Push Back Rack System
For materials with little or no time sensitivity, a push back rack system permits high-density storage and flexible picking. A lift truck places each pallet on a cart, which is then pushed back by the next cart of goods stored in the push back rack system. The pallets in push back pallet storage racks can be stored up to six pallets deep. Push Back rack systems are available in structural or roll-formed frames. Push Back rack systems work by placing pallet loads on a series of nesting carts fed forward by gravity on rigid structural steel rails.
As a pallet is loaded from the front, it pushes the pallet behind it back one position. The front pallet is removed when unloading and the rear pallets automatically come forward to the front picking position. This allows for easily accessible Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) inventory management. Operators can store product from 2-5 pallets deep, with front-only loading from a single aisle.
Push back rack system is generally recommended for LIFO (Last In, First Out) storage of multiple SKUs with multiple racks per SKU. The push back rack system allows optimum use of space while enabling flexible picking of SKUs as required.
HOW PUSH BACK RACK WORKS
Push Back Rack can go from a two-deep system and upto six pallets deep and either single or double-sided.
The Push Back rack system has many benefits because of the multiple carts and the highly engineered nesting manner in which those carts glide into position. Simple push back rack applications that are 2-3 pallets deep operate in the same manner as a 6-deep installation.
The system is a LIFO system in which forklift operators never enter the rack. Pallets rest on carts that are moved to the picking position on stainless steel wheels by gravity. Push back rack can be located against a wall for a single-sided system or in a center aisle for a double sided system.
The carts nest on top of each other and slide back one pallet position when a new pallet is added. Each pallet has its own cart and the last pallet will simply rest on rails running the depth of the bay. When the front pallet is removed, the next pallet slides forward to the picking position.
Push Back rack provides all of the density of a drive-in system without having to drive into the rack. This feature helps maintain the pallet rack system and holds damage to a minimum.
Carts use minimal vertical space within the bay because they nest together and flow forward. Even a 6-deep Push Back rack cart stack uses only 6-1/4″ vertical bay height. This low profile leaves plenty of storage area for pallets.
Special carts can be developed for unstable or damaged pallets and push back racking carts can be color coded so operators can how many pallets are in the bay when it is densely loaded.
The experienced team at Giraffe Storage Solutions will help you design the right lane depths and SKU zones to optimize your use of storage space and minimize excess material handling for high warehouse efficiency.
