Before you purchase an industrial warehouse shelving system, you need to ask some important questions. Do you need shelving or rack storage? Which shelving unit will work best with your inventory? Does your storage facility provide a safe area for shelf storage? Answer these questions, and you will be ready to invest in the correct storage system for your warehouse.
Shelving Compared to Rack Storage
Pallet rack storage systems are not the same as industrial warehouse shelving. Pallet racking systems are made to store bulk quantities of items. Pallet racking stores heavier items that require material handling equipment, such as a forklift.
There are many types of pallet rack systems, including drive-in racks, pallet flow racks, and deep double racks. Industrial shelving is the storage option made for smaller items that you can handle without using material handling equipment. They are the cost-effective storage option for businesses that do not need pallet racks but still have inventory to store.
Shelving systems vary in their load capacity, mobility, and function. Learn which shelving option is best for your inventory.
Which Shelving System Will Support My Inventory?
This question is primarily concerned with load capacity, but you must also consider the configuration of the shelving units. The load capacity and customization of shelving systems vary.
Tri-Boro’s Klip-It™ Industrial Steel Shelving
The Tri-Boro’s Klip-It™ Industrial Steel Shelving – Light Duty has load capacity options ranging from 225 lbs. per shelf to 400 lbs. per shelf. This shelving’s open and closed configurations meet different storage needs. The open option makes for quick storage and retrieval from any side of the storage unit. The closed configuration protects inventory from falling off shelves.
Meco Roll-Out Shelf Rack
The Meco Roll-Out Shelf Rack has a load capacity of 2,000 lbs. per shelf for your heavier inventory. The roll-out shelf design allows for safe storage and retrieval of heavy items. This heavy-duty storage option is commonly used in mechanic shops for small but heavy items such as car batteries.
This storage unit trades versatility for strength. It offers customizable shelf placement with shelf connection points every two inches. Other shelves have more frequent connection points but do not have the load capacity of the Meco Roll-Out Shelf Rack.
Parent Industrial Boltless Shelving Unit
Like the Parent Industrial Boltless Shelving Unit, boltless shelves offer highly customizable shelf placement and quick assembly. Instead of bolts and fastening hardware, boltless shelves use teardrop rivets to secure shelves to the vertical columns.
With connection points every 1.5”, you can customize the shelf height to your inventory. The load capacity per shelf for this boltless shelving unit ranges from 600 lbs. to 1,200 lbs. depending on shelf size. There are also rivet shelving options with a higher weight capacity that are easy to assemble.
Does My Shelving Need to be Mobile?
Most shelving units are secured to the ground, so they cannot change locations easily. In dynamic warehouse facilities or space-limited businesses, mobile storage offers unique advantages over other storage systems.
Mobile shelving stores large quantities of small, cataloged inventory in a small space. This makes these shelving systems ideal for file storage, medical parts storage, and automotive parts storage.
Rows of shelving are built back to back and mounted on track rails that allow for easy movement. The rows of shelves can be moved together when access to them is unnecessary.
When you need an item, you move the rows apart to make room for retrieval. Since you can push all the rows together, this option provides significant storage in a small area.
The Tri-Boro’s Bin Divider Truck supplies mobile shelving for a distribution center that requires portable storage but does not need a track-rail system. This mobile shelving unit has a load capacity of up to 1,000 lbs. Its connected handle gives you control over the unit’s movement.
Will the Shelving Units Scale With My Business?
When purchasing industrial warehouse shelving, your business’ future growth should factor into your purchasing decisions. Some shelf storage scales up and down easier than others.
Wire shelving is easy to scale because of its light load capacity and simple assembly. Olympic Storage Company’s Wire Shelving Add-On Units can easily be connected to existing wire shelving. The posts have connection points at 1” intervals for varying shelf heights and new storage spaces.
Wire shelving has a light load capacity because it is primarily made for food storage, where airflow and temperature regulation are prioritized. Higher load capacity options that scale easily include boltless shelving and the Tri-Boro’s Klip-It™ Industrial Steel Shelving – Light Duty. Shelving units that have connection points at frequent intervals readily scale up and down to meet your needs.
Will Industrial Shelving Be Safe?
Industrial warehouse shelving has specific safety considerations. To avoid common warehouse injuries and damaged inventory, ensure your storage space can handle industrial shelving units.
The floor of your storage space must be level to securely house shelving units. It must also withstand the weight of a storage unit with a full load capacity, including bulk racks. Your warehouse floor should have a load capacity posted according to OSHA regulations.
Your business will need to conduct monthly checks to maintain the safety of your shelving system. Pay close attention to structural elements like vertical columns, floor and wall mounts, and horizontal support beams.
Find the Right Industrial Shelving
Answering these essential questions can help you find the ideal storage system for your inventory. If you still need help deciding on the right shelving system for your warehouse, contact us at (800) 589-7225.
At Shelving + Rack Systems Inc., we deliver high-quality storage systems and provide expertise to ensure the best storage outcomes for every business. Visit our blog posts to learn more about the various storage options available to you.
