A Little Guidance to Go the Distance in Deep Lane Pallet Flow

Pallet flow rack is one of those unique storage products that’s effective in shallow lane, deep lane and even deep-deep lane configurations. It’s simple to use and maintain while performing the valuable, space-saving functions of automatic pallet replenishment and orderly first-in/first-out inventory management. Of course, these benefits are only reaped if the product does what it is intended to do… and so it comes down to strategic design of the pallet flow lane specific to the inventory that ensures complete success.

Deep-deep pallet flow lanes (15+ pallets) have inherent challenges that must be addressed in the design and testing stages. Keeping the pallet tracking properly, centered down the long lane is one of them. The intent of pallet flow is always for the pallet to arrive safely and squarely at the pick face for easy extraction. In a deeper lane system, the likelihood of unevenly distributed loads veering left or right in the lane is compounded.

So, Mallard’s engineering team created a unique solution to ensure proper flow and tracking specifically for deep-deep lane wheeled pallet flow like our Magnum wheel pallet flow. Introducing Mallard’s skate wheel lane guidance system…

As you can see from the 3D illustrations, pallets are guided by skate wheels mounted on angle attached to the upright frame and placed approximately 3”above the lane. Custom entry guides can be added to the charge end of the lane to provide better visual alignment and faster pallet loading. Depending on the application, full-length guides may be recommended to assist in pallet tracking down the lane.

As always, we recommend quality GMA-style pallets especially for deeper lane systems, but uneven load distribution can throw off even the best quality pallet. This lane guidance system protects against that and keeps your system flowing as it was intended.

Call our gravity flow experts to discuss your material handling needs and challenges. We can review your operation and evaluate if pallet flow rack is the right solution to meet your inventory goals. Our in-house engineering testing lab is available to test your gravity flow system with supplied or simulated inventory to ensure your system will operate as expected before purchase. And, our proprietary M-Elevation drawings provide visual assurance of pallet flow / pallet rack fit within the building and among other existing material handling systems in your facility. You’ve got nothing to lose and so much to gain… just give us a call to get started.