BRACE YOURSELF CAROLINAS – Why Addressing Brace Panel Damage is Critical to Pallet Rack Safety
What You Can Do with Brace Panels & Pallet Rack Guards to Protect Your Racking Investment
Braces are an important part of your pallet racking structure in that they help create the uprights that provide the structure and stability of the system. Braces refer to the series of struts bolted or welded between two columns to form an upright. While these components are critical to your system design, protecting them from damage is also crucial. Read on to learn how to keep your North or South Carolina warehouse safe from equipment strikes and damage.
A brace panel is comprised of several struts organized in a pattern and then repeated vertically for the height of the upright. The most common brace panel patterns are the K-brace, X-brace, and Z-brace, pictured below. The decision on which brace panel to use is influenced by multiple factors, such as the distance between beam levels and location (areas with more seismic activity require additional bracing). Should additional bracing be required, thicker struts, doubled struts, or brace patterns with multiple struts mounted closer together are all good options for reinforcing your uprights.
Brace Panels
Brace for Impact – When Equipment Strikes
Equipment strikes can happen, and columns in vulnerable areas, such as along the aisleway, are most susceptible. For these columns, we suggest adding rack safety features such as heavy-duty horizontal struts and column protectors or end-row guards. The heavy-duty struts provide the column with more stability and prevent twisting if struck. Column protectors and end-row guards are uniquely positioned to take direct hits from equipment and minimize damage to your rack columns and uprights.
Systems without safety guarding leave uprights and, therefore, brace panels at risk. If struck, it’s important to assess the severity of the damage and repair it as soon as possible if rack stability is compromised.
In these instances, the Apex Rack Repair App can save the day! The free App gives you the tool you need to make that assessment immediately. Once you’ve been alerted to a rack strike, the Rack Repair App will guide you through a damage inspection and enable you to upload your findings to the Apex PROs for a prompt evaluation. We’ll let you know if that system needs to be unloaded and repaired or if the damage is minor enough to keep an eye on instead.
Inspecting Your Brace Panels
The Apex Rack Repair App will guide you through the process of inspecting the affected area. It will walk you through which specs to gather and store photos of the affected pallet racking to submit with your report. Once you’ve completed all the prompts, simply upload your findings to the Apex PROs. If a rack repair is required, you will already have gathered all the information you need to order that kit and have it quickly installed… getting your pallet racking back up and functioning fast.
Perhaps DIY-ing your rack inspection isn’t your thing? Well, the Apex PRO’s are just a phone call away. You can have a certified rack inspector come and complete a full warehouse safety inspection. Our PROs will complete the inspection with a comprehensive report and any next steps needed to keep your team moving safely at full speed. No matter which option you choose, you’ll always receive a non-biased pallet racking inspection and custom repair kit or replacement solution.
The Apex Rack Repair App is free for download from Google Play or the App Store. Get started today!
Whether you’re located in North or South Carolina, we’ve got a PRO near you. One call does it all, so what are you waiting for?
