What is selective racking?

Selective racking (adjustable pallet racking, APR) is the standard warehouse rack: rows one pallet deep, back to back in pairs, with a forklift aisle in front of every row. Every pallet can be taken out without moving another, which is what selectivity means: the share of stored pallets you can reach directly. For selective racking it is 100%.

The cost is floor: one aisle for every two rows. In a 60 × 50 m freezer with 12 m clear height, selective racking fits 5,400 positions, 1.8 per m². Denser types fit more by dropping aisles and giving up selectivity:

With few pallets per product, selective racking often holds more pallets than the denser types, because their deep lanes stay part-empty (honeycombing). It is also the easiest rack for picking and for stock rotation, since any pallet can go first.

When the denser types win, with the numbers: Storage density vs selectivity. Related: What is a pallet position?, Cold storage racking: which rack type for a freezer or a chiller

Sources

• Positions and reachable shares: the cold store tool engine, frozen room, 7 pallets per product, 400 moves a day.