Hand-loaded storage for small parts, spares and slow movers. The right answer when a pallet rack would be overkill.
Plenty of operations put small boxes on pallet racking because it is what they already have. It works, but it wastes an enormous amount of space.
Shelving is sized for what a person can carry. Shelf levels adjust in small increments, so you set them to your actual box height rather than losing half a bay to fresh air. Add bins and dividers and a single shelf becomes a dozen separate pick locations.
Two decisions matter more than the rest. Boltless assembles and reconfigures quickly and suits most storerooms. Bolted is stronger and better where loads are heavy or the run is long. Open shelving is cheaper and easier to reach into; closed shelving with back and side panels stops stock pushing through into the next aisle.
Because people work at it all day, layout matters more than steel. Fast moving lines belong between knee and shoulder height, slow movers above and below. Tall runs still need anchoring and, above certain heights, restraint against tipping, which is easy to overlook on something that looks this simple.
Shelving is configured to the product and the person picking it. These are typical ranges, not fixed limits.
| Specification | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Loading | By hand. No forklift required |
| Shelf Capacity | Commonly 200 to 800 lb per shelf, evenly distributed |
| Shelf Levels | Adjustable in small increments, typically 1 to 2 in |
| Unit Height | Commonly 6 to 10 ft, taller with restraint and access equipment |
| Assembly | Boltless for speed and reconfiguring, bolted for heavier duty |
| Configuration | Open for access, closed with panels to stop push-through |
| Accessories | Bins, dividers, drawers, label strips, back stops |
| Anchoring | Tall or narrow runs need floor anchoring and tip restraint |
| Best Suited To | Spares, small parts, slow movers, stock rooms, mezzanine decks |
Figures are typical, not a specification. Bring a sample box or bin to the assessment and we will size the shelf pitch around it.
Shelving is the least glamorous system we supply and often the one that pays back fastest. The test is simple: can a person lift it.
For small parts this is both the cheapest and the most usable option.
Sorting out a stock room? Book a free site assessment and bring a sample box so we can set the shelf pitch around it.
Shelving is for what a person can lift. Past that it is the wrong tool.
Try selective for palletised stock, carton flow for high volume picking, or cantilever for long loads.
Boltless for most storerooms. It goes up quickly, needs no tools beyond a rubber mallet, and shelf levels move in minutes when your stock changes. Bolted is stiffer and better suited to heavier loads, long unbroken runs, or anywhere the shelving takes knocks. If you expect to reconfigure often, boltless will save you more than the price difference.
Open is cheaper and easier to reach into from either side. Closed adds back and side panels, which stops items being pushed through into the next aisle and keeps dust down. Back-to-back runs in a busy stock room are usually worth closing.
Commonly 200 to 800 lb per shelf, evenly distributed. The phrase that matters is evenly distributed. A single heavy item in the middle of a shelf loads it very differently from the same weight spread across it, which is where sagging shelves usually come from.
Tall or narrow runs do, and this is the thing most often skipped because shelving looks harmless. A unit loaded heavily at the top with light stock below can tip, particularly if someone climbs it. We anchor tall runs to the floor and add restraint where the height to depth ratio calls for it.
Yes, and it is one of the most common fit-outs for a mezzanine deck. The deck load rating has to account for it, so tell us at design stage rather than after the mezzanine is engineered, since adding a shelving load afterwards can mean revisiting the drawings.
The systems most often used alongside or instead of shelving.
