Neometrix / Static Storage Systems / Pallet Racking and Storage Racks / NMX-PRK-103

NMX-PRK-103 · ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — DUTY · LAYOUT · FRAMES AND BEAMS · RATING AND NOTICE · BUILD · PROVE

Pallet Racking. Rated by the bay, not the shelf.

Name: Pallet Racking and Storage Racks
Brand: Neometrix
SKU: NMX-PRK-103

A pallet rack is a steel frame that holds loaded pallets in tiers, so that a store uses its height and every pallet has a place. A storage rack does the same for components, panels and cartons, on shelves. Neometrix engineers both as a system: the uprights and the beams, the layout of the bays, the load notice and the proof.

So the rack has to be rated by the bay, held together by its locks, and read by every person who loads it.

Discuss a rack Capability note (PDF)

One bay of selective pallet racking on a plain white studio background: two tall pale grey braced upright frames with punched slots, mid-grey beams at two levels hooked into the uprights, a bare-wood pallet with plain brown cartons on each level, plain steel base plates, a pale grey column guard at the foot of the nearer upright, and no people

Fig · 01 — One bay of selective pallet racking: two upright frames, braced, with beams at two levels carrying loaded pallets — illustrative render.

The rating

given per beam level and per bayand tied to the layout it was worked out for

The limit

the smallest of the beam and the framethe weakest part of the bay decides

The load

spread evenly, as the rating assumesnot placed on one point or one beam

The notice

on every bayso that the limit is read where the load is placed

Status

engineered to orderno delivery is claimed

ISO 9001ISO 14001EN 15512 reference for racking designEN 15635 reference for use and maintenance

Overview

What a rack has to get right, and what goes wrong when it does not.

Because a rack holds heavy loads high above a floor where people work, and the weakest part of a bay decides what it can carry.

A joint of a pallet rack on a plain white studio background: the lower part of a pale grey upright with a column of punched slots, a mid-grey beam end with a hook connector engaged in the slots and held by a steel safety lock pin, a flat steel base plate below with two anchor bolts, and no people

Fig · 02 — The joint: a beam hooked into an upright and held by a safety lock, with the base plate below — illustrative render.

Rated by the bay, not the shelf.

What the rack is for

It holds pallets in tiers, so that a store uses its height. Each pallet rests on a pair of beams between two upright frames, and a truck or a stacker puts it there and takes it away.

How it carries the load

The beams hang on the uprights by hooks and are held by safety locks. The uprights carry the sum of the levels down to the floor through their base plates, and the bracing keeps the frames upright.

Why the rating belongs to the bay

A beam pair has a rating for its own level. The upright frame has a rating that falls as the beams are set further apart. The bay can carry the smallest of these, and that is the rating of the bay.

Why the load has to be spread

Published ratings assume a load spread evenly over the beams. A load that sits on one point, or on one beam, asks more of the rack than the rating allows.

Why moving a beam changes the rating

When the beams are set further apart, the upright is longer between its restraints, and it carries less. So moving a beam level changes the rating, and the load notice has to change with it.

Why every bay carries a notice

A load notice on each bay states the beam and bay loads, so that a person who loads the rack can read the limit where they stand.

Why the uprights are guarded and anchored

A truck that strikes an upright can bend it. A column guard takes the blow, and base plates fixed to the floor keep the frame in line.

Why a rack is inspected

A bent upright or a displaced beam changes what a bay can carry. So the rack is looked at by the people who use it and by a competent person at intervals, and a damaged part is taken out of use.

Why shelf-type racks as well

For components, panels and cartons, a shelf-type rack carries a load spread over each shelf. The shelves are adjustable, so that the rack fits what is stored.

The method

Duty, layout, frames and beams, rating and notice, build and prove.

Six steps in a fixed order. The rating and the notice are the two that a quick job skips.

1 · Duty

The pallets and the loads, the store and its floor, the height available, the aisles and the trucks that will serve the rack are noted.

2 · Layout

The bays and the aisles are laid out, with the beam levels set to the pallet and the truck, so that every pallet has a place and a way in.

3 · Frames and beams

The upright frames, the beams, the bracing and the decking are sized so that the rating of the bay is set by design, with a safety lock on every beam.

