Boltless industrial shelving, also known as rivet shelving, simplifies for customers not only shelf setup but can also provide a very economical storage solution for companies and even warehouse operations.
The lack of crossbeams allows access to both sides of the shelf, making access easy.
Warehouses, supply rooms, homes, and small business find boltless shelving a convenient way to store items.
There are several types of boltless shelving and accessories, depending on the products and requirements of the warehouse or another facility.
Boltless Shelving Design Features
Boltless shelving stores small and medium loads requiring manual access.
Warehouses, supply, and distribution centers often have banks of boltless shelving alongside other types of racks.
Rivet shelving makes excellent additions to mezzanines and catwalks to provide simple to install extra storage space.
Boltless shelving, depending on the type, can handle loads up to 2,000 pounds.
Not only do rivet shelves lack crossbeams, but this shelving design doesn’t have sway braces and panels.
Components
Boltless shelving consists of three parts: vertical posts, horizontal beams, and the decking.
For vertical or upright posts, the rack shelving units use either tee or angle posts.
Tee posts, connected on each end, allow users to connect additional boltless shelving units.
Angles posts stabilize stand-along units and connect on all four corners.
Assembly
There are no easily lost nuts or bolts. Assembly does not require any screwdrivers or wrenches. Workers need a rubber mallet to drive in the rivets.
This makes rivet shelves excellent options when a facility needs to add additional shelving fast.
Types of Rivet Shelving
There are two types of boltless shelving: single rivet (low profile) and double rivet (long span).
You can find various iterations of each depending on the manufacturer.
Single Rivet
Single rivet shelving uses double rivet construction for the top and bottom of the units for durability and rigidity.
The rest of the shelving levels use single rivets.
Manufacturers make single rivet shelving of various widths, but 48 inches is the maximum.
The thinner beams used make single rivet shelving more accessible than double rivet shelves.
Double Rivet
Companies make double rivet shelves up to 96 inches wide. Manufacturers sell more options for double rivet shelving to give users more configuration options. The larger sizes make manual access slightly more challenging.
Footplates
Footplates secure the boltless shelving units to the floor. This makes them more stable and, especially in a busy warehouse with regular picking and restocking, safer.
Advantages of Boltless Shelving
In addition to the ease of assembly and access, rivet shelving is entirely modular. Warehouse or other users can quickly add more units as storage needs grow.
The lack of sides means no bins or containers that block the view when searching for items.
Boltless shelving is adjustable, so users can change the size and height to accommodate different products.
Rivet shelving generally costs must less than other types of shelving, up to 40% less in most cases.
Accessories
Users have lots of accessories available to maximize the utility of the rivet shelf purchased depending on the warehouse layout.
Some of the accessories available include:
Board Decking
Half-inch or three-quarter-inch particle board for boltless shelving provides a stable platform for the shelves.
The half-inch works well for lighter loads.
You can also buy laminate board in either size.
Wire Decking
Wire decking provides even greater visibility for products stored on rivet shelving. In warehouses without climate control or for outdoor storage, wire decking permits the air to circulate products, helping preserve shelf life.
Various openings between the wires are available, as are different powder coatings.
Drawers
Drawers for rivet shelving allow users to store smaller items.
Depending on the type, drawers for boltless shelving can hold up to 46 pounds.
