is a much more labor-intensive process, and typically more costly, but it results in a storage system of a much greater weight-bearing capacity. So much so that structural pallet racking can be designed to support not only pallets but the roof of the facility itself, entirely replacing a building’s vertical support I-beams. This is commonly referred to as a “rack supported building”.