4 · Rating and notice

The beam and bay ratings are worked out for the layout, and a load notice is made for every bay, so that the limit is read where the load is placed.

5 · Build

The frames are erected, plumbed and anchored, the beams are hung and locked, and the column guards are fitted.

6 · Prove

Plumb, level, locks, anchors and notices are checked bay by bay, and the record goes with the rack.

Which fault, which safeguard

What can go wrong	Why it happens	What the rack does about it
A bay is overloaded	the pallets are heavier than the rating, or one level carries too much	a rating per beam level and per bay, and a load notice on every bay
A beam drops out	it was not locked, or a truck knocked it up	a safety lock on every beam, checked at the build and at every inspection
An upright is bent	a truck struck it	column guards fixed to the floor separately, and a rule that a bent upright is unloaded
The rack leans	the floor is not level, or the base plates are loose	base plates anchored, packers where the floor falls, and a plumb check at the build
A rating is read wrongly	the beams were moved and the notice was not	a rating that is tied to the layout, and a notice that is changed with it
A pallet falls through	the pallet is damaged, or it sits badly across the beams	a pallet that suits the beams, and decking or support bars where the pallets are poor
A load sits on one point	the rating assumes that it is spread	decking that spreads the load, and a rule on how the load is placed
A shelf sags	the load is heavier than the shelf, or it is not spread	a shelf rated for a spread load, stiffened, with a notice for each shelf

The step people underrate is the rating. A rack looks the same whether it is loaded within its limit or beyond it.

Work content

What the rack contains, element by element.

Read it as a checklist: a rack missing a row will hold a pallet, but it will not tell you when it is overloaded.

A shelf-type storage rack on a plain white studio background: a pale grey open steel rack with four corner posts and adjustable flat steel shelves, each shelf carrying a row of plain brown cartons and plain grey plastic bins, and no people

Fig · 03 — A shelf-type storage rack: adjustable shelves carrying plain cartons and plain bins — illustrative render.

Element	What it does	What matters
Upright frames	carry the load to the floor	two uprights joined by bracing, with punched slots for the beams, and a rating that falls as the beams are set further apart
Beams	carry the pallets	a pair for each level, hooked into the uprights, with a rating for the level that assumes a spread load
Safety locks	keep the beams in place	a lock on every beam end, so that a knock from a truck cannot lift a beam out
Bracing	keeps the frames upright	cross bracing in each frame, and ties between rows where the layout needs them
Base plates and anchors	hold the frame to the floor	plates fixed to the floor, with packers where the floor falls, so that the frame stands plumb
Column guards	take the blow from a truck	guards on the uprights that a truck can reach, fixed to the floor separately from the rack
Decking and support bars	spread the load on the beams	decking or bars where the pallets are poor or the goods are loose, so that the load is spread
Shelves	carry the load on a shelf-type rack	adjustable shelves rated for a spread load, stiffened so that they do not sag
Load notice	states the limit on every bay	a notice for each bay with the beam and bay loads, changed whenever a beam is moved
Testing & documentation	prove the rack first	a check of plumb, level, locks, anchors and notices bay by bay, and a record the customer can inspect

The elements that decide the safety are the safety lock and the load notice. The first keeps a beam where it was hung, and the second tells a person what the bay may carry.

Full specification — expand

System	Upright frames with bracing and base plates; beams with safety locks; decking or support bars; shelves for shelf-type racks; column guards; a layout of bays and aisles; a load notice on every bay; and a check of plumb, locks, anchors and notices, with documentation, before handover
The One Idea	Rated by the bay, not the shelf.
Why The Rating Belongs To The Bay	A beam pair has a rating for its level, and the upright frame has a rating that falls as the beams are set further apart; the bay can carry the smallest of these, so the rating is given per beam level and per bay and is tied to the layout
Why The Load Must Be Spread	Published ratings assume a load spread evenly over the beams or the shelf; a load that sits on one point or on one beam asks more of the rack than the rating allows
Standards	EN 15512 covers the principles of structural design of adjustable pallet racking, and EN 15635 covers the application and maintenance of storage equipment. This page prints none of their requirements, and no edition year. Approval of a rack rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here
Configurations	Selective pallet racking, shelf-type storage racks, and special storage racks
Scope Boundary	This page is the pallet racking and the storage rack, a static steel structure that holds loads in place. It is not an automated stores system, which serves racking with stacker cranes and shuttles (see automated stores handling and retrieval system), not a pallet truck or a stacker, which puts a pallet on a rack (see hydraulic pallet truck and manual stacker) and not a storage container, which lists racking as one part of a conditioned enclosure (see mobile environmental storage container). It does not decide the goods that are stored, and it does not replace the operator's own judgement. No certification or accreditation is claimed here
Status	Neometrix has quoted against successive pallet racking and storage rack requirements, and no delivered pallet racking or storage rack is claimed.

