R-Mark Certification
For over 50 years, the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) has been evolving consensus standards for industrial steel storage racks. In 2012 the industry developed its latest and most comprehensive consensus document RMI/ANSI MH16.1 - 2012. The document includes seismic design provisions and has been accepted as the default standard for the International Building Code and NFPA Building Codes. RMI has further developed the National Standard for welded wire rack decking which has been adopted as RMI MH26:2-2007. Both documents serve as baseline specifications for the R-Mark Certification Program.
Industrial Steel Storage Racks
| Advance Storage Products |  |  |
| Atlanta Pallet Rack | | |
| Elite Storage Solutions, Inc. | | |
| Engineered Products | | |
| Equipement Boni Inc. | | |
| Estral Energy S. de R.L. de C.V. | | |
| Frazier Industrial | | |
| Hannibal Industries, Inc. | | |
| Husky Rack & Wire | | |
| Konstant | | |
| Interlake Mecalux Inc. | | |
| Nanjing Jiangrui Storage Equipment Co.,LTD | | |
| Nanjing Kingmore Logistics Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | | |
| Ningbo Xinguang Rack Co, Ltd. | | |
| Pacific Bend, Inc. | | |
| Rack Builders, Inc. |  | |
| Rack USA | | |
| Ridg-U-Rak, Inc. | | |
| Space Rak, Div. EWCO | | |
| Speedrack Products Group, Ltd. | | |
| Steel King Industries, Inc. | | |
| TMax Logistics Co., Ltd. | | |
| Unarco Material Handling / Kingway Material Handling | | |
| United Material Handling, Inc. | | |
Welded Wire Rack Decking
| ITC Manufacturing |  |  |
| J&L Wire Cloth LLC | | |
| Nashville Wire Products, Inc. | | |
Members of RMI have voluntarily chosen to be guided by the appropriate RMI/ANSI standards. RMI members have further voluntarily agreed to a certification process administered through a panel of independent Registered Professional Engineers. The R-Mark Certification represents one leg of a 3-legged stool - the others being Consensus Standards and Conformity. Initiatives in all three areas are part of a focused strategic objective launched in the early 1990's. The purpose of this overview is to speak specifically to the R-Mark "leg". Suffice it to say that all three "legs" are critically dependent on one another. R-Mark is a registered asset of the Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) and is offered under license to members and non-members who are proven to meet certain requirements.
In developing consensus on a process, a number of guiding principles were followed. Process must be:
- Open and Fair
- Technically Sound
- Credible
- Non-Intrusive
- Flexible
- Self-Policing
- Cost Effective
General operating characteristics of the Program include:
- Licensee must be a manufacturer of Industrial Steel Storage Racks or Welded Wire Rack Decking (as defined in the by-laws of RMI);
- Licensee may manufacture their products anywhere in the world, provided that the products are used in USA;
- RMI membership is NOT required to receive an R-Mark License;
- R-Mark can only be applied to product that conforms to and within the scope of the RMI/ANSI Standards as approved by the general membership of RMI;
- Licensing procedures/guidelines/frequency are developed, determined and directed by membership of RMI;
- R-Mark may only be applied by a cognizant USA Registered Professional Engineer employed by the Licensee.
Information about the R-Mark Process
R-Mark Recommendations
Highlights of the Certification and Licensing process follow:
- Applicants for an R-Mark License contact the Managing Director of RMI, who, a)oversees a due diligent evaluation of applicants qualifications as defined in the by-laws of RMI, and, b)provides applicant with procedural and technical requirements;
- Program requirements call for each applicant to prepare two identical submittal packages containing load tables for one or more standard "families" of load beams and one or more standard "families" of upright frames as outlined in the R-Mark Program Technical Requirements.
- Applicant provides the necessary submittals under Seal of his/her cognizant USA Registered Professional Engineer;
- RMI randomly selects two external Reviewers from a group of six independent USA Registered Professional Engineers chosen and approved by the RMI membership as having recognized experience and expertise in the design/application of racking systems;
- Each Reviewer is sent one of the identical submittal packages. The packages contain all necessary tables, evidence of tests, and calculations to allow the Reviewer(s) to assess understanding of and conformity to the appropriate norms, including RMI/ANSI Standards. Any questions or needs are resolved between the Reviewers and Applicant acting together as one;
- When satisfied that all requirements have been met according to R-Mark Certification Program guidelines set by the membership; the reviewing engineers notify the RMI Managing Director under Seal;
- On receipt of both notices, RMI issues a License to the Applicant including uniquely numbered Seals and Stamps for use by the licensee's USA Registered Professional Engineer as outlined in the License.
- Having earned the R-Mark Certification, Licensee is entitled to display the R-Mark on any qualified product designed and Sealed in the manner of their qualified submittals without any further review.
The process is voluntary and is open to all rack manufacturers. RMI encourages specifiers and users of Industrial Steel Storage Rack to consider the value of R-Mark certification when applying racking solutions.
Questions on the program can be directed to Pat Davison, MHI Director of Standards.
