Whether you are a warehouse owner or run a distribution center, you need proper racking systems to keep your inventory organized, accessible, and safe. There are plenty of options available in the market, but two commonly used ones are pallet racks and stack racks. Although both are designed to maximize storage space, they have their fair share of differences.
So, to help you pick the best option for your storage needs, we’re going to do a detailed comparison of stack racks vs pallet racks, covering their features, types, and applications. Let’s dig in!
What are Stack Racks?
Typically stack racks are mobile or freestanding storage racks having a solid base and four corner posts. These posts are removable, collapsible and you can even configure them to different heights to accommodate pallets of varying sizes with our customizable stack racks
Morison stack racks are built from heavy gauge steel. The best part about these stack racks is that they are easy to store when not in use, freeing up your space. Here’s a glimpse into the different types of stack racks in stack racks vs pallet racks:
- Modular Stack Racks: Modular stack racks are the ones that have quite a narrower structure than traditional racks but can be configured to any height and width. These racks are most commonly used to store products like long pipes.
- Wooden Deck Stack Racks: As the name implies, wooden deck stack racks are those that have wooden planks attached to the base. These are great for storing small or irregularly shaped items like tires or bags that can’t be carried on traditional racks with an open deck base.
What are Pallet Racks?
Pallet racks are traditional storage racks that are fixed structures having upright frames and horizontal beams. They are helpful in storing pallets of goods of varying sizes in an organized and vertical layout.
These can be made from structural steel or roll-formed steel and allow access to goods via forklifts or pallet jacks. Let’s look at the different types of pallet racks that you’ll commonly see in the market:
- Cantilever Pallets Racking: The cantilever pallets racking system has upright columns and arms where the products rest directly. They also have horizontal braces that securely hold the inventory in place, reducing the risk of damage. These racks are most suitable for storing bulky or oddly shaped items like lumber or steel bars.
- Selective Pallets Racking: These pallet racks provide you direct access to each pallet. This means you don’t have to move any pallets when counting inventory, making calculations quick and efficient. Other than that, you can retrieve the desired item without shuffling others, leading to swift loading and unloading, which also improves your order fulfillment speed.
Stack Racks vs Pallet Racks: Main Differences
Now that you are aware of both stack racks and pallet racks, as well as their types, here’s a head-to-head comparison of stack racks vs pallet racks:
Flexibility and Mobility
In a warehouse or distribution center, you frequently need to access and move goods. Doing this with traditional pallet racks can be troublesome since they are fixed and lack mobility.
However, that’s not the case with stack racks. These racks often come with durable wheels, allowing you to move them around your warehouse with ease for quick inventory access and shipping. Beyond mobility, stack racks offer remarkable flexibility.
You can reconfigure them to varying heights and widths to accommodate products of varying sizes. This is something that traditional pallet racks often lack, hence making stack racks the ultimate solution for businesses with dynamic storage needs.
Installation
Another reason why stack racks are better in stack racks vs pallet racks is their ease of installation. Stack racks have fewer components than traditional pallet racking and do not require ground anchoring.
Their overall design is also lightweight, which enables your team to assemble them without any specialized equipment, making setup quick and easy.
Contrarily, traditional pallet racks aren’t only heavy but also need fixing or anchoring in the ground, which is pretty time-consuming. You must involve professional labor to do the work which can add up to the overall expenses – not viable for small businesses.
Space Utilization
Sometimes in your warehouse or distribution center, space may be limited, and you cannot give a dedicated area to each product. Stack racks ease such worries!
They allow you to maximize vertical space, stacking items one on top of the other to free up valuable floor area. You can free up ample square footage for storing your warehouse machinery or other large products.
Statistics reveal that stack racks can increase warehouse capacity by up to 66%.
On the other hand, traditional pallet racks are fixed in place and often require dedicated aisles, which limits their ability to use vertical space efficiently. They can’t also easily be rearranged or moved around as per changing storage needs, which makes them unsuitable for environments where space efficiency is key.
Product Safety
Do you know that the cost of damaged goods in the US is typically 60% of reported business losses? Unfortunately, it’s true!
If you want to avoid such losses during product storage and transportation, stack racks are key. These racks allow you to stack many units or products together, reducing load-on-load contact, which is the major culprit behind product damage.
Contrarily, traditional pallet racks don’t offer this much product safety. Although they provide stable storage for your inventory, they may lack the flexibility to stack products in a way that prevents contact. There’s also a high chance of impact between the aisle and forklift that increases the chances of product damage.
In stack racks vs pallet racks, the former is suitable for seasonal inventory, overflow storage, and items that need frequent relocation. On the other hand, pallet racks are good for long-term, high-density storage needs.
Conclusion
In stack racks vs pallet racks, stack racks are quite good considering their flexibility, affordability, and product safety qualities. If you are wondering where you can get high-quality stack racks for your needs, there’s no option better than Morrison Industries. They are rigid, made of steel, and can easily handle loads of varying sizes.
Contact us today to get some top-notch stack racks to streamline your business storage needs!
