If you are looking for a suitable storage solution, there are numerous types of racking, or shelving, commercially available to suit any type of storage requirement. The first thing to do when selecting shelving is to determine the approximate size and weight of the individual items you are intending to store, and then to work out how much space you have available to accommodate the racking.
It important to know the approximate size and weight of the items you are going to store because an item can be large but very light in weight, or smaller but relatively heavy, which consequently will determine the type of shelving you need to select. Regarding the potential storage space you have available, it is important to note; not only how much horizontal floor space you have, but also how much vertical space there is too, because vertical space can also be used for storage if you use mezzanine racking, which is explained in more detail below.
Once you have determined the nature of the items to be stored and the size of your available space, you can start looking at suitable types of racking. Some major types of racking are: bolted and bolt-less, pallet, mini racking, mezzanine, and a versatile system called Racklock racking, which can be static or mobile, drive in/through, push backs, and live in application. Bolted racking is a form of racking widely used both industrially and commercially because it is very strong. With bolted racking, the individual shelves are bolted to the frame and this makes for a sturdy structure. Bolt-less racking utilizes clips instead of bolts which makes this type of shelving highly adjustable. Pallet racking is designed for the storage of items on pallets with a variety of sizes and weights, and as such, comes in different sizes and lengths to fit various storage items.
Another type of bolted racking is mini racking which caters for lighter items that may be bulky, and is cheaper than pallet racking but still strong enough to bear weights of up to 4 tons. Then there is mezzanine racking, which is an extremely versatile type of racking because it can take the form of multi-tier installations that utilizes space vertically rather than horizontally. The great thing about mezzanine racking is that it is much cheaper to install than building more storage space which will increase your overall horizontal floor space but does nothing about vertical space that could potentially be used for storage. Mezzanine racking is made of steel reinforced to accommodate stacked loads and, if required, the mezzanine structure can be constructed in such a way as to provide for additional office space or store rooms. Racklock shelves are suitable for many kinds of pallet racking systems ranging from mobile and live automation to tall, narrow-rise and raised storage systems with a potential for adjustment that makes it a highly versatile type of racking. What is more, the Racklock beams lock firmly against the upright sides for better distribution of weight and increased rigidity.
With such a wide variety of types of racking and their various applications available on the market, as well as the potential for combining different racking types, there is a solution out there for any kind of storage need.
