Column Protectors are a Valuable Addition to Your Pallet Racking System
As one of the premiere providers of pallet racking in Austin, TX, we’re frequently asked about ways to maintain existing pallet racking systems. One accessory that we like to recommend to clients, particularly those with narrow aisle space where accidents can be more common, are column protectors. This brief video explains the use of column protectors and more to help better understand this useful addition to your existing pallet racking systems.
What You’ll Learn
- What column protectors do.
- Why certain pallet rack setups may be better suited to column protectors than others.
- The two most common forms of column protectors.
Listen to the audio version below!
Transcript for the audio/video
Tracy Jackson: Hi! Welcome to Simply Rack’s video series on pallet racking. I’m Tracy Jackson of Simply Rack and Warehouse Equipment, and today we’re going to talk about accessories to your racking system.
We’ve talked about the components to an actual racking system that are required and necessary, which are the uprights, the beams, and the wire decking pictured in the photo. You’ll notice there’s no column protectors in this aisle, because it’s a pretty standard wide aisle and the odds of having damage are decreased because of that. However, there’s wide traffic warehouses and narrow aisle applications where there tends to be more damage to the racking, so we recommend column protectors.
Column protectors are a heavy piece of steel that wraps around the column and anchors to the concrete. There’s typically four anchor holes. When you install this column protector, you install it approximately 3 inches away from the face of the actual column. That way, if your operator hits the column protector, he hasn’t damaged the upright. If you place that column protector directly to the face of that column, it’s likely to go into the column, and you’ll still have damage. So proper installation is key.
We do offer two different types of column protectors, one for Mecalux, which have an oversized footplate, and a standard footplate as seen on this upright. So you’ll either be quoted a Mecalux column protector, or a standard footplate. It only needs to be installed in the front of the upright in this location, because you’re not gonna hit it in the flue space.
If you have any questions, or would like to protect your racking, give us a call at 512-869-2803.