Higher density options that store more per square foot
When you have need of greater volume in your storage space, there are alternatives to traditional storage to make more of the space you have. Options with first-in/first-out flow for inventory rotation, and others with last-in/first-out for fast moving sku's.
Pallet flow storage
Pallet flow is an excellent choice for high-density first-in/first-out storage. It consists of traditional rack uprights and beams, except that either roller tracks or carriages support the pallets as they are gravity fed from back to front on inclined lanes. These systems allow from 4 to 10 pallets deep depending on the support system used.
Drive-through storage
Drive-through rack systems are also dense storage systems since there are fewer aisles in the system. Drive-through rack systems are loaded from top to bottom and back to front, making it a system where many sku's may be stored in columns. As stock is removed from the front, inventory is replenished from the rear, or can be pulled from both ends.
Drive-in rack systems
Drive-in rack systems are a very dense storage system with last-in/first-out storage. Sku's are stored in a series of columns, where the top levels are loaded first, moving downward to fill each level through floor level. Loads are then pulled beginning at floor level and working upward as each level is depleted. Once the entire column is empty it is then replenished.
Pushback rack systems
Pushback rack consists of rack uprights and rail beams that span the upright depth and provide rail supports for pallet carriages to ride on. Generally, there are 4 nested carriages that when a pallet is placed on it will pushback when the next pallet is brought into the rack. The new pallet sits on the next nested carriage and pushes back with the addition of the next pallet, continuing in like manner until pallets are stacked 4 deep. When pallets are removed, the carriages move forward to the pick face, eliminating the need for driver's to drive into the rack to retrieve pallets.
Horizontal pallet flow lane systems
Horizontal pallet flow lane systems are extremely dense pallet storage due to the way pallets can be added and removed. The system is often setup on traditional pallet rack, but can be added to existing flow rack, drive-in and drive-through, and pushback rack. Special rails and flow lanes are placed within the racking. The flow lane tracks have special cleats on the rails that assist in moving the pallets forward and back. Many skus can be stored in the rack system, and as each pallet is added, the cleats on the rail bite into the wooded pallet and the forklift is able to push the pallets back. When pallets are removed, the forklift slightly lifts the end pallets, leaving contact with the rail track, and as the pallet comes forward, the rail moves all other pallets in the lane forward.