- Posted on
- Becky
In most UK warehouse spaces, racking is seen as the obvious choice for providing storage solutions that maximise your business. After all, the structure can hold heavy weight, it’s robust and, when designed correctly, can efficiently fill the full height of your warehouse. So why do you need to bother with shelving solutions?
For any business, shelving solutions can provide an easy and cost-effective way to store all the items they need for the day-to-day running of their business. However, get yourself some industrial shelving and it can take your warehouse storage system to the next level.
We explain all about industrial shelving solutions and how they can benefit your business.
Industrial Shelving vs. Racking?
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes down to whether to choose shelving or racking. However, you may decide to go with shelving for three key reasons.
The first, is how you will pick your stock. With industrial shelving, you can only hand load stock, unlike racking which can use forklift trucks, automation or by hand. Industrial shelving units are smaller, allowing you to install them into restricted areas in your warehouse. The last, possibly biggest advantage, over industrial shelving is cost. Industrial shelving units are typically cheaper than traditional racking. This has the benefit of allowing you to increase capacity while avoiding the expense of moving or purchasing new systems.
These advantages make shelving solutions the ideal companion to sit alongside your usual racking systems. Even better, there are a number of different options to choose from.
What industrial shelving solutions are available?
Shelving is available in all sizes and it’s worth researching the best system for your inventory.
Shortspan shelving
Shortspan shelving is ideal for storing smaller items and each shelf can hold up to 200 kg. Add in a range of complimentary accessories such as lockable doors, closed backs and/or sides, dividers and bi fronts and suddenly your shelving becomes incredibly versatile.
Longspan shelving
As the name suggest, much longer in width when compared to a shortspan system. This makes it the ideal system when you need to store large and long items. Plus, with the possibility to carry up to 1000kg per shelf it is ideal for heavier items.
Mobile shelving
This shelving can maximise the space in your warehouse. The shelving units have rollers on the base which run along tracks, enabling them to close together when not used. With shelves open only when you need access, it significantly increases the amount of stock you can store within the footprint of your space. You can choose from either light, medium or heavy duty systems.
Carton live shelving
On this shelving rollers are used instead of shelves to hold the stock. The stock is loaded in one side of the shelving and then retrieved the opposite end. It works with a FIFO principle, furthermore it can reduce order picking times by up to 65%. This type of shelving works best with longspan structures and can be fitted with some accessories such as drop-down angle tilt shelves or lane.
What to look out for with industrial shelving
Not all shelving is the same and before ordering, there are a few key areas to look out for.
1. Material
Make sure your shelving is an industrial system which is durable and suitable for your warehouse environment. You should also check what material the shelf is made from, it will be an important factor for the type of stock you hold.
Wood is versatile, plastic is corrosion resistant and easy to clean whereas wire allows for excellent visibility and ventilation. However, they all have a lower weight holding capacity. Steel is the best material for strength.
2. Installation
There is often a misconception that industrial shelving is difficult to install. However, many systems are designed for ease of installation and maintenance. Not only is this a benefit when first ordering your shelving but will provide additional advantages if you decided to reconfigure or move your shelving at a later date.
3. Design
Check if the shelving is modular in design. This allows you to quickly and easily reconfigure or expand your storage capacity without costing a lot of money. Furthermore, you should also check with the supplier to see what options you have for future expansion, i.e. can equipment be re-used to create a multi-tier or a high-density mobile system that will maximise your warehouse space.
4. Accessories
Can you customise your shelf space to make it suit your stock. A lot of shelving systems come with additional accessories such as dividers, drawers and pull-out units which allow you to create a bespoke storage for your stock. You should also check if you have the option of fitting either an open or closed backs and sides to segregate stock.
5. Weight
When thinking about whether industrial shelving will be a good option for your warehouse, you need to get rid of the misconception that shelving is only suitable for light-duty storage. Although a lot of shelving systems are only suitable for storing office suppliers or small parts, industrial shelving takes it to the next level.
In fact, industrial shelving comes in varying weight carrying capacities and this includes heavy-duty options. For example, our longspan shelving is capable of carrying loads of up to 1000kg per shelf, is an incredibly cost-effective option if you are looking for a solution to store archive boxes or boxed goods within a warehouse. Obviously, this loading capacity is based on uniformly distributed load, and it is never advisable to allow stock to build up in one corner!
Getting industrial shelving solutions in your warehouse can provide some big advantages to increase your storage capacity. If you’re looking at how you can maximise your existing space, why not get in touch and let us see if industrial shelving can make a world of difference.