Double Deep Racking & Its Advantages

A query that frequently strikes a warehouse or logistic managers of any warehouse is whether to add more space to the warehouse or use what is provided to them. Since the warehouse managers are persistently looking out means and ways of organizing a warehouse to meet new demands.
Some of the demands can be

  • Increase efficiency of the warehouse
  • Number of SKU’s in the warehouse has amplified
  • Number of SKU’s in the warehouse has amplified

As such demand arises, this leads to a careful and strategic re-evaluation of the existing warehouse storage and operations for achieving higher efficiency of operations. As needs and imperatives change, you will need to adapt or add racking systems that suit the changing conditions of the warehouse.

The job of the warehouse managers are now to look for an ideal racking system that will suffice the changing need of the warehouse storage system. Each racking system is designed and made for unique situations. Some are best suited to high product turnover and medium volume, while others are meant for low product turnover and high storage racking capacity.

One of the most common racking and storage system that has been widely embraced in warehouse storage system is the Double deep pallet racking system. Popularity however is not an important factor in selection of a warehouse storage system, there are more important things to consider. There are several variants of pallet rack storage systems on the market and you need to understand the contexts and reasons for Double deep systems’ popularity to decide, if it is for you. To simplify this process, we will outline a set of evaluation criteria and see how the Double deep pallet racking system performs on each of them.

Some of the parameter to consider before prior to choosing of a pallet rack system we can consider various parameters like

  • The products that are to be stored
  • Various types of Products that needs to be stored
  • Total SKU of various products in each category
  • The throughput rate that needs to be attained

Furthermore, the investment that is to be made on the storage system should also deliver a superior ROI, for this we should be aware of various advantages of the racking system that are deployed as part of expansion or new storage system that meets all the needs.
Let us examine Double deep pallet racking system and its advantages

What is Double Deep Pallet Racking?
Double Deep pallet racking system is a variation on selective pallet racking and is best understood in comparison to it. In Selective pallet racking, two single rows of pallet racks are placed back-to-back. But in double deep racking four single rows of pallet racks are placed back-to-back. This limits immediate accessibility to only the two aisle facing pallet rows making the double deep pallet rack a first in, last out (FILO) pallet rack system.

Let us nowexamine the advantages of Double Deep Pallet Racking system

Advantages

  • An increase in pallet racking capacity by as much as 10-15% depending on warehouse racking layout. Up to 40% more storage capacity than selective pallet racking.
  • Eliminates unneeded aisles and releases storage space, increasing floor space utilization by 55%.
  • Offers 50% selectivity, i.e., immediate accessibility to 50% SKUs.
  • Same low cost per pallet as Selective pallet racks and less expensive than the two deep Push back racking system with same storage density.
  • Easily relocated and easily converted to/from single deep system.
  • Variety of frames profiles and adjustable beam levels to choose from for re-configuring the pallet size to fit changing requirements.

Installing a double deep pallet rack system, can eliminate the need for renting or building new storage space by increasing cubic space utilization (storage density) cost-effectively.

Best Suited for:

  • Companies that have a limited range of products in large or very large numbers, i.e., medium number of SKUs, distributed in medium or high volumes.
  •  Stock with medium to long shelf-life. Employs ‘Last In First Out’ (LIFO) principle which makes it unsuitable for storing items with short shelf-life.
  • Extensively Used In: Cold storage, Paper, Printing, F&B, Manufacturing, Distribution centres and dry store industries.

Now that you have the pros and cons laid out clearly, you need to do a thorough cost-benefit analysis considering parameters like product volumes, turnover rates, available space, warehouse racking layout and existing picking equipment to decide if a double deep pallet system is right for you.

/by