Shelving Units

Industrial Shelving Units: An Overview

Industrial shelving units are used ubiquitously in all types of businesses. They are durable and flexible at the same time, which is why they are used by businesses thatare aiming to boost productivity and efficiency while cutting costs by making the best use of the available work space.
The best thing about shelving units is that they provide vertical levels of storage, all the while keeping the goods stored easily accessible. In short, they improve the work process, save money, and improve space utilisation.

Who Uses Shelving Units?

As mentioned above, shelving units are used in almost all types of businesses. Even in offices, these sturdy and durable storage units are installed for organissation and data management. Files and documents are stored at one place from where they can be retrieved for future reference without any hassle. This also boosts worker productivity.

But our interest lies in the shelving units designed exclusively for industries where heavy objects need to be stored. For instance, an automotive garage or a car part warehouse will obviously need shelving units to store items like tools, tires, and spare parts in an organised manner.

Similarly, construction businesses and workshops, no matter their size, require storage units like shelves and racks to keep small and large equipment in a way that allows workers to pick them out without much difficulty. And then of course, you have the warehouse usage. Warehouses of all types require quality shelving units. But again, this depends on the kind of goods to be stored.
These were some of the major uses of shelving units.

Some Examples of Shelving Units

Shelving units are available in a wide variety. To start off, you have the automated storage and retrieval systems, which are based on computerised systems where items are stored and retrieved automatically. They do not improve inventory rotation, but offer a good return on investment.

Next up, you have roll-out shelving systems, which are helpful for organising bulk quantities in a limited storage space. The goods are stored at multiple levels, but you can always access them without using machinery like forklifts. Efficiency is ensured as you are able to store almost double the goods in the existing work space. Standard roll-out shelves are available easily, while you can also go for customised designs to handle special loads. Some custom designs include mobile storage and cabinets with a locking door.

The most cost-effective and most commonly used of all shelving units, however, is the pallet racking system. In this design, the goods are stored in bulk on pallets, also in the vertical manner. The shelves are easily adjustable, can be placed on varying heights, and can accommodate materials of different sizes and weight. However, forklifts are required for these racks. Some types of pallet racks are:

• Drive-in
• Drive-thru
• Selective pallet racking
• Roll-form
• Pallet flow systems
• Push-back systems
Apart from shelving units listed here, you can find:
• Heavy-duty shelving units
• Cantilever Racking systems
• Mobile material transfer

Once again, the industrial shelving units enable the handling of goods in warehouses easier and they lower costs by making the maximum use of the available storage space. In order to benefit greatly from installing shelving units, you have to consider factors like the type of goods to be stored as well as the physical dimensions of the warehouse.

Benefits of Using Shelving Units

We have noted how diverse industries use shelving units for their storage needs. Let’s go over some benefits of why these materials prove to be effective in an industrial setting.
Of course, shelving units keep things organized. This is especially true of large industries where thousands of goods are stored. You need a system where, on one hand, all the goods are stored in an orderly manner – thereby making good use of the floor space – and on the other hand, making it easier to retrieve them when the need arises without ‘making a mess’.

Even if you have high manpower, there will always be problems of mismanagement – even if they are not deliberate – in the absence of storage facilities like shelving units. For instance, a lot of time will be taken up to locate a specific item, remove it, and place it under inspection. Not only will the overheads get out of hand, but the quality of the products will also be affected. If products are clearly labeled and placed in well-designed shelving units, these problems will easily be avoided.

Do not underestimate the time factor as well. In a time of high sales and even generally as well, goods are moved in and out of the warehouse rapidly. Without shelving units and other management systems, it will take valuable time to go over each product. Thus, industrial shelves save time, especially when they are used in conjunction with M.H.E (Materials Handling Equipment).

Also, don’t dismiss the fact that late or faulty delivery of goods (due to absence of shelving units) may also result in lost sales. Inside the business, these factors also play a part in employee motivation. Without M.H.E and adequate storage facilities, work can become unbearable to the point where your workers would skip procedures just to get things done in time, and this is highly dangerous. Not to mention, a poorly motivated workforce also increases the risk of accidents inside the warehouse.

For these reasons, it is both ethically and legally imperative that business owners maintain storage facilities. Otherwise, they might have to face legal action , which costs both time and money. Not to mention, bad reputation which leads to the loss of customers.

Most importantly, by making your present workspace more efficient with shelving units, you avoid the costs of off-site storage to store your goods.

To sum up, shelves provide a clean image to houses and offices. When it comes to industrial usage however, they actually affect the business’s bottom line.