Choosing the right industrial shelves for your business equipment

Whether you have a small storeroom or a huge warehouse, it's likely your company relies on some form of sturdy industrial shelves to store stock, equipment or other items used in your business. 

Choosing the right industrial shelves can not only make the most of the space you have, it can also help improve the efficiency of your operations, says Fred Mehl from Display and Rack Systems.

"Efficient storage provides a real operational cost benefit, increasing efficiency, decreasing labour and time costs and reducing the footprint of whatever you need to store," says Fred.

"But you need to make sure the system is designed correctly for your needs, from the ground up, so it is important to get professional advice." 

Types of systems

There are many types of industrial shelves available today, but the key types include: 

• Steel shelving: good for office storage. A compactor system can reduce the amount of space required by one-third.

• Long-span shelving: a heavy-duty shelving system for 'hand stack' applications. Some types carry a weight–load-per-shelf level of up to 500 kilograms. It is an economical alternative to pallet racking, often used by small businesses. Shelves can be made of wood, MDF or heavy-duty steel.

• Pallet racking: used in warehouses together with a fork lift, pallet-racking systems can be custom made to suit long lengths of pipe, timber or steel.

• Cube storage systems: these make the most of the height of your premises (reaching as much as 12 metres high), but have a very small footprint. 

• Cantilever racks: some items cannot fit into conventional racking systems. Cantilever racks can provide a more suitable solution for long items while still utilising a similar floor area.

Issues to consider

• What load will the industrial shelves carry?
• Do the shelf levels need to be adjustable, to give you extra flexibility?
• Are the shelving units available in a variety of sizes, allowing you to make the most of your space?
• How hard wearing is the finish? Some industrial shelves are finished in chrome; others are plain steel, zinc or powder coated.
• Does the system come with accessories such as wire hooks, dividers, post clamps, rod hangers or wheels? These can help you make even more of the space provided by your new shelves.
• Are the industrial shelves fire and corrosion resistant?
• Is the system expandable, should your needs change?
• Can your supplier advise on layout and design and guarantee their work?
• Do your shelves need to meet specific OH&S regulatory requirements or Australian standards (for steel storage racking, for example)?

Industrial shelves that are chosen to match your exact needs provide many benefits. So don't delay any longer - talk to a local industrial shelves specialist today and get your business premises properly sorted at last.