Configurations

One method, three ways to build the rack.

The method, the rating and the notice are shared. What changes is what is stored, and how it is put in and taken out.

Selective pallet racking

Upright frames and beam pairs, with every pallet reachable

For loaded pallets in tiers: frames, beams with safety locks, bracing and base plates, with a rating per beam level and per bay and a load notice on every bay.

Shelf-type storage racks

Adjustable shelves, for components and cartons

For loads that are lifted by hand or by a small truck: shelves rated for a spread load, adjustable so that the rack fits what is stored, with a notice for each shelf.

Special storage racks

A rack made for an awkward item

For panels, long items or parts that a standard rack does not suit: a rack made for the item, with the same rating, the same notice and the same proof.

And the part that is not equipment at all, yet decides all three: the goods and the store. They are taken from the customer's own place, not from the rack.

The drawings

A reference set, drawn as real CAD sheets.

Two sheets of one reference configuration: the arrangement of a selective pallet rack with three details, and its layout, rating and load notice. They show the bay and the frame, the beam and its lock, the three limits, the notice and the effect of moving a beam. They carry tags and letters only. Every capacity, load, height, spacing and span is fixed by design for the customer's store.

Fig · 04 — Sheet 01, the arrangement: the bay and the frame in elevation, the frame rating against the beam spacing, the beam and its lock, and the spread load. Reference configuration, letters only.

Fig · 05 — Sheet 02, the layout, the rating and the notice: the plan of the rows, the three limits with the smallest hatched, the load notice, and a beam that is moved. Reference configuration, tags only.

Every real rack is drawn for its own goods, its own floor and its own layout. These sheets are the arrangement and the order of working that a project set starts from. Approval of any drawing rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here.

PDF · two sheets

Reference drawings — arrangement, layout and rating

PDF · capability sheet

pallet racking and storage racks — what Neometrix engineers

Where it is used

Wherever loads are held in tiers, and the limit has to be read at the bay.

The common thread is a store, a floor, a person who loads the rack, and a limit that must be known before the load is placed.

Stores and warehouses

Where pallets are received, put up into tiers and fetched again, and the height of the building is part of the capacity.

Stockrooms and component stores

Where parts and cartons are kept on shelves that can be moved to suit them, and a sagging shelf is a hazard.

Workshops and hangars

Where panels, spares and assemblies are kept close to the work, and a rack must stand firm beside moving trucks.

Factories and production lines

Where material waits for the line and finished goods wait for dispatch, and the layout changes as the product does.

Watch

See it in motion.

A short walkthrough video of the Pallet Racking.

FAQ

Common questions.

Longer answers, for readers who want the reasoning.

Q · 01 What does pallet racking actually do?

It holds loaded pallets in tiers, so that a store uses its height and every pallet has a place. Upright frames stand in rows, beams hang between them at each level, and each pallet rests on a pair of beams. A truck or a stacker puts the pallet in and takes it out. Shelf-type storage racks do the same for components and cartons, on shelves. The rack does not decide what is stored or where it goes. That comes from the customer's own store, and the rack is laid out, rated and proved to hold it safely.

Q · 02 Why is a rack rated by the bay and not by the shelf?

Because more than one part limits what a bay can carry. A beam pair has a rating for its own level. The upright frame has a rating that falls as the beams are set further apart, and the uprights carry the sum of all the levels. The bay can carry the smallest of these. A shelf that looks strong enough on its own can still overload the frame beneath it, so the rating is worked out for the whole bay, tied to the layout it was worked out for, and printed on a notice at the bay.

Q · 03 What happens when a beam level is moved?

