Manufacturing Selective Racking Project – Vinatech Australia

Problem

Manufacturing warehouses often manage several inventory flows at the same time. Raw materials and packaging need to be available for production, while finished goods must be stored, identified and prepared for distribution.

For this facility, the challenge was therefore not simply to fit the maximum number of pallets into the warehouse. The customer needed a storage layout capable of supporting a diverse inventory profile with frequent pallet movements between storage, production and dispatch.

With different products arriving and leaving at different rates, deep-lane storage could make individual SKUs more difficult to access. Floor stacking, meanwhile, would limit vertical utilisation and make inventory locations harder to manage as stock volumes increased.

The warehouse required a system that could:

• Provide immediate access to a wide range of SKUs
• Organise raw materials, packaging and finished goods into defined locations
• Support frequent replenishment to production
• Accommodate different palletised product groups
• Improve stock visibility for warehouse operators
• Use the available building height without compromising accessibility

The key requirement was therefore inventory control and accessibility rather than maximum storage density.

Solution

Vinatech implemented a Selective Pallet Racking System designed around clearly defined pallet locations and direct aisle access.

Each pallet position can be accessed independently, allowing warehouse operators to retrieve a required SKU without first relocating pallets stored in front of it. This is particularly valuable for manufacturing environments where production requirements can change throughout the day.

The completed system uses approximately 8.5 metres of vertical space across 4 pallet storage levels, creating an estimated 4,200 pallet positions within the 5,000 m² facility.

Based on the overall warehouse footprint, this represents approximately 840 pallet positions per 1,000 m² while preserving the aisle network required for material-handling equipment.

Key project specifications include:

• Approx. 5,000 m² warehouse area
• Approx. 4,200 pallet positions
• Approx. 8.5 m racking height
• 4 pallet storage levels
• Approx. 840 pallet positions per 1,000 m²
• 100% direct pallet accessibility
• Dedicated pallet locations for different inventory groups
• Clear operating aisles for reach-truck handling

The rack configuration can also accommodate different pallet loads and product heights by adjusting beam levels where required, giving the warehouse greater flexibility as the inventory mix changes.

Outcome

The completed warehouse provides approximately 4,200 individually accessible pallet locations, giving the manufacturer a more structured way to manage inventory moving through different stages of the operation.

Instead of measuring success purely by how many pallets can be concentrated into each storage block, the project improves the availability of the right pallet at the right time.

Raw materials can be retrieved for production without moving unrelated stock. Finished products can be assigned dedicated pallet locations before dispatch. Different SKUs remain visible and independently accessible throughout the warehouse.

The project provides:

• Approx. 4,200 individually accessible pallet positions
• 100% direct access to stored pallets
• Approx. 840 pallet positions per 1,000 m²
• Vertical utilisation across 4 storage levels
• Clearer separation of different inventory categories
• Faster access to specific SKUs required by production
• Less unnecessary pallet relocation during retrieval
• Better stock visibility across the warehouse
• Greater flexibility when product mix or inventory volume changes

For a manufacturing operation, this creates an important connection between warehouse organisation and production continuity. Storage becomes less of a passive holding area and more of a structured inventory system supporting the movement of materials from receiving through production to final dispatch.

Testimonial

“The new racking layout gives our team much clearer control over where different products are stored. Individual pallets remain accessible when they are needed, which makes it easier to support production requirements while keeping finished goods organised for dispatch.”

– Warehouse Operations Manager, Manufacturing Industry

Vinatech Australia – Pallet Racking & Industrial warehouse racking solutions

• Website: https://vinatech.com.au/
• Phone number: 0485 083 868
• Email: info@vinatech.com.au
• Address: 34 Paramount Bvd, Cranbourne West VIC 3977, Australia