Conventional pallet racking is a material handling warehouse storage system designed to store materials on pallets (or wire mesh deck). Although there are many varieties of pallet racking, all types allow for the storage of palletized materials in horizontal rows with multiple levels.

Conventional pallet racks have many advantages, but also some disadvantages. The disadvantages of conventional pallet racks have the following:

1. Space Utilization

Low Storage Density: Pallet racks usually require relatively wide aisles for forklifts to operate, which reduces the storage density compared to some other storage systems. This means that more warehouse space is occupied by aisles and not used for actual storage of goods, resulting in a certain waste of space.

Limited Vertical Space Utilization: Pallet racks are generally limited in height. Usually, they are only 3-5 layers and below 10 meters high. This makes it difficult to make full use of the vertical space of the warehouse, especially for warehouses with high ceilings.

2. Operational Efficiency

Inefficient Picking: When picking individual items from pallets stored on racks, it may be necessary to move the entire pallet to access the desired items, which can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially when dealing with small quantities of specific products.

Slower Loading and Unloading: Loading and unloading pallets onto and from the racks requires the use of forklifts or other lifting equipment. The operation process is relatively slow, and the forklift needs to enter the aisle and align accurately with the pallet position, which may lead to congestion in the aisle and affect the overall operation efficiency.

3. Cost

High Initial Investment: The purchase and installation cost of conventional pallet racks is relatively high. High-quality pallet racks and accessories, as well as the cost of professional installation, require a significant initial capital investment.

Maintenance Costs: Pallet racks need regular inspection and maintenance to ensure their safety and stability. Over time, components may wear out, beams and columns may deform, and connections may loosen, requiring replacement and repair, which incurs additional maintenance costs.

4. Goods Management and Protection

Risk of Damage: During the process of forklift loading and unloading pallets, there is a risk of accidentally hitting the racks, which may cause damage to the racks and pallets, and even lead to the collapse of the racks and damage to the goods.

Limited Protection for Goods: Although pallets provide a certain degree of support and protection for goods, some fragile or valuable goods may still be affected by vibration, impact, and other factors during storage and transportation, and additional protection measures are needed.

5. Selectivity and Adaptability

Limited Selectivity: In some pallet rack systems, the selectivity of goods may be limited. For example, in a double deep racking system, only 50% selectivity is available, meaning that products can be buried without a solid inventory tracking system, making it difficult to quickly access specific products.

Poor Adaptability to Special Goods: Pallet racks are not suitable for storing all types of goods. Some large, oddly shaped, or bulk frozen items are not easy to store and handle on pallet racks.