Is a six deep lane sensible for small production batches?

Usually not when each SKU occupies only a few pallet positions. A shorter lane can match the batch more closely, avoiding reserved rear positions that cannot serve another product without compromising access to the first one.

Can equipment and finished goods use the same lanes?

Only when both have suitable pallet support and meet the specified load envelope. Equipment with uneven weight distribution or an irregular base needs separate assessment before it shares carts intended for consistent production pallets.

Does same-face handling remove the need for receiving space?

No, incoming pallets still need a workable route and an unloading area. In a small flex space, reserve those functions before choosing depth, or the added storage may make the single working aisle harder to use.

Can we keep selective storage beside the cart lanes?

Yes, a mixed layout can preserve individual access for changing materials while grouping repeat stock deeper. Coordinate the aisle approach and supporting structure so both arrangements suit the forklift and the available vertical clearances.

Pushback Rack system inside a New Mexico warehouse

Placitas, New Mexico

Pushback Rack in Placitas, NM

Pushback rack in Placitas should earn its space by matching the actual stock of a small operation. Specialty manufacturing along the Highway 165 corridor may benefit from deeper storage for repeated pallet loads while keeping changing components directly accessible elsewhere.

Two to six deep lanes use nested carts running on inclined rails. Loading a pallet moves the carts behind it away from the aisle; retrieval allows the remaining loads to return toward that same face. This last-in, first-out sequence suits stock that does not require strict oldest-pallet access.

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Pushback Rack Depth Without Lost Access

A shared loading and picking face can mean fewer aisles than an equivalent selective arrangement. It does not eliminate forklift approach space. Account for turning, load alignment, and pallet staging before treating the area behind the face as usable deep storage.

Lane depth and per-SKU balances should be reviewed together. Two or three deep storage may fit modest production batches better than six deep lanes. A partly occupied lane cannot freely accept unrelated stock without changing access to the pallets already behind the front load.

The beam pair at each level needs capacity for its specified carts, rails, and pallet loads. Frame height and vertical beam spacing affect the supporting frame rating. Load height also consumes clearance, so available building height alone does not establish how many levels are practical.

Selective rack favors individual pallet access, while drive-in requires trucks to enter storage lanes. Push back racking holds the forklift outside the structure. Adding lanes requires verified component compatibility; ordinary selective rack cannot automatically receive cart assemblies as a universal conversion.

Record the small batches

Measure the working envelope

Choose useful depth

Arrange installation zones

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Pushback Rack Planning in Four Stages

Record the small batches

Provide typical and peak pallet balances for finished goods and incoming materials. Identify items that must remain individually accessible, then compare their storage needs with repeat products that can share a dedicated LIFO lane.

Measure the working envelope

Mark doors, forklift approaches, and temporary receiving space on the plan. Check pallet width, depth, loaded height, and weight against cart support and the clearances needed to place a pallet without disturbing adjacent loads.

Choose useful depth

Compare shorter nested cart arrangements with deeper alternatives using actual SKU quantities. Review the beam pair load at each level and frame spacing before deciding whether another level or another lane best serves the available room.

Arrange installation zones

Managed crews install new equipment within agreed work areas. Plan material entry around limited truck access, then review intended cart travel and loading practices before the lanes are put into regular use by the operating team.

Pushback Rack Choices for Small Batches

We start with the constraints of a compact flex building rather than assuming warehouse scale. Near North I-25 frontage, small-scale distribution needs space to receive pallets as well as store them. The working face must remain reachable when deliveries and order assembly overlap.

Our operation is a division of Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co., supplying and installing since 1997. New material is paired with managed installation crews, with access and material placement arranged for the available building footprint rather than an assumed open receiving yard.

Pushback pallet rack deserves a selective role in artisan production storage. We distinguish repeat finished goods from occasional materials before assigning lanes, keeping the proposal grounded in how many pallets each item actually contributes and how often operators need a different item.

Record the small batches

Measure the working envelope

Choose useful depth