Forklifts have a tendency to damage pallet rack within warehouses. As a result, in a worst-case scenario, damaged racking can cause a complete racking system to collapse. A column guard can solve that problem by preventing the pallet rack from taking damage from the collision.

Pallet rack that has been damaged is no longer structurally sound and must be replaced. Consequently, this involves significant time, labor, and hard costs:

• Downtime while replacing damaged pallet rack
• Unloading product from damaged rack bay
• Removing beams, wire decking, damaged frame, anchor bolts
• Reinstall and anchor frame
• Replace beams and wire decking
• Load product on racking
• Material and shipping cost for replacement frame and anchors

Column guards significantly reduce the likelihood of damage to pallet rack uprights. Most of the energy is absorbed by the guard, therefore, when an upright with a column guard is hit with a forklift. Damaged pallet rack column guards can be easily and inexpensively replaced. They are also stackable. As a result, you can stack column guards up the height of your pallet rack if you desire to do so.

Other safety products to consider:

You may want to use a RAMguard instead. A RAMguard is a proprietary mix of steel and rubber. It is also stackable. It may be a better solution than a column guard as it may withstand more than one hit, unlike a column guard which may be severely damaged after one hit.

You can also use a rack back guard wire mesh panel to help your products stay on rack shelf levels. You can find more information about that product by clicking the link.

You may wish to use a safety net, sliding safety net, or a safety strap instead of a wire mesh panel. Have a look at those products by clicking the links.

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Advantages of the RAMguard Solution:

• Prevents impacts to the pallet rack uprights from the front, side, and anywhere in between.
• Minimizes damage to pallet rack columns resulting from collisions.
• Guard stays secured to column without need for hardware or straps.
• Can sustain countless impacts without any loss of performance.
• Offers more protection and durability than commonly found plastic guards.

You have a very wide selection of protection products designed to protect your pallet racks from sustaining damage. It could be accidentals stemming from the misuse of forklifts or other vehicle types. Apart from reinforced columns, bumpers, and barriers built into the pallet racks themselves, hence, aftermarket attachable guards are the next best option.

Each of these products serves a purpose and has value in certain situations, but none of the column guards on the market today are as versatile as the RAMGuard. After nearly two years of planning, development, and prototype designs, the new patented RAMGuard delivers the greatest impact resistance available in aftermarket column guards.

Design of the Column Protection Product:

The design of the RAMGuard took nearly two years. Finally, a chemically unique rubber compound finally met the standard set for durability, density, and impact absorption after many trials and tests. Most noteworthy, the chart below breaks down the energy-absorbing ability of several different materials. Therefore, these are materials that are frequently used to make guards. Elastomers, as you can see, offer much greater impact absorbing ability than the alternatives. Furthermore, this is why elastomers make up the initial protective barrier on the RAMGuard.

After the rubber compound was selected, next on the list was finding a steel insert that would maximize impact protection from all sides. The company added rubber voids that assist in the energy distribution from impacts. Most importantly, the patented U-shaped steel plate still assists in the distribution of the impact as well. 

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