The Art of Pallet Rack Assessment: The Dance of the Daring

It was 13 years ago when I first learned that instead of replacing pallet rack uprights when they are damaged you can simply repair them in place without any welding or sparks. When performed correctly, this is a considerably safer approach to the issue of damaged pallet rack.  Since then, I have spent time investing in my understanding, skills, and efficiencies to bring quality pallet rack solutions to our valued clients.

 

MTACIS has installed MacRak pallet rack repair solutions since inception and we don’t consider any other manufacturer’s goods worth installing. MacRak started their quest over 20 years ago when owner and founder Shawn MacDonald decided that there had to be a better way to work through the issues of damaged pallet racks. Since joining forces with Shawn and his capable team, MTACIS has taken on some of the largest retail and e-commerce clients on planet earth, successfully completing thousands and thousands of pallet rack repairs. We work year-round to maintain hundreds of thousands of pallet rack uprights across the United States. MTACIS and MacRak are industry leaders when it comes to pallet rack installation and repair and getting the job done right the first time! Our approach to the work is thorough, responsive, and exceptional in an industry where others often don’t take safety, efficiency, and responsibility as seriously as we do.

 

The MTACIS team has been trained by the best in both assessment and repair of pallet rack structures. We have shared our knowledge, skill, and expertise for years and we always communicate transparently with our clients. It is better to share than to harbor technical trade knowledge. Period. We pride ourselves in working with you in a manner that allows you to feel both comfortable and confident with our approach.

The Art of Assessment

 

The art of the assessment begins with a thorough understanding of the structures we are evaluating. We were standing, re-profiling, relocating, dismantling, and re-standing pallet racks years before we started repairing them. This work is extremely hands-on. When we learned that there are specific criteria one can use to evaluate damage and we could simply repair a damaged member, we were happy to include repair options in our list of services.

 

To evaluate the structures, one needs some basic knowledge about the structures, including how they are manufactured, assembled, and then maintained. (Maintenance is the space where most managers and administrators fall off!) Much like any other critical piece of infrastructure in a facility, the pallet rack structures require attention and inspection on a regular schedule. Failure to do so can have dire consequences, threatening the lives and livelihoods of those who work around these structures. If you don’t believe me, spend a few minutes rooting around on Youtube with some simple search terms like “forklift fail”, or “pallet rack collapse”. These videos will get your attention and keep it! The pallet rack structures we take for granted are actually quite fragile, and once one fails, there’s a hell of mess left in its wake.

Staying Proactive with Inspection and Maintenance

How do we get out ahead of that moment? How do we avoid the carnage to structures, goods, and people’s lives and livelihoods? 

With proactive and informed inspection of your pallet rack structures. 

This should be done on a regular basis by people who are trained in what to look for and who know how to evaluate damage when they spot it. Beyond knowing whether or not the impact is out of tolerance, it is also necessary to have someone on your team who can work through the details of capturing the necessary details to work with a qualified contractor to perform the necessary repairs. MTACIS can play a role in any or all of these steps; you choose and we respond. 

 

When we get to your site to perform our “baseline” assessment, we gather all of the details and measurements needed to provide to the vendor so they can engineer the correct repair kit for your specific structures. There are a lot of moving parts and we are comfortable processing through them to land on the most effective solution on your behalf. We also perform a “wall-to-wall” damage assessment of your structures and follow it up with a summary report, sharing with you what we found and where we found it. We then proceed to work with our vendor to arrive at costs and lead times which address your specific needs based on the data gathered during our visit. 

 

Once the repair kits are ordered, manufactured, and delivered to your site, we proceed with repairing the structures in your facility. Typically, our process can be completed in less than an hour. We most often do these repairs under “live load.” With the equipment we bring to bear on the repair process, we can usually perform the repair without you needing to clear the racks. We prefer to leave your goods on the decks where you put them, though sometimes it is necessary to move the goods due to the location and nature of the impact. It is standard industry practice to remove goods from both sides of a damaged upright that is “dog-legged” and is no longer point-loading on the floor.

 

We have pioneered many custom solutions for our trusted clients and we’re always at work designing and developing new ways to solve problems. We look forward to sharing our solutions with you at your facility soon! Please call today or visit our Contact Us page to let us know what your needs are so we can assist you.