Pallet Racking Style Guide
Pallet Racking Style Guide
Pallet racking comes in many different styles.
Pallet racking can come in many different styles. We’ve compiled an easy to follow style guide so that you know what to expect before you buy. Read through our guide to learn about the 8 most popular styles of pallet racks.
Be aware that not all styles are compatible with one another. Refer to this guide to ensure that you choose compatible pallet racking when making your final decision.
Getting Started
To identify the style the pallet rack, look at the connection point between the beams or uprights.The following guide and included images will show the various types of connectors. These various connectors are normally associated with a particular manufacturer. Some styles use a hook & slot connection, while others use pin & slot connection, or brackets or fasteners. Although some styles may look very similar, you’ll be able to tell the difference by looking at defining features like a lock mechanism. The colors of uprights and beams often vary by manufacturer with specific color combinations. You’ll know the differences by inspecting the breakdown of the styles listed below.
Teardrop Style
Teardrop, also known as Interlake Old-Style, is the most popular style of racking in the country. This style can be identified by looking at the pin connector on the load beam or the slot connector on the upright. The slots on the upright look like an inverted teardrop, making this style very easy to identify on uprights. The load beams have circular pins that fit in the upper part of the teardrop, dropping down and smoothly locking into the upright. Teardrop load beam pins are spaced 2” or 4” apart center-to-center. The style of racking can be recognized by its orange load beams and blue uprights. Interlake Mecalux is the largest manufacturer of Teardrop style racking. Conesco has new & used options available.
Sammons Style
The majority of Sammons style racking can be found on the West Coast, where the manufacturers were once located. This type of racking is often mistaken for the Teardrop style because of the similar hole pattern. However, the Sammons style hole pattern sits on 4” centers vertically. The teardrop shape is only compatible with Sammons mushroom-shaped connector pins. Sammons style racking is most commonly found with grey load beams and grey uprights. The largest manufacturer of Sammons style racking is Hannibal Industries.
Newstyle
You can find Newstyle, also known as Interlake New-Style, in warehouses all over the United States. This is a good choice if you are looking for used pallet racking because Newstyle is compatible with Teardrop style racking. You can connect Newstyle load beams with Teardrop (Interlake Old-Style) uprights. Newstyle uprights can be identified by the slot connector on the upright. It has a rectangular shape with a slight inward slant towards the bottom. The Newstyle beams are also offered in a shaved pin style or tooth pin style. The pins are spaced 2” or 4” apart center-to-center. Newstyle racking is most commonly found with Orange load beams and Green uprights.
Structural Style
Structural racking is extremely durable and versatile while having a simple construction and connector type. Structural style uprights and beams are constructed from hot rolled steel and are highly impact resistant and designed for greater weight-bearing capacity. Instead of utilizing hooks or pins to connect with uprights, Structural load beams utilize bolts which bolt directly into the uprights. Structural uprights come in single column or closed post column styles offering additional reinforcement for greater load capacities. The uprights feature basic circular holes spaced 4” apart center-to-center. Beams are fastened to the uprights with ½” bolts.
Speedrack Style
Speedrack is known for its unusual hole pattern and beams that have no pins or hooks. The beams attach to the uprights through a U-shaped bracket connection. The hole pattern on the upright consists of ½” circular holes located directly on both edges of the face of the column and are spaced vertically 4” apart center-to-center. U-shaped brackets pass through these holes from one side to another and are secured with a J-hook to lock in the load beam to the upright.
Ridg-U-Rak Style
Ridg-U-Rak style racking has rectangular slots located on the uprights where the hooks connect. The slots are spaced vertically 4” apart center-to-center. Ridg-U-Rak uprights have an outward bend on each internal side of the column. The beams have hooked flanges, resting against the ridge of the upright. The beams are more thinner than other beam styles and feature hooked connections. Ridg-U-Rak also use a spring component with two pins as a lock that is installed inside the upright column.
Keystone Style (also known as Republic)
Keystone (aka Republic) racking utilize a hook & slot connection. Keystone style has a trapezoidal hole pattern on the upright. These slots are located on the center of the face of the column and are spaced vertically 3” apart center-to-center. The beams are roll formed and feature hooks that slide into the slots on the uprights. The beams are secured to the uprights with J-hooks or a removable steel clip.
Penco Style
Penco style racking also use a hook & slot connection. The uprights are identified by the side by side slanted narrow slots and beams with slanted hooks that fit snuggly into the slots on the face of the uprights. The beams also have a tapered look to them when you look at the cross section. These beams are locked into place with a sliding lock incorporated into the beam.
T-Bolt Style
T-Bolt style racking is another common variety of racking that can be identified by the rectangular slots on the columns and the similar slots on the load beams. T-Bolt beams are attached to the uprights with large bolts that have to be tightened properly. The standard T-Bolt connection has a bolt on each end which holds the beam in place. T-Bolt load beam connections are available with 6″ to 12″ connection clips for high seismic design areas. T-Bolt racking most commonly has Blue uprights and Yellow load beams.