Drive-in racking, also known as through racking, is a continuous shelving system without aisles between rows. Because the lanes between racks are eliminated and racks are connected, pallets of the same type or batch are stored next to each other. Forklifts (or automated vehicles) can enter the rack aisle to load and unload goods, making this system ideal for large quantities of similar items. Typically, drive-in racks are limited to about 7 bays per channel to ensure forklift accessibility. Compared to conventional beam racks, drive-in racks can increase storage utilization by over 30%, which is why they are widely used in wholesale, cold storage, food, and tobacco industries.
In contrast, VNA (Very Narrow Aisle) racking uses beam racks but with much narrower aisles—generally between 1,600 mm to 2,000 mm, allowing forklift operation channels as narrow as 1,300 mm. This design greatly improves warehouse space utilization and enables shelf heights up to 15 meters. To operate in these narrow aisles, special three-way stacker forklifts are required. VNA racks maintain the flexibility of beam racks, allowing storage and retrieval of any pallet at any time, which results in high storage efficiency and density. Additionally, guide rails installed after setup improve forklift safety and reduce operator skill requirements.
Comparison of Drive-in and VNA Racking Systems:
1. Drive-in racks lack dedicated aisles, while VNA racks feature narrow aisles for forklift movement.
2. Drive-in racks do not support first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory flow and require goods of the same batch to be stored in the same lane, making them suitable for large quantities of similar products. VNA racks, however, allow full FIFO operation with 100% picking accuracy.
3. Drive-in racks offer higher space utilization than VNA racks and more storage locations but are limited in depth and height due to the absence of beam structures, making them more suited for smaller warehouses.
4. Forklifts enter the rack structure in drive-in systems, leading to lower storage efficiency, while VNA racks provide dedicated forklift aisles optimized for specialized equipment.
5. Drive-in racks do not require specialized forklifts; VNA racks require specialized three-way forklifts for aisle navigation.
6. Drive-in racks have lower initial investment costs and are ideal for warehouses with few product types, large quantities, and low turnover rates. However, they are not suitable when inventory variety is high and stock per item is low.
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