Making the best use of your space is key to setting up an efficient, comfortable warehouse space. Many companies try to skimp on their aisle space when making plans for their pallet racks. This can be a detriment for several reasons:
- Inadequate space can make it harder for warehouse laborers to get to the merchandise they need. This can slow down production and the pick and pack lines, making your warehouse less efficient than it could be.
- Narrow aisles may not leave enough room for a forklift operator to back up without crashing into the pallet racks behind them. This can damage your forklift, your pallet racks, and the products being stored.
- Damaged racks will need to be replaced more often, so the money you save with narrow aisles is eaten up by replacement costs.
In general, twelve to fourteen feet between your pallet racks is optimal, though there are exceptions based on what you are storing and the kind of racks you are using. Pay attention to how your teams work and balance that with the best practices for warehouse layout and safety and you should achieve a great design that leaves plenty of room between pallet racks.
If you are dealing with a difficult configuration for your warehouse design, get in touch with RMH Systems. We’ll help you layout your warehouse so you are maximizing the space while leaving enough room for warehouse workers and equipment to maneuver. Give us a call for an Auto CAD design of the optimal warehouse layout for your space today!
