Choosing the Right Industrial Shelving for Your Warehouse Needs
Industrial shelving is an important part of any warehouse or distribution center because of its ability to maximize warehouse space, improve safety, and enhance overall productivity by making it easier for associates to find what they’re looking for quickly. That’s why it’s so important to invest in the right solution.
However, with so many options, it can be a challenge to select the right industrial shelving solution for your warehouse. At A-Lined, we’re proud to offer a wide range of solutions, from pallet racks and mobile aisle shelving to carton flow racks, wire decking, and even modular cabinets.
Let this post serve as your guide to choosing the right type of shelving for your facility.
Understanding the Different Types of Industrial Shelving
Wire shelving
Wire shelving is durable and versatile. Its open design allows it to be easily reconfigured to meet storage requirements. It can hold up to 800 pounds per shelf, and more than 100 accessory items are available.
Steel shelving
Steel shelving is known for its affordability and versatility. It can hold up to 300 pounds per shelf or up to 1,200 pounds per shelf if the shelving is reinforced. Steel shelving is available in different styles, including adjustable shelves, both closed and open.
Pallet racks
Pallet rack are essential for organizing heavy loads on shelves in rows, with key benefits including enhanced storage density, increased efficiency, and the ability to customize solutions to meet your facility’s unique warehouse storage needs. Pallet rack systems are typically custom-made for a specific facility.
Mobile aisle shelving
Mobile aisle shelving combines high-density storage with flexibility. These custom-engineered shelving solutions use a floor track system to create aisles for easy access to stored items. Units can be easily and conveniently moved to open an aisle and then moved again to condense it.
Flow racks
Pallet flow racks and carton flow racks represent another type of shelving option. Flow systems consist of a rack structure and flow rails, which allow loads to be moved easily to unloading areas. Key advantages of flow rack storage systems include enhanced efficiency, more product storage than fixed rack systems, and improved safety.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Industrial Shelving
There are many factors that warehouse managers should be weighing when it comes to choosing the right type of industrial shelving for their facility. Some of the key considerations to weigh include:
- Weight capacity: Consider the types of materials that your shelving will need to be handled and the various shelving solutions available. Various options are rated to handle different weight limits.
- Space efficiency: Your warehouse’s layout will also play a considerable role in the type of storage solution that’s best for your facility. For instance, are you looking to maximize space vertically? Or horizontally? Or both? There’s an ideal solution for everything.
- Accessibility: One of the key benefits of the right type of shelving solution is the ability to streamline productivity by maximizing organization and accessibility.
- Flexibility and scalability:Is the shelving system you’re considering fixed or flexible? If you’re planning to scale up your business over time, it can behoove you to invest in a more flexible storage solution that can be easily adjusted as your business grows.
Maximizing Storage Capacity with Custom Shelving Solutions
Each warehouse is unique, and it should be the goal of warehouse managers to tailor their shelving solutions to meet any unique layouts or cater to any specific safety requirements. Some tips for maximizing storage capacity with shelving solutions include:
- If you can’t add more shelving on the warehouse floor, consider adding it vertically.
- Reducing aisle width can help fit more items in less space. Mobile aisle shelving is an ideal solution to achieve this goal.
- Automated storage and retrieval systems can streamline productivity, enhance safety, and maximize available storage space.
- Store items by their size to improve space utilization and make it easier to locate them.
Safety Considerations for Industrial Shelving
One of the key benefits of the right industrial shelving is that it can help improve safety in the warehouse. However, industrial shelving has to follow various safety best practices. For instance:
- Per OSHA, freestanding shelving cannot be higher than 15 feet.
- Shelving must have a 6:1 depth-to-height ratio.
- All shelving should be labeled with load capacity.
In addition to meeting these safety requirements, it’s always a good idea to store heavier items on lower shelves, train warehouse associates on how to safely access and utilize the shelving, and how to properly inspect and perform routine maintenance on the various types of shelving.
Benefits of Investing in Quality Shelving Systems
When it comes to industrial shelving, you often get what you pay for. Investing in a quality solution, such as those offered by A-Lined, will provide the durability, safety, and organizational benefits that good shelving solutions should. Good shelving solutions also have safety benefits, reducing damage to stored goods and improving productivity via better overall organization.
Choosing the Best Shelving for Your Warehouse
For more information on industrial shelving, your options, and the pros and cons of each shelving solution, contact A-Lined Handling Systems today. We offer a variety of storage solutions and can also create custom solutions to help meet your facility’s unique needs.