Understanding warehouse racking technology | The basics

Warehouse racking technology can feel like a complicated subject but once you break it down, it’s very easy to understand. This section covers the basics to bring you up to speed.

What is electronic warehouse racking technology?

Racking technology refers to a computerised system that can monitor damage inflicted on warehouse racking.

How does it work?

Using sensors that have been fitted at various intervals along the warehouse racking, the system can track when it has been struck by a site vehicle or suffers damage from another means. It can identify the exact post or rail that has been struck and collate that information.

This information is then sent to a Warehouse Manager or another senior figure who can then inspect the damage and make the necessary repairs or replacements.

How does it differ from traditional warehouse racking protection?

Traditional warehouse racking protection shields the racking from impacts and collisions with site vehicles. Products like rack end barriers, rack leg protectors and kerb barriers are designed to deflect the force of a vehicle impact, absorbing and dispersing that energy away from the racking.

There are two primary types of traditional rack protection:

• Steel racking protection
• Polymer racking protection

 

Steel is often a single-use form of protection; in that it can prevent damage from occurring to the racking but will then need replacing. Polymer is designed to take repeated impacts and keep returning to its original shape for a more long-term solution to protection.

Racking protection technology should be used in conjunction with traditional safety systems as it doesn’t not stop the force of impacts, but records and reports incidents to management.

The benefits of warehouse racking technology | Is it worth it?

Now you know a little more about warehouse racking technology, it’s important to understand why it can be so beneficial to warehouse owners, the distribution and logistics industries and anyone who operates an industrial storage facility.

Why should I invest in warehouse racking technology?

While warehouse racking technology might require an increase in investment from a company, it is worth it. There are a significant number of benefits to installing warehouse racking technology in busy facilities.

These include:

• Monitoring racking
• Instant damage reporting
• 24/7 updates
• Preventing racking collapses
• Reducing downtime for repairs
• Improving driving standards
• Changing the safety culture

 

In this section, we hope to explain some of these benefits in more detail.

Monitoring warehouse racking

While it is important to monitor warehouse racking for signs of wear and tear as often as possible, in a busy facility turning over large quantities of stock, it can be hard to keep on top of every bump, scuff and scrape. This is especially true when minor impacts are not reported by those involved.

Therefore, having a system that automatically monitors warehouse racking provides peace of mind for warehouse managers without any additional workload.

Instant damage reporting

Every time racking is damaged or impacted by a forklift truck or other materials handling vehicle, it should be reported to senior management. While every collision will not be serious or result in damage, it is important to know what has occurred and where, as even slight knocks can weaken the structural integrity of the racking. If these minor incidents go unreported, it can create more severe problems down the line.

With racking technology, senior management can be made aware of any size incident as soon as it occurs. Not only does it allow them to act quickly but it can help them identify which areas of their racking are more vulnerable than others.

24/7 updates

Many distribution centres operate 24 hours a day, which means their rack shelving is constantly vulnerable to accidents. Rack technology can provide updates and reports 24/7 so that management can be aware of issues anytime day or night.

Preventing racking collapses

As mentioned above, if racking suffers even minor impacts often, it can create structural weakness which could worsen over time. By continually tracking the strength of racking as well as the frequency with which it is struck by vehicles, it is possible to prevent racking collapses before they happen.

Reducing downtime for repairs

Racking sensors can report on impacts immediately which allows management or maintenance teams to act quickly when it comes to repairs. This means that minor repairs and replacements can be made before problems become extreme and costly.

This quick turnaround, along with the targeted damage reporting, means it is easier to isolate the vulnerable or damaged area of the racking and make the necessary repairs quickly. This can result in a substantial decrease in the downtime needed to quarantine racks and undertake any maintenance issues.

Improving driving standards

Most drivers of site vehicles are naturally careful as safety is a very important issue for them. However, when orders need shipping and demand is high, it can be easy for driving standards to drop for the sake of speed and efficiency.

Racking technology provides a visual alert when racking has been struck, as well as sending a report to management. This visual reminder can encourage drivers to be more careful with their driving even when working in a busy facility.

