- Posted on
- Becky
The great thing about the warehouse and logistics industry is the variety it delivers. Never more so than in the wide range of stock items companies have to store. It can range from large and bulky items right down to small, intricate pieces. This means you need a storage solution that accommodates all profiles and makes them easy to find, pick and pack.
With such a variety to cater for, choosing one type of racking for all your storage needs is never going to meet your needs. Instead, you need a range of storage systems designed to meet your bespoke requirements. Get it right and not only will it maximise your storage capacity, but can also increase productivity and drive down costs. It’s for this reason you need to work with qualified and experienced racking suppliers like Teepee. We have the skills and industry knowledge to design bespoke solutions that work for your business and processes.
So, what happens when you need to stock the unusual items? Those products that, due to their size or weight, simply won’t fit on a standard pallet racking system. This is where Cantilever Racking comes into play.
What is Cantilever Racking?
Cantilever racking at first glance appears to be a simplistic structure. However, it is the lack of details that provides the greatest flexibility for the logistics and storage industry.
With pallet racking, the structure consists of vertical uprights separated by shelves to create enclosed bays on which you hold the stock. Cantilever racking is very different and consists of upright steel columns sited on base units to create the frame of the structure. The racking is a self-supporting structure and to provide rigidity and strength to the frame, braces are fixed between the uprights. Arms are then attached horizontally to the columns which extend out to provide open and unrestricted access to the storage space. To maximise the storage capability of the structure and minimise wasted space, arms can be set at varying heights and to specific load-bearing requirements depending on the profile of your stock.
Cantilever racking is available in two configurations:
- Single-sided cantilever racking – as the name explains, the arms on this structure extend from one side of the central column. The racking can sit flush against a wall to utilise the full space of your warehouse.
- Double-sided cantilever racking – to maximise capacity you can opt for a double-sided structure where the arms protrude from both sides of the central column. Due to the strength of the base, you can site these structures, unsupported, in the centre of your warehouse space.
To optimise the flexibility of the racking, you have the option of attaching pins to the end of the arms. These act as a barrier to stop items from rolling off the arms. Decking can be fitted to fill in the gaps if you are storing items that do not fit between the arms.
Do I need forklifts?
As with any racking you can choose whether to hand or mechanically load the cantilever system depending on the weight and height of the stock.
Standard forklift trucks work seamlessly with cantilever racking. However, if you are looking to maximise storage capacity you may opt to reduce the spacing between each run of cantilever racking. In these situations, it is possible to use side loaders or multi-directional forklifts which are ideal for narrow aisles.
What can you store on cantilever racking?
Cantilever racking offers a high level of flexibility especially when storing non-palletised goods. Unlike pallet racking, where product size is constrained by the size of the bay, the open structure of the cantilever can adapt to unusual stock profiles.
Arms can be set a defined lengths to ensure the width and weight of the loads are fully supported. Long items, such as sheets of wood and metal or pipe, can sit across multiple arms or you can design the arm spacing to exactly suit the stock. For this reason, they are often seen at builders’ merchants or timber manufacturers.
However, opt for a heavy-duty cantilever system and it can easily hold heavy-weight building materials such as rebar and lintels. Cantilever racking can also be used to store bulky and oversized items.
Top 5 Benefits of Cantilever Racking
- Efficient use of space – due to the slim profile of the cantilever racking, the structure reduces the amount of floor space needed to store a high volume of stock. Plus, with single and double-side options it enables you to maximise usable space.
- Strength – When designed and calculated correctly, cantilever racking can safely support extreme weights and maximise storage capacity while at the same time taking up a smaller footprint in comparison to standard pallet racking.
- Cost saving – due to the open structure of the racking, stock is easily visible from most angles. This makes stock easier to locate and pick, increasing productivity. It also makes the management of stock levels far simpler.
- Easily adjustable – In most warehouses, requirements will change and cantilever racking can be easily adapted to suit the new stock profile. Arms are adjusted by unclipping and fixing into the new position on the frame.
- It can be used outside – when a galvanised coating is applied to the cantilever racking it minimises the risk of corrosion to the structure when used in outdoor spaces. This makes it ideal for builder’s merchants, garden centres or warehouse yards.
Looking for warehouse racking?
If you’re wondering whether cantilever racking could provide the solution for your warehouse, why not get in touch with Teepee? We offer a free consultation service to discuss your storage requirements and then recommend the best system for your business. We work with a range of different manufacturers to deliver a bespoke solution that meets the unique needs of your business.
Our experience within the racking and warehouse industry means that we can project manage from start to finish to offer the highest quality standards with the minimum of fuss.