Flowrack aluminum 28x2000

The Flowrack rail in aluminum is the base component when you build sloping pick lanes in pallet racking and shelving. The rail is 2000 mm long and has closely spaced rollers in polypropylene (PP); combine two or more side by side and you have a flow lane matched to your own boxes, without buying a complete rack. The 2000 mm format suits full-depth pallet racking and deep pick shelves.

The profile measures 42x35 mm and the overall height is 39 mm. The rollers have a diameter of 28 mm, a tread width of 25 mm and sit at 30 mm center distance; every roller runs on a shaft and takes 5 kg. Rollers and hubs are both PP, and the whole rail weighs 1.97 kg, so one person handles the fitting without help.

The close spacing is the whole point. With only 30 mm between roller centers, even small and light boxes rest on many rollers at once, which gives an even and predictable flow without the box nodding or catching; a decisive difference against wider-spaced lanes when the pick boxes are short or light. A light box does not slow down between the rollers either, a common problem in thinly equipped lanes.

The principle is first in, first out. The rails are mounted at a slope in a rack, refilling happens from the back and picking from the front; the boxes roll forward under their own weight as the front one is picked away. Kanban stations at assembly, pick warehouses in e-commerce and material fronts on production lines all run on the same simple mechanics, and the rail format lets every lane get exactly the width the article needs.

Refilling is the half of the flow that often gets forgotten. Because the rails are fed from behind, the person refilling can work at their own pace without disturbing picking at the front, and without ever moving boxes that are already in the lane; new boxes are simply set on and roll forward in the queue. That is what separates flow racks from ordinary shelves, where refilling and picking fight over the same space.

Count on at least two rails per box lane, more if the boxes are wide, heavy or soft in the bottom. The 5 kg limit per roller adds up quickly; a box resting on ten rollers per rail has plenty of margin even with heavy contents. Try the slope with your own boxes and a realistic fill level before the whole rack is rebuilt, since different bottom materials and weights give different rolling resistance. A good place to start is to build a single lane, measure the pick time before and after, and let the result argue for the rest.

When sizing, the bottom of the box matters more than its weight. Smooth plastic bottoms roll best, corrugated board works well when it is dry, and boxes with a ribbed or damaged bottom may need a third rail as support in the middle. The 25 mm tread width gives good contact area without building unnecessary width into the lane.

Aluminum keeps the weight down and does not rust, which you notice first during a rebuild; rails are moved and added as the range changes, without emptying the rack more than one level at a time. The PP rollers take moisture and most cleaning agents, so the rail works in places where nearby surfaces are cleaned regularly. Maintenance stops at keeping the lane free of debris; there are no bearings to grease and no belts to tension.

Request a quote with your exact lengths and volumes.