Planning the warehouse layout for industrial shelving
Planning warehouse space for storage of materials and products must be a straightforward process with a blank canvass to start the work with. An ideal design for a warehouse should suit the requirements of the business and should consider the products that are being produced which require storage, the materials being used in production as well as how often they have to be accessed. It also makes sense to consider whether the products have limited storage life or if the company employs FIFO (first in, first out) or LIFO (last in, first out) practices. If industrial shelving will be implemented, will it make significance improvements in functionality and will it optimize available warehouse space? Will it speed up loading and unloading or will it accommodate high volume storage? It is important to look carefully into the storage requirements because making a mistake will be costly.
Redesigning space for an existing warehouse
In some instances, a warehouse needs to be redesigned because the business has expanded and more storage space is required. With the new storage requirements, existing industrial shelving and racking may not be adequate to address the need. It would be a good opportunity to make an assessment to reduce manual handling of goods as well as minimize the distance that the goods have to travel from the loading bay to the designated storage area. If there are materials with rapid turnover, they should be stored in an area where there is ease of access with materials that are not frequently accessed stored further away. Rack systems that are configured to be disassembled and reused can be adjusted in an elevated manner so that they can accommodate more goods. However, there would be a need for special handling equipment for loads that have to be stored in the higher shelves. Aside from forklift trucks, electric pallet stackers can be used to loading and unloading.
How to make a choice for industrial shelving
The choice for industrial shelving depends upon the materials that have to be stored. Wood storage shelving is ideal for dry foods and packaged goods because it can provide the protection from heat and moisture. Wood is also impervious to rust and corrosion and it can be used as storage for parts and equipment. On the other hand, steel storage shelving is exceptionally strong and durable for heavy loads. For example 16-gauge steel industrial shelving can hold loads up to 2000 pounds. For loads that are heavier than 2000 pounds, the 20-gauge steel is a better option. Technology has also improved the development of steel shelving that is corrosion and rust-resistant.