Pallet racks (also beam-type heavy-duty racks) store palletized goods, paired with stackers or forklifts. Most are modular steel profile structures assembled via tie rods and beams, freely combinable for easy disassembly; beam heights can be adjusted freely, also named adjustable pallet racks.
Side clearances account for stacker & installation positioning accuracy, with cargo support widths wider than side gaps to avoid unsupported pallet edges.
Design rules: Pallet unit weight ≤2000kg; single rack span/depth/layer spacing depends on pallet specs. Single-unit rack height <4m, depth <1.5m; mid-height warehouse racks under 12m, ultra-high automated warehouse racks under 30m (split into column sections below 12m).
Mid-height warehouses use reach, counterbalance or three-way forklifts (electric stackers for short racks); automated ultra-high warehouses rely on roadway stackers.
With high space utilization and flexible goods access, pallet racks can be digitally managed to fit modern logistics demands. They are widely adopted in manufacturing, 3PL and distribution centers for both low-variety high-volume & high-variety low-volume goods, including drop-in and gravity pallet rack variants for high-bay storage.