The rating changes. When the beams are set further apart, the upright is longer between its restraints and it carries less, so a level that is moved up can lower the rating of the whole bay. That is why the rating is tied to the layout, and why the load notice has to be changed whenever a beam is moved. A rack whose beams have been moved and whose notice has not is the commonest way in which a bay is loaded beyond its limit without anyone knowing.

Q · 04 Why must the load be spread, and why are safety locks needed?

Published ratings assume a load spread evenly over the beams, so a load that sits on one point or on one beam asks more of the rack than the rating allows. Decking or support bars spread the load where the pallets are poor. The safety lock keeps a beam on its uprights. A truck that knocks a beam from below can lift it off its hooks, and without a lock the beam and the pallet it carries can fall. So every beam end carries a lock, and the locks are checked at the build and at every inspection.

Q · 05 Is this the same as an automated stores system, a pallet truck or a storage container?

No, and the differences are worth stating precisely. The automated stores handling and retrieval system page covers racking that is served by stacker cranes and shuttles, with a management layer. The hydraulic pallet truck and manual stacker page covers the truck that puts a pallet on a rack. The mobile environmental storage container page covers a conditioned container that lists racking as one of its parts. This page is the static rack itself. It does not replace any of them, and it does not claim what they claim a second time.

Q · 06 Has Neometrix built one of these?

We would rather answer this plainly than let a page imply otherwise. Neometrix has quoted against successive pallet racking and storage rack requirements, and no delivered pallet racking or storage rack is claimed. What stands behind the offer is adjacent: Neometrix engineers an automated stores handling and retrieval system (see the automated stores handling and retrieval system page) and a conditioned storage container with racking in it (see the mobile environmental storage container page). The formed steel sections, the safety locks, the base plates and the bolts are catalogue items, bought in, not invented. What Neometrix engineers is the layout, the rating, the load notice and the proof. So the honest position is that the rack is engineered to order, the neighbouring disciplines are in the building, and the first rack of this exact kind will be built around the customer's own store rather than taken off a shelf.

Q · 07 Which standards apply, and what can the rack not do?

EN 15512 covers the principles of structural design of adjustable pallet racking, and EN 15635 covers the application and maintenance of storage equipment, including the load notice and the inspection of the rack. This page prints none of their requirements, and no edition year: those come from the standard the customer names. The rack holds loads in tiers. It does not decide the goods that are stored, it does not work beyond its rating, and it does not replace the operator's own judgement. This page claims no certification or accreditation. No capacity, load, height, spacing or span figure is printed here, and approval of a rack rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here.

Q · 08 What do you need from us to quote?

Six things, and most of them describe your store rather than the rack. First, the goods: the pallets or the items, their size, and how they are stacked. Second, the load: the heaviest pallet, and the heaviest load on a shelf. Third, the store: the floor, its surface and its level, and the height that is free. Fourth, the trucks: the kind that will serve the rack, and the width of the aisles they need. Fifth, the layout: how many bays, how many levels, and how the layout may change. Sixth, the place: indoors or outdoors, wet or dry, and whether a spark matters. From that we come back with a rack concept, a proving plan you can check, and a budgetary price.

The neighbouring pages, and how they differ from this one.

Three neighbours: one serves racking automatically, one puts a pallet on a rack, one holds racking inside a conditioned container.

↗ The automated stores system

Automated Stores Handling and Retrieval System

Serves racking with stacker cranes and shuttles - where this page is the static rack itself.

↗ The pallet truck and stacker

Hydraulic Pallet Truck and Manual Stacker

Puts a pallet on a rack and takes it away - the truck that serves the bays on this page.

↗ The storage container

Mobile Environmental Storage Container

A conditioned container that lists racking as one part - a different scope from a rack in a store.

Browse all Neometrix product lines.

Get a quotation

Tell us the goods,
and the store they are kept in.

The projects desk replies within two working days with a rack concept, a proving plan you can check, and a budgetary quotation. Write to [email protected] or use the form.

Enquire — pallet racking and storage racks Capability sheet (PDF) +91 7777 876 876

ISO 9001 / 14001 ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — PALLET RACKING AND STORAGE RACKS DUTY · LAYOUT · FRAMES AND BEAMS · RATING AND NOTICE · BUILD · PROVE — RATED BY THE BAY, NOT THE SHELF. ENGINEERED IN NOIDA · INDIA