Gravity Pallet Flow Rack in Columbus, OH

Gravity rollers carry loads through pallet flow rack from the loading aisle to the picking aisle in Columbus warehouses. The oldest pallet always arrives at the pick face first, which is why Central Ohio grocery and cold-storage buildings rely on it.

Pallet Flow Rack for Growing Cold Storage in Columbus

Food distribution keeps expanding around Columbus, and with it comes more cooler and freezer rack work. Refrigerated rooms at Rickenbacker, Grove City and along the I-70 East corridor are expensive to build and run.

Flow lanes help with both density and rotation. We specify rollers and speed controllers rated for low temperatures, since standard parts can behave differently in a freezer.

Pallet Flow Rack Rotation for Grocery and Dated Product

Dairy, produce, beverages and packaged foods all carry dates. When a newer pallet is picked ahead of an older one, product ages out at the back.

With flow, the pick face always holds the oldest pallet. Rotation happens without anyone having to think about it.

Pallet Flow Rack Aisles for Loading and Picking

Replenishment drivers load lanes from the high end. Rollers carry pallets to the pick side, and brakes manage the speed.

Keeping loaders and pickers in different aisles reduces congestion, which helps in a busy grocery DC near Obetz or Groveport.

Pallets, Weights and Lane Design

Pallets coming off containers through the Norfolk Southern Rickenbacker terminal or the CSX yard on West Belt Drive are not always uniform. Damaged boards and mixed footprints are the leading cause of hang-ups. If inbound freight arrives on varied pallets, we talk through re-palletizing before finalizing lanes.

We also ask about weight range per lane. Light and heavy loads need different roller spacing and braking.

Fitting Flow to Your Building

Flow lanes are pitched, which takes some height on each level. A 36 ft building in Etna Township or West Jefferson can run several flow levels. A 24 ft building in an older Groveport park might run one or two with reserve above.

High-velocity items get deeper lanes. Slower ones get shorter lanes so product does not sit too long.

Cold rooms in Central Ohio also see big temperature swings at the dock in winter. We place flow lanes so the pick face is away from door openings where condensation and frost can build on rollers.

We also leave space in the load aisle so drivers can square up with each lane entrance.

Install Timing: Freezers, Winter and Summer

Freezer work runs in shorter shifts with cold-rated gear and is coordinated with your refrigeration schedule. Winter deliveries are staged indoors to avoid snow at the dock, and unheated-building work is planned around the coldest days. In summer heat, crews start early. Our office takes care of the permit side.

Before steel ships, we confirm lane counts per SKU with your inventory team, because changing a plan on paper costs nothing.

Plan Your Flow Lanes

Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co. has supplied and installed warehouse equipment since 1997, and flow lanes can be built alongside racking, offices, mezzanines, shelving and partitions in one project.

See the national pallet flow rack page or our Central Ohio location. When rotation is less critical, compare pushback. For the densest freezer storage, review drive-in rack; for case picking, carton flow.