Building Pallet Flow Rack for Capacity Success | Mallard Best Practices

Designing a pallet flow lane can be a little like solving a complex puzzle. You may have all the pieces, but they only fit together one way to extract the most effective result. As gravity flow rack experts, we can provide a framework to guide you through constructing your pallet flow designs. Where your pallet loads and or other variables fall outside typical specifications, we are here to help.

Steps to Pallet Flow Rack Capacity

As we have said many times before, pallet flow rack starts with the pallet. The pallet specs dictate many of the components that will be most effective to use in the lane. From there, we can decide on wheels vs. rollers, if speed controllers or pallet separators are needed, and set the lane dimensions and pitch.

Let’s clarify some terms to get started:

Key Pallet Flow Terms & Definitions

Pallet type – the size, material, and design of the pallet are the number one considerations.

• Wood
• Plastic
• Metal
• Bottom boards – how much surface area will make contact with the flow lane.
• Pallet dimensions plus overhang – dictate lane dimensions and sometimes pallet orientation in the lane (right way/wrong way).
• Learn more about right-sizing the lane for your pallet.

Design (working) capacity – safely supporting the material weight in a dynamic system. This rating is based on several lane variables, including pitch, speed controllers, the size and integrity of the pallet’s bottom boards, and pallet material (wood, plastic, metal). Note: the more surface area contact between the pallet and the flow rack surface, the greater the working capacity of the lane.

Standard load capacity – capacity for a static structure. Use design capacity for pallet flow rack.

Wheel/roller capacity vs. rail capacity – while rollers and wheels have individual capacity, they do not operate individually in a rail. Do not simply add the individual wheel capacities together and derive a lane capacity. Always use Rail Capacity when designing the flow system.

Linear foot measurement – the distance of the lane in a straight line measured in feet. Pallet flow lanes are measured in linear foot vs. square foot measurement (i.e., length (in feet) x width (in feet) = square foot.

Unsupported span – the vertical space between the beams, including from the floor to the first beam. Target spacing is approximately 54”; however, tunnels and other configurations may increase that span to 72” or even 84”, which will possibly cause the beam to deflect (sag), creating a safety and efficiency concern for pallet flow rack. It isn’t necessarily the pallet weight that will cause the deflection, but more likely the length of the unsupported distance. Greater than ½” of deflection is considered unsafe. Call the Mallard team for any beam span wider than 66”.

Pallet Flow Rack Capacity Chart – GUIDELINES

As you can see from the chart above, there are general guidelines for rating the capacity of your pallet flow rack. Let us point out a few key features of this chart that you should understand.

Chart Notes & Highlights:

1. The chart is carefully constructed to provide the design (working) capacity for your lane, considering a standard GMA-style pallet in good condition.
2. The chart is based on linear foot measurement.
3. The chart is based on rail capacity.
4. Note: RF125, 130, and 135 represent the side channel height options available with Mallard rails. Choose side-channel options to increase capacity – the taller the side rail, the greater the capacity. RF125 = 2.5”, RF130 = 3”, RF135=3.5”.

Best Practices for Safety & Speed

• Never double or triple stack pallets without a test in our in-house test facility.
• The more wheels or rollers you add, the faster the system will be.
• Pitch has a tremendous effect on the flow and will likely need to be adjusted if pallet loads change from the original lane configuration. Too shallow or too steep a pitch can result in pallets hanging up or flowing too fast.
• If you need to increase system capacity, your Mallard gravity flow rack team is happy to discuss the most effective and economical solutions.
• Controlling pallet speed can be a combination of the number and types of wheels or rollers, plus speed controllers and pitch. The Mallard in-house Engineering Testing Lab is a great place to find the most effective solution for cost and efficiency.
• Pallets with poor surface area should be derated. Anything less than a good quality CHEP or PECO pallet.
• Assume that the pallet flow lane will not make contact with the full length of each bottom board. Many pallets have damage, warping, load inconsistencies, etc., that will cause at least some missed opportunity for contact with the lane.

Take a Load Off and Give Mallard a Call

While there is no magic formula for pallet flow rack design capacity, we hope that this review has clarified a few things, confirmed others, and given you the confidence to either move forward or give our team a call. That’s right; it takes confidence to admit that while you think you may have the answers, you know for sure who does, and that is the Mallard team. So, when in doubt, give us a shout.

Here’s a quick link to our Pallet Flow RFQ (Request for Quote) document. As a reminder, these are direct email addresses for our team:

• Engineering@Mallardmfg.com– CAD drawings, customer approvals. Form, fit, or function questions
• Customerservice@Mallardmfg.com– missing product or hardware
• Scheduling@Mallardmfg.com– ship dates or changes in ship dates
• Orders@Mallardmfg.com– send orders to this email address