Racking is a modular and expandable storage system that’s primarily suited to heavy, bulky items that are most often palletised, as it’s designed to be forklift-accessible.
Cantilever racking consists of upright columns spaced out between bracing with cantilevered arms coming off the column. Completely customisable with various heights, depths and bracing sizes available, it’s ideal for storing long and heavy goods as there are no obstructions across the arm levels. Configured as single entry or double-sided the possibilities are endless!
Pallet racking is better for storing pallets or stock cages. It requires horizontal beams for each level, which are connected to a braced upright frame. Racking is popular in larger warehouse spaces as it allows for more vertical storage space and can be configured to access items easily.
On the other hand, industrial shelving is usually designed at the human scale — and can even be used as a work surface, in the case of a longspan workbench. Unlike pallet racking or cantilever racking, industrial shelving isn’t designed for storing pallets, and it’s better suited for lighter items or items that need to be easily seen and accessible. Global Industrial offers specific fixtures made for businesses, like coolroom shelving for refrigerated storage, and gondola shelving for retail.
Both racking and shelving have benefits and drawbacks, and the right choice will depend on your business’s specific needs and requirements.
Cantilever Racking
What types of products should be stored in cantilever racking?
Cantilever racking is best suited for storing items that are long, bulky, or awkward in shape. Think of timber, steel, lumber, beams, pipes, and flatpack furniture. Cantilever storage provides personnel and forklift operators easy access to items.
It becomes especially useful for items that are not easily stackable, provided that the right safeguards are in place to prevent rolling (Such as our end stop spigots).
Advantages of cantilever racking include:
- Increased storage capacity compared to traditional industrial shelving.
- The ability to store items of varying lengths, as the arms and bracing can be adjusted to accommodate different sizes.
- Easy access to stored items, as there are no horizontal beams or supports to obstruct the view.
- The ability to store heavy items, as the long arms can support significant weight.
Disadvantages of cantilever racking include:
- Navigating safety requirements legislation, requiring expert knowledge.
- A higher initial investment compared to traditional industrial shelving.
- The need for careful planning and installation, as the system must be properly installed to FEM 10.2.09 standard, which states it must be anchored to the floor to ensure stability.
- Items can be damaged if they are not properly loaded on the arms.
Pallet Racking
What types of items are best suited to pallet racking?
Pallet racking is a type of shelving specifically designed for warehouse storage. It utilises horizontal beams and vertical uprights to support the weight of the pallets and their contents. Pallet racking is a popular choice as racking for warehouses because it allows for efficient use of space and easy access to stored items. It can be formatted to be FIFO (first in first out), FILO (first in last out), Double Deep or Selective Pallet Racking, just to name a few.
Advantages of pallet racking include:
- Increased storage and weight capacity compared to other types of shelving.
- The ability to store items of varying sizes and weights, as the beams and uprights can be adjusted to accommodate different loads.
- Easy access to stored items on pallets, skids or in cages.
- Reduced manual handling injuries when using a pallet jack.
Disadvantages of pallet racking include:
- A higher initial investment, compared to other types of shelving.
- Navigating safety requirements legislation, requiring expert knowledge.
- The need for careful planning and installation as the system must be properly installed to AS 4084-2012 standard, which states it must be anchored to the floor to ensure stability.
- The risk of damage from forklifts, especially in tight spaces.
Industrial Shelving
What types of products are more suited to industrial shelving?
Traditional industrial shelving is best suited for storing lighter items that can be stacked on one another. This storage solution is often used in retail, hospitality and office settings for stock storage, archiving and easy access to smaller equipment. Global Industrial also stocks a range of accessories such as drawers and inserts to keep your space organised.
Advantages of traditional industrial shelving include:
- Lower capex compared to cantilever racking
- The ability to store items of varying sizes, as the shelves can be adjusted to accommodate different heights.
- Easy to install – in most cases, industrial shelving does not require a professional as long as the installation guide is adhered to.
- Available in a range of configurations to suit spaces in smaller businesses
Disadvantages of traditional industrial shelving include:
- Limited storage capacity as shelving is usually much shorter than racking
- Usually not suitable for very heavy or bulky items, compared to the load tolerances of industrial racking systems.
- RUT shelving has limited spacing configurability
- Weight tolerances for rivet shelving make it unsuitable for heavy industry (where longspan is recommended)
Which shelving solution is right for your warehouse?
When deciding between racking and industrial shelving, it is important to consider the requirements of your business, but also your growth strategy. Standard shelving might be right for your office or storeroom, but you will quickly run low on space in a high-traffic warehouse storage situation.
Racking might be more suitable if you’re looking to store bulky items, long items and things that roll, or have a fairly homogeneous inventory. Being secured to the floor with anchor points is more costly upfront and may require you to get the permission of your commercial building owner.
It costs nothing to have a discussion with a Global Industrial representative about how to maximise efficiency and safety in your workplace with the right storage solution. Reach out for a chat with your local rep via the contact us button in the banner.
