Industrial shelving systems for warehouses and other storage areas are a major expense for any business and making the right choice is important. Much will depend on the product being stored in the warehouse, the frequency of the removal and replacement of the product and whether the stock varies from time to time or is always essentially the same. Stock levels are also an important factor to bear in mind as well as if the stock has a sell-by-date and therefore needs to be rotated and used in strict date order.
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| Shelving Systems Source: Markj52, CC-BY.3.0, WikiMedia |
Pallet Racking
Pallet racking is not just a way of piling up loaded pallets of items for later retrieval. There are several different kinds of pallet racking systems depending on space available, likely load of the pallet and also to an extent man-power and existing lifting equipment. If space is limited, narrow-aisle pallet racking may be the answer. In this type, an aisle is left to the width of a fork-lift truck and the pallets are stacked on either side. Double deep uses space efficiently too, with pallets stacked one behind the other but both accessible from one aisle. For a stock that needs to be used in rotation, a dynamic system is easily the best, as containers, pallets or boxes are moved forward automatically as one is taken from the front. This is similar to a system everyone is used to – the drinks and snack machines seen in every station. This simple system means that there is no risk of a box or pallet getting forgotten at the back, costing money in spoiled inventory. These systems run on rollers and can work for any size unit.
Longspan Shelving
For items that are not too heavy or bulky, longspan shelving is ideal, because for the minimum of metal carcase, there are long lengths of shelf. For any stock system that relies on manual loading and picking, this is the ideal solution and if necessary, bracing structures are able to be fitted at intervals along the shelf lengths. Most companies dealing with small unit size find these invaluable and they are also the perfect choice for any business that deals direct with the public as they are easy to access, label and adjust depending on stock levels. For a business with seasonal variations in stock or in which stock moves fast and is often changing, longspan shelving is ideal because with no breaks in the shelf, niches can be created or one shelf can stock an enormous amount of one thing without looking odd.
Cantilever Racking
For companies who stock and need access to long lengths either of wood, plastics or metals, cantilever racking is the perfect choice, because the shelves are not broken up at the loading edge by the frame of the units. The shelves are held on brackets which are in turn supported by a central column held in place by being connected to an extremely heavy base ‘foot’. This means that the long item can be extracted sideways rather than being slid off the end of the unit. This saves a great deal of space because in practice the warehouse need be no longer than the longest item. With regular shelving, the warehouse would have to be at least twice as long as the longest length, to enable the item’s removal. Cantilever racking is also very useful when it comes to cleaning the area beneath the shelves, as access is much easier than trying to get a cleaning machine over the edges of racking. All that is necessary is that the machine can get between the ‘feet’ and they are reasonably far apart, so even the largest machine can do that.
The Ultimate Shelf – The Mezzanine Floor
When space gets really tight, one simple answer is to put in a new floor. This seems a little like a major building project but this is not actually so – a mezzanine floor is attached to steel supports and can either be in the shape of a gallery around the edges of a space or can actually enclose the whole area, giving a closed in second storey. Many storage areas suffer from a lack of space and offices and staff spaces become edged out and cramped from a need to give more storage for stock. A mezzanine floor gives the opportunity to make some rooms for staff to work in whilst leaving the warehouse area free. This also reduces casual traffic on what can be a very busy and dangerous area, so everyone benefits. Although health and safety measures are in force, an accident can't happen so easily if the warehouse floor space is not a thoroughfare. Putting your workforce on this ‘shelf’ could be the best thing that ever happened from the point of view of staff comfort and safety.
John Hinds writes for Lojix. His interests include blogging, reading, playing tennis, listening to music and traveling.
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