Steel King SK3600 Instruction Manual

SK3600 Push Back System
Safe Operating Procedures
User Handbook
This handbook contains important
information for the safe and efficient
use of push back rack systems. All
operators must review and understand
this information.

Thank you for purchasing a Steel King SK3600 Push Back Rack
System.
A push back rack is different from any other rack design. Knowledge
and application of the differences is critical for safe, efficient, and trou-
ble-free operation. It is the owners’ responsibility to:
1. Ensure that all operators are fully trained in the correct
procedures as outlined within this handbook; and
2. That operators follow, in practice, all such procedures.
Failure to operate your push back rack system as indicated
within this handbook may result in serious injury or death,
and damage to the rack system or the product stored within.
Push back rack must be assembled and maintained in accordance with
procedures specified for storage racks in general. See Steel King’s
Pallet Rack User Manual. Call for a free copy or download from
www.steelking.com. This handbook supplements, but does not replace
the Pallet Rack User Manual.
Guide To Symbols:
Danger indicates an imminently hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.
Warning indicates a potentially hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious
injury.
Caution indicates a potentially hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate
injury.
Notice indicates information about a subject that is not
safety related.
For more information or for questions on your push back rack system,
please contact:
Steel King Industries, Inc.
[phone]
[email protected]
www.steelking.com

SK3600 Push Back System
Safe Operating Procedures
Table of Contents
1. Push Back System Introduction 4
2. Pre-System Use Inspections 8
3. Proper Loading Procedures 11
4. Proper Un-Loading Procedures 19
5. Fixing Jammed Systems 21
3

Push Back System Introduction:
Push back rack systems are a high density storage solution.
The advantage of a push back rack system is that all loads
are stored and retrieved from the same aisle. This reduces
the number of aisles needed in a facility, freeing up more
space for storage. In addition, loads stored within a single
level of a push back system can be completely loaded and
unloaded independently of other levels, providing more
selectivity than other high density systems such as drive-in
racks.
Loads stored in each lane of a push back system rest on a
series of interlocking, nested carts that roll forward and
backward on a rail. The rail slopes gently toward the front
of the rack system.
When a pallet load is stored in a push back rack, a trained
fork truck operator pushes back the loads already in the
system, hence the term "push back rack". This exposes an
empty cart, which the operator gently lowers the load on to.
When a fork truck operator picks a load out of the system,
the remaining loads in the lane will all roll gently forward.
The speed of the carts must be controlled by the fork truck
operator as they back slowly away with the load.
Push back rack systems provide a Last-In-First-Out (LFIO)
inventory rotation.
4

Basic Components
There are three basic components to a push back rack
system (See Fig. 1):
1. Rack Structure, consisting of upright frames and
horizontal beams.
2. Push Back Rails, on which the carts ride
3. Carts, which support the pallet load and roll freely
on the push back rails.
In order to properly use the push back
rack system, an industrial lift truck
with side shift capability of the forks
is required.
5
Fig. 1

System Design
The push back system installed in your facility was
designed to handle pallets and loads of a particular size and
weight. For example, if your push back cart was designed
to use 40” wide by 48" deep pallets, do not use pallets that
are longer or shorter than this size.
Using pallets that were not designed to be loaded into the
system can lead to:
1. Cross Stacking - See Page 16
2. Under utilization of the systems full capacity
3. Damage to the cart system and possible damage
to the product being stored
6
System
Design OK! NO!
Fig. 2

Pallet load weights, in a single push back lane, should not
vary by more than 500 lbs. In other words, you should not
store a 2,000 lb load in the same push back lane as a 1,000
lb load.
Similarly, push back rack systems are not intended to be
used for applications where the aisle-side pallet is “picked.”
Removing cartons reduces the load weight of the last pallet
in the rack and may cause the inside pallets to push the
aisle pallet out of the rack..
Loading pallets of varying weights with-
in the same lane may cause the heavier
loads to push the lighter loads out of the
rack, possibly causing injury or death.
If you have pallet loads that vary by 500 lbs or more,
Designate push back lanes to handle common load
weights.
7
Fig. 3

