Factory managers, storage facility supervisors, and warehouse management must be strategic and organized to maximize available storage space. A well-organized warehouse allows for accurate picking and product retrieval, fast order processing, and improved warehouse efficiency, ultimately boosting profitability.
Warehouse management and organization are particularly important when dealing with heavy items. Heavy-duty shelving systems must be strong, durable, and well-designed to support large quantities of bulky items. Businesses often look to vertical storage and high-density shelving to maximize storage capacity efficiently.
Importance of Choosing the Right Heavy-Duty Shelving
Finding the right shelving for your facility involves much more than choosing the first system that aligns with your budget. Suitability is key, so you must select a storage solution that fills the needs of your business and facility.
Purchasing heavy-duty industrial shelving from a reliable provider like Shelving + Rack Systems, Inc. ensures you can choose from a wide variety of new and used options, from metal shelving for heavy loads to wire shelving for specialized applications.
We not only provide quality heavy-duty storage options, but we can also give you advice and guidance on choosing appropriate shelving units and incorporating them into an efficient overall system.
How to Choose the Right Heavy-Duty Shelving
There are several key considerations when choosing the right heavy-duty shelving, such as:
Inventory Management and Retrieval Systems
The order that you pick and retrieve items influences the type of shelving you choose. For example, items with an expiration date are often part of a first in, first out (FIFO) retrieval system. This type of system reduces the risk of items expiring or becoming obsolete due to changing trends.
Floor Space Utilization
Ensure the shelving syncs with the existing floor space utilization. Selecting the right rack shelving maximizes floor utilization so that employees can move freely and easily around the warehouse. Maximizing floor space utilization also helps increase the number of goods you can store.
Vertical Storage
One of the best ways to increase storage capacity in a compact warehouse is to store vertically. However, for heavy-duty storage, safety is a major concern. Choosing the right shelving system enables you to safely store and access goods stacked vertically on top of each other.
Forklift Accessibility
Forklifts are essential pieces of equipment for handling heavy-duty goods. The right shelving enables safe and easy access to aisles and products via forklift. As well as enabling easy access, an effective shelving system should allow maneuverability within the aisles.
Product Types
From shelving materials to adjustability, you must choose the right type of shelving for your products. If you store a variety of goods, the shelving must be versatile and adjustable. If you deal with mainly homogeneous items, a high-density steel shelving unit may be more effective.
Types of Heavy-Duty Shelving
At Shelving + Rack Shelving, Inc., we provide a range of heavy-duty shelving, ensuring you can optimize your storage space, improve warehouse efficiency, and keep your products and employees safe.
Industrial Steel Shelving
Industrial steel shelving is a durable and versatile storage option, capable of holding a variety of heavy and bulky goods, including automotive parts, power tools, and steel castings. It is a popular option for mechanic shops and manufacturing plants.
Steel shelving is adjustable and can be used for open and closed configurations. It is customizable and can be fitted with additional storage bins, boxes, and dividers. This makes it an excellent auto shop shelving storage solution, as car equipment ranges from small components to bulky engine parts.
Our 48” wide, steel industrial shelving from Lyon is a popular option for retail, warehouse, and heavy-duty storage. It is available in open and closed configurations, depending on your needs. Each shelf supports up to 600 lbs. and can be integrated with comparable depth 36” shelving. We also provide extra shelves and accessories so you can create a shelving system customized to your facility.
Boltless Shelving
If versatility is what you’re after, look no further than boltless shelving. While it is a capable heavy-duty option for pharmacies, distribution centers, and warehouses, due to its ease of assembly and customizability, boltless shelving is also popular for residential use as garage shelving or in-home workshops.
Another distinct advantage of using boltless shelving is its cost-effectiveness. It is an affordable option for commercial and residential applications.
Most boltless shelving falls into one of two categories: rivet shelving or long span shelving:
- Rivet Shelving
Rivet shelving is designed for quick configuration and versatility. It uses tear-drop and pin connectors and comes in single- or double-rivet options, making it suitable for various uses, from storing small postal packages to larger boxes and cases.
At Shelving + Rack Systems, Inc., we supply Jaken 200A heavy-duty, low-profile shelving manufactured from industrial-strength steel. The double rivet beams located at the top and bottom of the unit give it strength and stability. Our rivet storage is available with laminate or particleboard shelves.
While steel is often more stable and durable, it is susceptible to corrosion and rust from moisture or chemical exposure. Manufacturing plants or storage facilities that deal with chemicals often use particle board or laminate shelving to combat this.
- Long Span Shelving
Long span shelving is used for long, bulky, and heavy items. Our Jaken 200B shelving is available in lengths of up to 96”, ensuring it can be used for storing various products, from low-level, hand accessible fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) to longer and heavier items such as laboratory machinery.
You can find this type of shelving in different storage facilities, from retail supply rooms to distribution centers. It is often used as a backup to pallet racking systems in large warehouses to help manage seasonal inventory fluctuations. However, because it is easy to assemble and adjust, it is also popular for lightweight storage in offices.
Wire Shelving
Wire shelving is an excellent option for specialized applications, such as chemical or cold storage. One of the main advantages of using wire shelving is the airflow and ventilation that it allows. This directly impacts the quality and cleanliness of the air that products come in contact with, which is extremely important for food and volatile chemicals.
Our 4-shelf consumer-grade wire shelving by Quantum Storage Systems is designed for ample air circulation and minimum dust buildup, allowing for seamless quality control over food items or pharmaceutical goods. The shelves are adjustable at 1” increments and have a 300 lb weight capacity.
Wire shelving can also contribute to a more efficient and productive picking system within your warehouse. We also provide AkroBin wire systems available with up to 11 shelves. This type of shelving is configurable with different size and color bins, improving visibility and allowing fast access to small items, improving inventory control, increasing storage efficiency, and reducing clutter.
If you require mobile storage, our wire cargo carts from Nashville Wire Products are built for rugged industrial use from bright electro-zinc. They roll smoothly on 5” x 2” polyurethane casters. All carts include one shelf but we also provide extra shelves for additional storage.
Bulk Rack Shelving
Bulk rack shelving is designed for manual handpicking, making it a suitable option for warehouses and storage facilities that don’t use forklifts. It is easy to adjust, enabling you to set a number of different height and depth configurations.
Our 84” high Lyon pre-engineered bulk storage racks are a popular alternative to pallet racking for compact warehouses. They feature heavy-duty 14 gauge steel beams so they can be used as storage or point of sale display units in a retail store.
You can choose between three different types of decking: Solid, flat wire, and particleboard, depending on your needs and the conditions of your storage facility.
Find the Right Heavy-Duty Shelving with Shelving + Rack Systems, Inc.
Choosing the right heavy-duty shelving is an extremely important process that directly influences warehouse operations. With so many shelving options, it can be difficult to know which varieties best solve your needs.
At Shelving + Rack Systems, Inc., we are more than just a storage equipment provider. We also offer professional guidance on what shelving to choose and how to layout your storage space based on your budget and objectives. From design and planning to assembly and installation, we are with you at every step of the process.
Visit our online catalog to browse our full inventory list, or contact us today to discuss our turnkey services in more detail.
