Narrow Aisle Racking
Narrow Aisle Pallet Racking (VNA) combines the 100% direct selectivity of standard selective racking with the ultra-high storage density of narrow aisle spacing. By condensing aisle widths down to as little as 1.5–1.8 metres and extending vertical bay heights, this system maximises warehouse floor and roof volume, lowers per-pallet residency costs, and operates smoothly using specialized rail-guided turret trucks or articulated forklifts.
- Categories: Pallet Racking
- Availability: Express Dispatch
- Product Type: Simple
High-Density Storage with 100% Individual Pallet Selectivity
Narrow Aisle Pallet Racking (also known as VNA or Very Narrow Aisle Racking) is engineered for facilities that require high storage density without sacrificing direct, immediate access to every pallet position. By positioning rack rows significantly closer together and building upward toward ceiling limits, VNA racking eliminates wasted aisle airspace and dramatically increases total pallet capacity within your existing facility footprint.
Built using proven, heavy-duty modular components identical to conventional selective racking, Narrow Aisle configurations allow you to condense standard 3.5m+ forklift aisles down to compact 1.5m to 1.8m corridors. It is the premier racking choice for high-bay distribution centres, bulk reserve stockrooms, logistics operations with high SKU counts, and facilities preparing for automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS).
Key Features & Benefits
- 100% Individual Pallet Accessibility: Enjoy full, immediate access to every pallet location simultaneously – maintaining pure First-In, First-Out (FIFO) stock rotation.
- Maximised Vertical Airspace: Capitalises on full roof and eave clearances to achieve ultra-high bay elevations and lower your storage cost per square metre.
- Reduced Wasted Aisle Space: Squeezes operating aisle widths by up to 50% compared to standard counterbalance forklift setups, fitting more storage runs into your building.
- Productivity & Consolidation: Consolidates diverse inventory under one roof, reducing travel distances for pickers and streamlining replenishment cycles.
- Automation & ASRS Ready: Ideal infrastructure for integration with semi-automated or fully automated storage and retrieval crane systems.
- Proven Modular Steel Components: Constructed from standard, certified heavy-duty upright frames and stepped/box beams, making future reconfiguration or maintenance straightforward.
Precision Guidance & Handling Equipment
Because operating tolerances in narrow aisles are tight, specialised material handling equipment is paired with floor-level guidance systems to ensure fast, damage-free movement:
- Floor-Mounted Guide Rails: Low-profile structural steel angle rails anchored along the base of each aisle physically guide turret trucks and order pickers down the centreline, allowing drivers to travel at full speed without steering corrections.
- Wire Guidance Compatibility: Alternatively, the system can be configured with in-floor inductive wire guidance for clean, obstruction-free floor slabs.
- Specialised VNA Forklifts: Designed for use with Man-Up or Man-Down turret trucks, articulated pivot-steer forklifts (such as Bendi or Aisle-Master), and specialised high-reach stackers that rotate forks 180 degrees to service both sides of the aisle.
Engineered AS4084 Compliance & Slab Precision
Due to the increased frame heights and reduced aisle clearances associated with VNA installations, structural engineering and floor flatness (superflat slab tolerances) are vital. Direct Storage Systems provides fully compliant supply, layout planning, and installation in strict accordance with AS 4084 (Steel Storage Racking) standards.
Every installation is supplied with certified Safe Working Load (SWL) signage, heavy-duty frame baseplates, safety locking pins, and structural top/back ties where required.
On-Site Measuring, CAD Layouts & Local Supply
Optimising a narrow aisle setup requires exact coordination between your building height, pallet dimensions, and forklift mast specifications. Direct Storage Systems offers complete on-site measuring and custom 2D/3D CAD design services across Geelong, the Surf Coast, and Western Melbourne.
Product Documentation
Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) racking is a high-density selective storage system designed to maximise vertical warehouse height while reducing operating aisle widths down to 1.5m–1.8m. It provides 100% individual pallet selectivity using specialised turret trucks or articulated forklifts that navigate inside guided aisles.
By reducing conventional 3.5m–4.0m forklift aisles by more than half and taking racking heights up to 14 metres or more, a VNA system can increase usable warehouse pallet storage capacity by 40% to 50% compared to standard selective racking within the exact same building footprint.
VNA systems require specialised equipment, most commonly man-up or man-down turret trucks (swing-reach forklifts) or articulated forklifts (such as Bendi or Aisle-Master). Turret trucks have forks that rotate 180 degrees to service both sides of the aisle without turning the machine body.
To allow safe, high-speed travel inside tight 1.5m–1.8m aisles, VNA systems utilise either mechanical floor-mounted steel guide rails or low-frequency wire guidance embedded into the concrete slab. These systems automatically steer the truck once inside the aisle, preventing rack impact.
Because VNA trucks lift heavy pallet loads to extreme heights in tight clearances, floor flatness is critical to prevent mast sway. Concrete floors typically need to meet strict superflat tolerances (such as Concrete Society TR34 / DIN 18202 Category DM/FM standards) to ensure safe, stable operation.
Yes. Man-up turret trucks elevate the operator directly to the pallet location, enabling fast, full-height carton and split-case order picking directly from the racking alongside full pallet handling.
Yes. All narrow aisle racking components supplied and installed by Direct Storage Systems comply fully with AS 4084 (Steel Storage Racking). Every system includes certified load notices detailing beam ratings, permissible upright capacities, and top-tie bracing specifications where required.
Yes. Direct Storage Systems offers end-to-end site consultations, CAD warehouse aisle layout design, slab suitability assessments, certified supply, and professional installation across Melbourne, Geelong, and regional Victoria.
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