Pallet Flow Rack in Cold Storage: What This Test Revealed | Mallard Manufacturing

Getting the most from pallet flow rack in cold storage takes more than creating a dense storage solution. You want your system to consistently feed pallets through the lanes and support safe, pressure-free extraction for your forklift operators. To achieve that bar takes the right products and engineering… and that’s what you’ll see in our latest video from the Mallard Engineering Test Lab. The test focused on a cold-storage beverage application in which maintaining flue space and controlling back pressure at the pick face were important operating requirements. The results showed steady pallet flow, controlled speed, and reliable indexing, while also reinforcing a familiar truth in gravity flow: pallet condition matters. Take a look at the test video and scroll below for system details to solve your next cold storage challenge. Learn more about pallet flow rack: https://mallardmfg.com/pallet-flow-rack/ Contact the Mallard Team: https://mallardmfg.com/contact-us/ Go to the complete blog: Read the blog excerpt below: Why Pallet Flow Rack Makes Sense In Cold Storage A pallet flow rack system uses pitched lanes and gravity flow rails to move pallets from the loading side to the opposite discharge side. As the front pallet is removed, the next pallet automatically advances into position. This creates a high-density storage system that supports FIFO inventory rotation and reduces travel time for lift truck operators. In cold storage, those advantages become even more valuable. Cold environments put pressure on throughput, labor efficiency, and cube utilization. A pallet flow rack system helps address those challenges by: Concentrating more pallet positions in a smaller footprint Reducing forklift travel in refrigerated areas Supporting fast, concurrent replenishment and picking Making use of vertical storage space Helping to manage high-volume, perishable inventory with FIFO flow For beverage manufacturers handling multiple fast-moving SKUs and perishable products, that combination is your ticket to improved day-to-day performance. The Test Setup And What Was Evaluated This pallet flow rack test evaluated how a deep-lane configuration performed with a forklift separator at the discharge end, focusing on controlled flow and stable pallet handling. Test setup included: 3-rail wheeled lane Drop-in speed controllers at 56-inch intervals 7/16-inch-per-foot pitch FL300 forklift separator at the discharge end Test pallets included: Load weights: 1000-2210 lbs. 6 customer-supplied pallets The FL Separator was a key part of this lane design. It isolates the pallet at the pick face from the rear pallets, eliminating the combined force of those pallets as they sit in the pitched lane. That force is known as back pressure. The separator also creates a consistent flue space between pallets, helping the storage lanes meet newer fire code requirements for deep storage over 20 feet. For systems deeper than the six pallets tested here, upstream separators can be added to create multiple flue spaces throughout each lane. These flue spaces play an important role in fire safety. The open space between pallets helps smoke rise through the rack levels, which can help activate ceiling-level sprinklers sooner. You can read more about gravity flow solutions for fire code compliance here. Test Results: Controlled Flow And Positive Indexing Overall, the lane showed positive flow performance during testing. The drop-in speed controllers helped prevent the pallets from gaining too much speed as they moved toward the discharge end. That is especially important in gravity-flow applications, where lane depth, load weight, and pitch must work together to maintain controlled movement. During unloading, the rear pallets automatically indexed forward. That confirmed the lane was not only flowing, but also recovering properly after the pallets were left sitting in the system. If a pallet were to hang up in the lane, the test observations showed that the load could be indexed by loading another pallet into the lane. That does not replace good pallet quality or proper system design, but it is a practical insight into how the system can behave under real operating conditions. One important takeaway involved pallet condition. While the overall test results were positive, one of the damaged pallets failed to engage properly with the separator hold-back device. When bottom boards are missing or damaged, they may fail to engage with separators, speed controllers, and the flow rails themselves, creating a potential safety issue. Mallard recommends a quick visual scan of pallets before they are loaded into the flow system to confirm they are in good condition. In this test, the team noted recurring pallet damage, including broken or cracked stringers, protruding nails, hanging plastic, broken or cracked deck boards, and broken or cracked riser blocks, resulting in a yellow Caution rating for the pallet supply.