NARROW AISLE & VNA PALLET RACKING
Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) pallet racking compresses aisles to 1.6–1.8m using turret or man-up trucks, recovering up to 45% more pallet positions inside the same building footprint. Designed and installed UK-wide.
More Pallet Positions
Aisle Width
Lift Height
Years Experience
Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) pallet racking is the highest-density selective storage system available, using guided turret or man-up trucks to operate in aisles as narrow as 1.6 metres and to lift heights of 13 metres or more. By stripping out the wide aisles required by counterbalance and reach trucks, VNA recovers up to 45% more pallet positions from the same building shell — without sacrificing SKU-by-SKU access.
UM Storage Systems designs and installs VNA systems across UK distribution centres, retail RDCs and 3PL operations. Every project pairs structural racking with the right floor specification, truck guidance system and aisle entry safeguards, delivered as a single turnkey package backed by our £10 million public liability cover.
What Is VNA Pallet Racking?
VNA combines tall, single-deep selective racking with specialist trucks that lift the operator to picking height (man-up) or remain at floor level with rotating forks (turret / man-down). Trucks are guided through the aisle by either rail (mechanical) or wire (inductive), allowing safe operation at high speed in extremely tight aisles.
Because every pallet position remains individually addressable, VNA delivers the same SKU diversity as conventional selective racking — but at densities approaching block-storage systems. This combination of throughput and density is unmatched by any other rack technology.
Floor Flatness, Guidance and Truck Choice
VNA installations live or die on floor flatness. TR34 free-movement / FM2 specification is the absolute minimum; defined-movement / Superflat floors are required for taller installations or man-up trucks. We carry out a profile survey of your existing slab as part of the quotation and will recommend grinding, overlay or full slab replacement where needed.
Aisle guidance is typically wire (inductive) for new builds and rail (mechanical) for retrofits. Truck specification — man-up combi, man-down turret, or articulated VNA — is matched to your pick profile, lift height and SKU geometry.
Where VNA Pays Back Fastest
VNA delivers the strongest return on investment in high-rent, high-volume distribution centres where every square metre of floor commands a premium. Logistics parks in the M1, M6, M40 and M62 corridors routinely justify VNA on rent saved alone, with picking productivity and stock accuracy gains adding to the case.
It is also the system of choice for tall, narrow buildings — typical of converted industrial estates — where conventional racking would waste cubic capacity. By exploiting the full eaves height, VNA can double pallet capacity inside a building shell that would otherwise look storage-poor.
Engineering and Safety Standards
Every UM Storage Systems VNA project is engineered to BS EN 15512 and the SEMA code of practice for VNA installations, with hardened uprights, four-pin beam connectors and full-height column protectors as standard. Aisle-entry safety gates, end-of-aisle warning systems and load notices are fitted on every installation.
Annual SEIRS inspections are available on a fixed-fee contract to maintain compliance with PUWER 1998 and HSE HSG76. Our inspectors photograph and grade every defect on a Red/Amber/Green basis and deliver same-day digital reports.
Key Features
Typical UK Applications
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much extra pallet capacity does VNA give me?
Typically 35-45% more pallet positions inside the same building footprint, depending on existing aisle widths, eaves height and the SKU profile being stored.
Does my floor need to be replaced for VNA?
Not always. Many existing slabs can be ground or overlaid to meet TR34 free-movement or defined-movement specification. Our floor survey will tell you definitively.
Is VNA suitable for cold stores?
Yes — VNA is widely used in chilled and frozen distribution. The high cubic density is particularly valuable in expensive refrigerated buildings.
Can VNA be retrofitted into existing racking?
Sometimes. If existing uprights, beam connectors and floor flatness all meet VNA standards, retrofit is feasible. More commonly we strip out and replace, recycling or buying back the existing racking.
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