Pre-System Use Inspection Steps:
Pallet
Before using a pallet in the push back system, fork truck
operators need to examine the pallet style and pallet condi-
tion. Defective or damaged pallets may not allow the push
back system to operate correctly.
Pallets should be GMA style pallets, with at least five (5)
bottom boards running left-to-right. See Fig. 4
Standard GMA Pallet, with 5 bottom
boards, and free from defects.
Pallets should be free from splits, cracks and broken
boards.
Defective pallets should not be used in a
push back system. Immediately transfer
the load from a defective pallet to
another pallet prior to placing in the
system.
8
Fig. 4

Pallet Load
Pallet loads need to be securely banded or shrink-wrapped
to the pallet before placing in the push back system.
Having loads properly secured to the pallet will minimize the
potential for shifting of your product when loading and
unloading the system.
Unsecured loads may fall off the pallet
and the rack system, possibly causing
injury to people in the aisle.
Loads should NOT overhang the pallet on any side, includ-
ing slip sheets, shrink wrap, carton flaps, improperly
stacked boxes, etc.
Loads overhanging the pallet could cause the push back
cart to hang up within the rack system.
Unsecured loads may
fall off pallets, causing
injury and/or system failure.
Overhanging loads can
catch the rack or other
loads, causing carts to
hang up.
9
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Push Back Lane
Fork truck operators need to periodically examine push
back lanes to ensure that they are free from debris (wood
chips, slivers, etc.). In particular, push back rails must be
free of debris in order for carts to work correctly.
Debris left on push back rails may pre-
vent carts from being pushed all the way
back, returning all the way forward, or
hanging up in the lane.
10
Fig. 7

Proper Loading Procedures:
When ready to place a pallet load into the push back
system:
1. Carefully pick up the pallet and slightly tilt the forks
upward. Tilting the forks upward puts the pallet inline
with the upwards slope of the push back system.
See Fig. 8
Diagram shows proper angle of forks for loading
and unloading a push back system.
2. Slowly move the pallet into the push back lane.
Do NOT hit the rack structure when
entering the push back lane. Impact
with the rack system will knock the sys-
tem out of plumb and create an un-safe
and un-dependable rack system.
11
Fig. 8

3. Position the first load no more than 3" above the top
cart. Continue entering the lane until the pallet hits
the back stop guide. See Fig. 9
The back stop tells the operator where the rear of the
1st cart is. Gently bumping the back stop guide
successfully creates the correct spacing for the
remainder of the carts in the lane.
Do not set and/or drop loads on the
back stop guides. This can damage the
cart or the back stop guide. This results
in a loss of structural integrity of the
carts eventually leaving the lane
inoperable.
12
Diagram shows
pallet correctly
placed in front of
the back stop
guide.
Back Stop
Guide
Diagram shows
pallet incorrectly
placed on top of
the back stop
guide.
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

4. Before lowering the pallet on to the cart, center
pallet left-to-right by using your fork truck side shift
controls.
Load Centered Load Not Centered
on Cart
Improper centering of a pallet load on a
push back cart, can lead to:
• The load hitting the rack structure or loads
in adjacent push back lanes.
• Undue stress or uneven weight distribution
on the bottom boards of the pallet,
potentially causing pallet boards to splinter,
crack or break.
Improper centering of loads will eventually lead
to inoperable lanes and unsafe situations.
Do NOT side shift the pallet load after it
has been placed on the push back carts.
Side shifting the pallet when the pallet is
in contact with the cart can dislodge or
damage the cart and/or rail.
13
Fig. 11 Fig. 12

5. Slowly lower the pallet to gently set it on to the top
cart. The pallet should overhang the front of the cart
by 1". See Fig. 13
Do NOT Drop the load on to the push
back carts. Dropping loads may cause
bottom pallet boards to break, especially
the rear bottom board as it supports
most of the weight of the pallet at first.
6. Continue loading remaining carts.
Step 1. Position the next pallet load no more than 3"
above the next available cart or rails.
Gently contact the pallet load in the push back lane
with the pallet on the fork truck. The ideal process is
for the pallet of each load to contact the other pallet,
not the load itself. See Fig. 14
14
Diagram shows
properly placed
pallet, with 1”
overhang on
cart.
Fig. 13
1” Overhang.