Changing the safety culture

The report that comes with racking technology not only allows management to make repairs quickly, but it allows them to monitor the racking constantly and identify where hazards are more common or have increased.

This constant monitoring allows them to pre-empt many issues well before they arise, and in turn helps to create a more safety conscious culture all round. If directors and senior management can see these issues too, it makes it easier for them to sign on off the necessary changes or products needed to ensure a safer environment for their workers.

RackEye | Automated warehouse racking technology from A-SAFE

At A-SAFE, we pioneered the creation of our RackEye technology. It was designed to help minimise the number of impacts to warehouse racking at busy storage facilities, helping to reduce operational disruption, missed KPIs and escalating maintenance costs.

What are the benefits of RackEye

We’ve outlined the general benefits of warehouse racking technology above but with the RackEye system from A-SAFE, you get:

• Instant detection of impacts to warehouse racking
• Immediate SMS rack impact notifications
• Extensive analytics on impact damage
• KPI measurements to better assess safety around racking
• Visual indicators that encourage better driver behaviour on site
• Guided rack inspection in line with EN15635:2008

 

What is EN15635: 2008?

This refers to the European Standard EN15635: 2008. Created by the British Standards Institution, EN15635 provides guidelines for static steel storage systems, such as warehouse racking. The standard aims to minimise the risk to storage structures caused by impacts from materials handling equipment.

The rack inspection suggestions provided by RackEye in the detailed analytics and KPI measurements have been compiled in-line with EN15635 so that any improvements that are needed are already compliant with the European Standard.

How does RackEye work?

RackEye is more than just monitoring technology, it’s a fully rounded system that provides users with end-to-end service. The system is a combination of rack-mounted sensor units, intelligent cloud-based analytics, and an intuitive App-based user interface. It is compatible with the Conek Cloud wireless system.

What is the Conek Cloud?

The RackEye system works in conjunction with the Conek Cloud – a unique wireless communications system developed by A-SAFE. It is an Ultra Low Energy (ULE) system that allows for immediate responses to racking damage but works independently from your IT network infrastructure so as not to cause any issues.

What happens when RackEye detects a vehicle impact?

When a forklift truck impacts warehouse racking fitted with RackEye, it creates a chain of events that record the damage and report it to the relevant management.

Here is how it works:

1. Sensors fitted to the warehouse rack legs instantly detect when an impact occurs. If the impact is outside the parameters of normal operations, an alert is triggered by the system. A red light will flash on the sensor, altering the forklift driver to potential damage. The sensor includes a traffic light system to indicate the status of impact.
2. As soon as racking has been struck by a vehicle, a signal is sent to the Conek Gateway to notify the Conek Cloud that an incident has occurred.
3. The incident is logged on the Conek Cloud which immediately reports it as an alert or warning via the app and RackEye dashboard. An SMS notification is also sent to the warehouse management team.
4. The SMS, dashboard and app notifications include vital details about the rack involved and the probability of damage. If an immediate rack inspection is required, the app will guide you step by step through the process of assessing damage in-line with the European Standard.
5. The RackEye dashboard provides detailed insight into impact trends at your warehouse, allowing you to identify impact hotspots across multiple locations and address problem areas before damage becomes an issue. It features an array of reporting options, including heatmaps of warehouse locations, and monitoring incidents by rack-leg, aisle, shift, date or month.

How do I install RackEye warehouse racking technology?

At A-SAFE, we have a dedicated expert Installation team who can install the RackEye monitoring sensors and set up the Conek Cloud system quickly with minimal disruption to operations.

We’re committed to finding new ways to protect industrial workplaces and facilities, RackEye is our latest innovation. Find out how it can help protect your warehouse racking.

 

Warehouse racking protection technology | A summary

While warehouse racking technology may be more expensive than traditional rack protection products, the benefits more than make up for it. Not only can it monitor and report on damage, but it can help to change the safety culture at busy sites to minimise damage, reduce disruption to operations and keep maintenance costs in check. It’s worth the investment.

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