Stackable Racking: Types and Use Cases

Static storage is great, but sometimes, you need more flexibility. You may find the need to shift your floor plan or add shelving on the fly to adjust to new inventory or demands. There’s a simple solution to that problem: stackable pallet racking.

With stack racks, you can plan for long-term growth and quickly adapt to changes. Stackable racking can save you time and money in your warehouse. Instead of going through the lengthy process of replacing shelving you’ve outgrown or tearing down and reconfiguring your racks, you can simply add more racks to your stack. 

Read on to learn how stack rack can bring your warehouse to the next level.

What Is a Stack Rack?

Stackable racks are freestanding units with a base and four corner posts. The posts are typically removable, although some are collapsible instead. What makes stack racks so versatile is that you can use different post heights for each base, resulting in a fully customizable storage solution. 

Stack racks, like most shelving, come in metal, wood and plastic with varying width and height options. They can be configured for forklift transport and can accommodate wooden pallets or irregular items, depending on the style and brand you select. 

Additionally, stackable racking can be taken down and stored away until you need it. Collapsed stack racks take up little space. All you have to do is remove the poles and stack the bases. This is especially useful if you plan on moving warehouses, doing a deep clean of the space or making room for other equipment.

Stackable Racking Use Cases

Stack racks are incredibly flexible and have a variety of uses. However, if you want to know why you should get stackable racks over static racking, here are some specific use cases for stack racks:

Seasonal Storage

If you’re in an industry that experiences seasonal demand, stackable pallet racking is an excellent option. For example, in 2021, 57% of winter holiday shoppers bought gifts online. If you ran a warehouse that felt that influx of ecommerce activity, you would likely have benefited from having stackable racks you could quickly add to and remove from your warehouse space.

Floor Plan Reconfiguration

To increase worker efficiency, your warehouse shelves should be as navigable as possible. Sometimes, it takes a few tries to find a warehouse layout that produces an optimal flow. 

As you add new equipment, such as conveyors or additional forklifts, you may want to reconfigure the way your shelving is arranged. Using stack racks makes it easy to take down and set up your storage system so that you can plan your warehouse as you please. 

Shippable Storage

What’s unique about stack racks is that they are shippable. All you have to do is load up your inventory and use a forklift to move the stack rack onto the truck. 

This can eliminate the time-consuming process of moving dozens or hundreds of wooden pallets for shipping. Using stack racks for shipping can be especially useful if you are moving racks between warehouses within your network. 

Adding New Inventory

In the early days of most warehouses, inventory is usually pretty limited. Just a few shelves may cut it. But as your business becomes more successful, you’ll find the need for more storage. Stackable pallet racking is a cost-effective way to add shelving as your business grows. 

Stack racks are easy to reconfigure as your warehouse space grows and changes.

Temporary Spaces

Stackable racking allows you to get the most out of your warehouse space, without having to commit to a permanent solution. You may be renting your warehouse. If you are looking into purchasing a permanent space, it can be overwhelming to think about relocating. Stack racks are perfect for use in a location that you think you’ll grow out of. 

Piping and Tire Storage

One of the most popular uses of stackable racks is for storing pipes and tires. The unique shapes of these items can make them difficult to store on other types of industrial racking. 

Modular stack racks, which are often more narrow than traditional warehouse racks, are perfect for storing pipes, planks of wood and other lengthy items. And the standard, open deck and wooden deck stack racks are excellent for storing tires.

Types of Stack Racks

There’s more than one type of stack rack. The general design of the stack rack remains the same throughout the various types, but there are certain features that make each shelf a bit different from the others. Here are some of the most common stackable racking solutions:

Portable Stack Rack

If you plan to use stackable racking for shipping goods, then you need portable stack racking. These stack racks are easily movable by forklift. You can put wood pallets on stack racks or put the inventory directly on the shelf. This reduces how many times you have to move a pallet from one location to another. 

Modular Stack Rack

Modular stackable racks are perfect for storing long items such as pipes. They are typically a bit narrower, and sometimes shorter, than regular stack racks, but they can be configured to any height and width. 

This type of modular stack rack is designed to securely store pipes, wood, and other elongated materials.

Wooden Deck Stack Rack

An important consideration when choosing a stack rack is the benefits of wood decks versus open decks. 

Most stackable racks use open decks. This means that the base utilizes a grid shape with the bars crisscrossed. While this is perfect for loading wooden pallets or bulky items, it’s not as useful for small or irregularly packaged items.

Stack racks with wood decks utilize wooden planks secured tightly together at the base of the rack. These racks are excellent for storing bags, small tires and other items that may otherwise fall through the traditional grid base. 

Stackable Pallet Racking

Not all stack racks are equipped to carry wood pallets. If this is a use case that applies to your warehouse, purchase stackable pallet racks. These kinds of stack racks are designed for easy transfer from place to place, without having to unload inventory. 

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Versatile Warehouse Storage Solutions

Optimizing your warehouse shelving is not an easy task. There are endless details to consider when weighing your industrial shelving options. Stackable pallet racking is just one of these flexible and durable shelving options, and it’s a pretty good one. Before you make your purchase, explore the different storage solutions that can best maximize your warehouse’s efficiency and profitability. For help, reach out to East Coast Storage Equipment.

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