Pallet racking solution protects against forklift impacts  

Forklifts perform a vital function in warehouses across Australia, yet collisions with pallet racking within these settings also cost the storage operations sector tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars per year. Rack Armour aims to offer a “simple superior solution to pallet racking protection”, Karen Varian of Rack Armour Australia (RAA) said.

This pallet racking protection solution features a shock deflector that is made from a tough polymer designed to withstand significant impact. A feature of the armour is its persistence of shape, which is intended to provide ongoing protection as the unit reverts back into its original form, with curved edges that deflect the impact away from the rack face.

Rack Armour includes an inner foam that acts as a shock diffuser, reducing inertia from any impact and diffusing the force along the whole length of the unit. Any residual impact is therefore dissipated over a larger area, making it less likely to cause damage to upright racking. The solution is Australian made and has undergone independent engineered testing. Such testing was performed to validate the energy absorption characteristics of Rack Armour when subjected to an unintentional impact from a forklift. RAA’s intention is to provide customers with a product that contributes to providing a safe work environment, protecting staff as well as company assets.

The pallet racking solution is designed to provide ongoing protection in both dry and cool room storage environments, meaning it is effective to the majority, if not all, of warehousing applications. It is claimed to be resistant to acid, alkali, mould and most solvents, will not rust or corrode, and is effective down to -40°C. “It has been a great experience seeing the difference the Rack Armour product has made,” Varian said, “providing relief to customers in ongoing costs of repairs and maintenance due to rack damage caused by forklift operation. The amount of companies throughout Australia who are unaware that there is an alternative to traditional pallet racking protectors is concerning. If a product or application is not performing to the customer’s expectations, they should endeavour to source one that does, and that is where Rack Armour can certainly help.”

Rack Armour is manufactured from materials that include ballistics grade 100% polymer, which allows it to revert back to its original form after impact. It also complies with the relevant Australian Standard — AS 4084-2012 Steel storage racking (Clause 2.4.1) — which states that “accidental actions are defined as impact actions which are more severe than those which occur under ordinary ‘good practice’ operating conditions”. Installing Rack Armour on intermediate pallet racking uprights throughout a facility, RAA claims, mitigates damage caused by forklift impacts. In turn, it is also claimed that this minimises the likelihood of falling pallet racking, damaged uprights, bay downtime, as well as ongoing costs to maintain a safe work environment.

“With the coronavirus pandemic impacting countries across the globe, Australia-based manufacturing is becoming increasingly crucial to the economy,” Varian said. “Additionally, with the Commonwealth Government restrictions and delays, many businesses are now needing to re-evaluate supplier options and take a serious look at what local products are readily available. Further to this, according to the recent announcement from the Australian Government, there is a proposal to increase the instant asset write-off threshold from $30,000 to $150,000. This applies from 12 March 2020 until 30 June 2020, for new and second-hand assets first used, or installed ready for use in this timeframe. Refer to www.ato.gov.au for further information.”

RAA is based in Chipping Norton, New South Wales, and has a growing network of resellers throughout Australia. The company exports to New Zealand and South East Asia.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Seventyfour

Originally published here.