The design of a traditional racking system means a lot of space is taken up by aisles. Racking runs are separated by a completely empty aisle that is only used by a truck to service that run of racking. Mobile racking systems eliminate aisles by having a single aisle to service the entire system which allows the racking to move and compact closer together. If you want to access a run of racking, that’s the only aisle you need to open.
The space saving really allows you to design a more efficient system. Applying mobile racking in cold storage is especially advantageous since you can save a lot of money on energy costs by having to cool less air for the same number of pallets.
When mobile racking systems are ideal
Mobile racking systems are best when weave corridors and impulse aisle storage systems bring the storage trade-off to a point of zero sum. This is best for cold, chill and urban edge storage where systems are constrained by zoning, access is infrequent such as with archiving, document storage and some warehousing. For rapidly turning systems where you have a lot of activity on a run of racking mobile racking systems are probably going to be less efficient. If the mobile system is significantly slower to service, pushes up costs and brings a lot of other negative effects to the system, we would not sell the mobile racking system.
Control mechanisms
The mobile bases operate on a dedicated motor system controlled like most automatic systems, using light barriers and sensors, so a closed aisle won’t catch anyone off guard, along with manual overrides. It can be as simple as a push-button system or integrated to the automated warehouse system. The racking above is standard, and does not require a special system to operate.
Compared to static racking, it is more complicated to install. The racking needs to be rail set level with the floor. The design and installation process is more of a project. The return benefit, however, for the right site, is the additional available space.
There are some savings in cost if floor space is limited or if you’re paying to refrigerate unutilized aisles, so it would be best to at least start a dialogue. Before you pay for refrigerated aisles, we can simulate and show you projections for capacity in your current layout, so you can understand how much space you would save by replacing the current system with ours.