At most warehouses using pallet flow racking systems, you will find one of these rollers in use – full width, skate wheels or poly wheel.
Full Width
Full width rollers are the width of the pallet, which offers points of contact for the traveling pallet. Your pallet structure or load capacity may dictate the need for full width rollers; however, its popularity also stems from being the most flexible type of roller. In case of a new pallet configuration, this roller may be able to accommodate the change. For speed control, the first set of rollers at the discharge lane is disabled to slow down the pallet. An impact plate is also installed at the bottom of the lane to help the pallet not push past the edge. If additional speed control is needed, metal squares are dropped along the lane as needed to disable the rollers. These squares are not permanent and can be moved as needed.
Skate Wheel
Named for their resemblance to roller skating wheels, these rollers are available in metal or plastic; however, the metal design is able to handle a heavier load. Warehouse employees manually sit the load on the charge lane and push it down. Skate wheels move an item at a fast pace and are not typically designed with a downward pitch. Good for short lanes and wooden pallets, skate wheels also offer an economic design for your pallet flow racking.
Poly (Magnum) Wheel
A poly wheel uses a large wheel in the middle of the roller to control speed. Similar to a car rolling over a speed bump, the poly wheel doesn’t bring the item to a complete stop, but does slow down its traveling momentum. Poly wheels are durable and ideal for freezer applications or loads reaching over 3,000 lbs.
Creating a pallet flow racking system with the adequate speed control is trial and error; however, working with a Storage & Handling consultant and engineer can eliminate some of the guesswork. With a test of your actual load and pallet, they can provide a roller and speed recommendation. An outgoing observation of your production will also alert you to changes and previously unknown issues happening on the lanes.
Interested to implement pallet flow racking at your warehouse? Or, need to replace damaged racking? Contact ProLift to speak to a storage & handling specialist for a complimentary onsite inspection.
Contact Storage & Handling Specialist