Step 1, place next
load 3” above load
in system. Make
pallet-on-pallet
contact.
Step 2. Using the pallet on the fork truck, push the
rear position pallet back slowly until the lower cart
(the one you are trying to load) starts to move
backward, and exposes the next cart. See Fig. 15
Operators should push back only one cart at a
time.
Step 2, using pallet
on fork truck push
back pallet in system.
To avoid damaging merchandise or the
push back rack systems, DO NOT posi-
tion the load higher than 3" above the
cart or rails; and DO NOT push the
loads back too fast.
15
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Step 3. Again, center the pallet to the cart or rails
and then slowly lower it into position on the cart.
See Fig. 16
Step 3, Slowly lower
pallet on to open
push back cart
When loading the push back system,
operators must make sure they are
loading only one pallet per cart
Failure to load only one pallet per
cart leads to “Cross Stacking”
"Cross Stacking" is where a pallet is placed in the system
such that it is resting on two different carts. Each cart is
engineered with dimensions that are supposed to prevent
this occurrence from happening. There are basically two
ways for “Cross Stacking” to occur:
1) The operator incorrectly places the 1st load on the
1st cart too far back; this can happen when the load
is placed on top of the back stop guide as discussed
previously. When the 1st load is too far back, the
front of the 1st cart is exposed, allowing the 2nd load
to be potentially placed on the exposed portion of the
1st cart. See Fig. 17
16
Fig. 16

2) The operator is using a pallet shorter than what the
push back cart was designed to hold. Example
would be an operator loading a 36" deep pallet on a
cart designed to hold a standard 48" deep pallet.
Loading the shorter pallet on to the 1st cart, and
placing the load all the way to the rear of the cart,
will cause the front of the cart to be exposed, again
allowing the 2nd load to be potentially placed on the
exposed portion of the 1st cart. See Fig. 18
17
Cross Stacking due to first pallet placed too far
back and sitting on top the back stop guide
Cross
Stacking due
to first pallet
being too
small for cart
design
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Cross Stacking can cause pallet, cart,
and/or rail damage and may cause the
push back system to fail or become
inoperable.
If an operator notices a Cross
Stacking situation has occurred,
immediately remove the load that is
over lapped and determine if the first
load is too far back or is using the
wrong size pallet.
7. If an Operator senses any resistance while loading,
•Find out what is in the way.
• Slightly lift pallet off cart and shift the load to the
side if the load is hitting the rack, or hitting the load
in the next push back lane.
• If necessary, back the load out, reposition the load,
and start again
18

Proper Unloading Procedures:
1. Fork truck operators need to tilt their forks slightly
upward when unloading a pallet from a push back
lane. See Fig. 19
Diagram shows
the proper angle
of forks for
unloading a push
back system.
Diagram shows
the improper
angle of forks
for unloading a
push back
system.
19
Fig. 19
Fig. 20

Entering the lane with the forks tilted
downward, may cause the forks to catch
the underside of the center tube or rear
tube of the cart. This could cause the
carts to be accidentally dislodged from
the system or damaged.
2. Pick up the pallet and slowly pull back out of the
system, controlling the speed of the remaining pallet
loads in the lane. Do NOT pull the front pallet out
faster than the rear pallets will flow.
It is critical to control the speed of the pallets
with the fork truck.
If rear pallets are allowed to flow uncon-
trolled towards the front of the system,
the impact of hitting the front beam can
cause product to fall from the pallet
potentially resulting in serious injury or
death.
3. Remove remaining pallets from the carts using the
same procedures as described above.
20