Racking type
Pallet live racking
Pallet live racking is gravity roller lanes on a slope, loaded at the back and picked at the front, so the oldest pallet comes out first.
The system
What pallet live racking is, and how a lane works.
Move
Both levels are full. Choose a level and pick a pallet: the first pallet in is the one waiting at the face.
Pallet live racking, or live storage, is a high-density system of gravity roller lanes laid on a slope. Pallets load at the back, run down under their own weight and are picked at the front, so the rotation is first in, first out, or FIFO.
A truck places a pallet once and the lane does the rest, so a live block handles quickly for its depth. Push-back racking and drive-in racking reach similar depth but rotate last in, first out; where every pallet has to be reachable, it’s adjustable pallet racking.
How it works
How a lane is loaded, and how it gives its pallets back.
A lane is a pair of gravity roller tracks at a fall between the frames, loaded from one aisle and picked from the other. Every beam level carries one.
Load at the rear face
The truck sets a pallet on the high end and never enters the rack.
Gravity carries it forward
It runs down the rollers under its own weight, brakes holding it to a walking pace.
Pick at the front face
The front pallet rests against a separator; lift it clear and the next rolls forward.
Where it fits
Where it fits, and where it does not.
Suits
- Date-coded stock, where rotation is not optional.
- A few lines, each with the throughput to fill a lane.
- A buffer between goods-in and despatch.
- Chilled and frozen chambers, where cubic metres are paid for cold.
- Layouts that can spare a second aisle.
Does not suit
- A wide catalogue held in ones and twos.
- Damaged pallets, or mixed types and base patterns.
- Buildings that cannot spare a second aisle.
Common sectors
- Food and drink
- Chilled and frozen storage
- Pharmaceutical
- Packaging
- Beverage distribution
Against its siblings
Five configurations on three axes.
Density, selectivity and affordability decide most racking choices. The scores are judgements, not measurements, read down a column against the other four.
AdjustableDensity 40 of 100, selectivity 96, affordability 100.
Drive-inDensity 96 of 100, selectivity 25, affordability 65.
Push-backDensity 75 of 100, selectivity 62, affordability 48.
Pallet liveThis page. Density 85 of 100, selectivity 40, affordability 30.
Double deepDensity 60 of 100, selectivity 55, affordability 82.
Specifying it
What moves the cost, and what a survey has to record.
The variables a proposal is built from, and what a survey records before anything is drawn. None is priced on its own.
- 01
Lane length
Every pallet of depth adds track, rollers and brakes.
- 02
Rollers and brakes
Roller pitch, wheel material and brake count follow the pallet. Lanes are priced whole.
- 03
Pallet weight
A heavier load moves the frame series, beam section and brake rating together.
- 04
Height
Taller frames need heavier sections and a stronger slab; the truck limits height first.
- 05
Two aisles
A live block gives up floor to two aisles.
The survey
Recorded before anything is drawn.
- Pallet base and deck condition.
- Pallet dimensions and loaded weights, including the heaviest.
- Throughput: pallets in and out a day, per line.
- Internal dimensions, clear height, columns and services.
- The floor slab: flatness and what it carries.
Safety
What keeps it safe in use.
A pallet live lane holds loaded pallets on a slope, so the parts that control the movement keep it safe.
- Brakes rated for the loaded weight.
- A separator at the pick face, holding the pallet behind.
- Load notices on every run, stating rated capacity and lane depth.
- Rollers, brakes and separators inspected on a cycle.
- Pallet quality checked at goods-in.
- Drivers trained to load at the rear face only.
- Damaged components replaced, never mixed with another manufacturer's system.
Questions
Pallet live racking, common questions
What is pallet live racking?
Pallet live racking, or pallet flow racking, is a high-density system of gravity roller lanes on a slope, loaded at the high end and picked at the low end.
Does pallet live racking work first in, first out?
Yes. Pallet live racking is first in, first out: a lane loads at one end and picks from the other. Push-back and drive-in racking are last in, first out.
What kind of pallets run well on a live lane?
A live lane needs a sound, flat bottom deck, since the load runs on the rollers. Four-way timber pallets are the usual choice; raise plastic pallets and slip sheets at survey.
How deep can a pallet live lane run?
A pallet live lane runs from a few pallets deep to twenty or more. Depth follows the building, the throughput and the pallet; deeper lanes tie up more of the block.
Does pallet live racking need two aisles?
Yes. Pallet live racking needs a loading aisle at the rear and a picking aisle at the front. That floor is a real cost, repaid because the put-away and picking trucks never wait for each other.
Next step
Rotation first, then density
Send us the pallets, the dates and the daily movement per line. We'll send back a lane layout and a costed proposal.