How To Properly Measure Your Pallet Rack
10 Sep 2018
Used throughout a whole host of different industries, pallet racking is one of the most efficient ways a business can maximise its storage space. There are a huge number of different weight capacities and sizes that fit a range of applications. But when you want to add to an existing pallet rack, it is essential that you know exactly what the measurements are. This way you’ll be ensuring that the new pallet rack that you’ve ordered will fit correctly onto the existing one. So what is the best way to measure your pallet rack?
Cross Beam Measurements
The way to do this is to first measure from the inside of one upright all the way up to the inside of the upright on the opposite side. The measurement that you have between the two uprights is the length of the cross beam. Normal beam lengths range from between 4″ and 9″. Occasionally you might come across a beam that falls between one-foot increments. Normally, this is because the pallet rack has been custom-made or is used in specific applications.
Another measurement that should be taken when you measure your pallet rack is the face size of the beam. This is the side of the beam that faces outwards. The measurement should be made from the top to the bottom of the beam. This is important because it is the size of the face beam that indicates how much weight the beam can support. The larger the size of the face, the more weight capacity the beam has and vice versa.
Measuring Uprights
The next process to complete when you measure your pallet rack is to take the measurements for the upright. Here there are four measurements that you need to take into account:
– Depth: The first measurement you need to take is the depth. You do this by measuring from the outer edges of the upright to the outer edge on the opposite side. Common standard sizes vary from 36″ to 48″, but if the upright is custom-made, then of course sizes can differ.
– Column: This is where the beams lock into the upright, and they can normally be identified by the holes that are present on the sides. The first thing to do is to measure the outside face of the column followed by the inside face. Sometimes the two measurements will differ. The larger the size of the upright, the greater its weight capacity.
– Foot plate: This is the metal that the uprights sit on. They normally feature holes which allow them to be screwed into the floor. Measure both the width and length of the foot plates.
– Frame height: The last thing to do is to measure the height of the racking. This is done by measuring from the top right down to the bottom of the racking.
Wire Decking
Once you know the depth of the upright, you know the depth of the wiring to be used. The only measurement that is left is the width. This can be found by measuring the final side of the rack from one outside edge to the other – then you’ll know the dimensions of the wire decking you need. A common size is 42″ and 46″, but of course sizes do vary. And that is how you measure your pallet rack.