Plastic guards – Any good?
At The Racking Inspector we have an unbiased view on many products within the storage world.
Plastic upright guards are very common nowadays due to being hardwearing and easy to fit.
Good quality guards are made from high-density polyethylene that has a very high strength to density ratio and will not crack unlike cheaper plastics.
Guards can also be installed within seconds by untrained employees, therefore avoiding expensive labour costs as they simply push on or use Velcro and are not bolted to the floor slab as traditional steel guards.
Unlike steel upright guards that are fixed away from the upright section, plastics guards are generally designed to sit tight against the upright with minimal clearance. Most guards have a rounded front face that can help to deflect a slightly misaligned pallet, whilst others are rectangular or even bolted directly to the upright. Better quality guards also have a plastic foam insert that acts as a buffer but this will only help to prevent very light brushes or scuffs with mechanical handling equipment.
Although the above points argue a strong case for using plastic direct fit type guards, there are some key major downsides. Want to know more?
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