Used Racking

Q. Should I buy used racking?

A. Unless you know the history of the used racking, including age, capacity, safe working loads etc, we advise you avoid it. Definitely do not buy any product which has been stored outside or shows any sign of damage or corrosion. If you can buy used racking directly from an industrial application as a trusted source you will usually pay less than half, and in some cases it can be free for the cost of removing the racking. Obviously the latter is a much more rare occurrence.

Q. What weight will my used racking take?

A. If you look on the uprights of the used racking there is frequently a mill mark pressed into the metal and in some cases the beams as well. If you can describe or take a rubbing of the slot, most material handling companies who have storage equipment in their range will be able to identify the brand. Once we know this we can usually work out safe working loads for the bays, frames and beams and holistically the used racking.

Q. How much money will I save buying used racking?

A.Buying used racking from a trade outlet you will save about 20%. However I have seen used racking at prices of 20% more than new racking. Consultants can frequently get up to 50% below market prices for racking through connections with the main rolling mills. If you only want to buy a small amount then 20% is about what you will save. There are some things you should be cautious of when buying used racking. Carriage of small quantities can be very high indeed, anything up to ¬£500 for dedicated loads, irrespective of quantities. Handling is critically important to any type of racking, damaged uprights are scrap and extremely dangerous. Any beams of the racking showing impact damage or which are visibly ‘bananared’ in shape should not be used, it is an indicator of stress and the joints and material may be suffering fatigue, meaning your used racking could collapse. We strongly advise you avoid this. Always inspect used equipment prior to buying and remember the second hand market is unregulated and practically devoid of qualified people. You should only buy used equipment and used racking from trusted sources.

Q. How do I assemble my used racking?

A. First of all you will need the manufacturer’s manual for the racking, but generally the bracing is set at intervals of 600mm, so a complete horizontal V-strut tying the front upright to the back upright will be 1200mm across at the top of the ‘V’, with the point of the ‘V’ being spaced equally at 600mm between the two extremities. You can see this together with a chart showing depths and widths suitable for various pallet sizes by following this link

Pallet racking is design only to take vertical loads, the minute the beams start to deflect they exert sideways pressure on the uprights which will cause them to bow out. A lot of this is addressed through the numbers claws on the beam connectors. You must have more than two beam levels where the first beam level is below 1500 mm and the spacing should be equal. You must also have more than two bays joined together. Understand that a beam level comprises of a pair of beams and two uprights and a bay is the distance between the uprights and the number of beam levels it houses. Properly set up your bays should be able to take anywhere from five tons upwards, if the uprights face is greater than 75mm. However unless you are a qualified engineer always take professional advice and never buy products new or used, from anybody unable to provide this basic level of service if you are a novice. Incorrectly constructed pallet racking, racking, and used racking can, and does, kill people if it fails and it will be completely silent.

3 Purposes for Used Racking

1. Used or redundant pallet racking (and some shelving) readily converts to excellent work tops for assembling packing work. Minor corrosion and minor damage is practically irrelevant under these circumstances, bearing in mind the frames will be able to take several tons and the beams up to four tons on a 2.7 beam, which is 110 to 120mm by 43mm plus profile. For light duty work they are practically indestructible and with a bottom shelf in place, extremely sturdy
2. Used pallet racking will also make good shelving, which can readily be picked from both sides. In good conditions and using half bay beam sizes they are extremely good for storing metal parts and heavy weights.
3. For a symmetrical storage system manufactured from pallet racking with the addition of some drop over beams, it is possible to construct a very useful storage platform above to utilise the head room. The same technique can be applied to create two tier storage. However always seek professional advice before embarking on this sort of project. For as a strong as it is, it does require to be correctly constructed.

As general advice for used racking we would suggest you stay clear of it. As we have talked about above, there are ways to tell the condition of used racking but you are far better to buy it from a registered retailer who can guarantee the weight restrictions and offer warranties. It is better to spend a little extra money than to have a PhD in hindsight.

Paul Casebourne

Company Managing Director