To most people, racks and shelves are probably functionally identical – they’re both just storage, right? And to some extent, that is the case. Still, suppose your business has reached the point where you need warehouse or storage space. In that case, you could try Self Storage Dudley and visit a site such as https://www.anchorselfstorage.co.uk/self-storage/dudley/ The difference between racking and shelving is crucial if you’re trying to maximise the use of your space.
Using the correct solution for your actual usage can help you make the most of your space, which means making the most of your money. Here are some tips to help determine the best solution for your storage needs.
Benefits of Pallet Racking
Pallet racking looks like shelving to the untrained eye, but it is missing the solid ‘shelf’ component, consisting of only beams and uprights. Racking is usually deeper than shelving, the same depth as a standard pallet, and stacks much higher than shelving, letting you vastly increase storage space without increasing floor space.
Racking can have these benefits because it only works with pallets placed directly onto it. This means that pallet racking solutions require mechanised warehouses, as forklifts are needed to place pallets on racks, especially to take advantage of the higher tiers of racking. Pallet racking is ideal if your warehouse deals with large or bulk-packed items.
Racking is unsuitable for smaller or loose items, as there is no physical shelf to place things. Because of the added depth and height, it is unlikely to be beneficial for warehouses to rely on picking individual items ‘by hand.’
If your business deals with many pallet goods, consider investing in some pallet racking to make the most of your warehouse space.
When to Use Shelves Instead
If your warehouse or storage unit relies on manually picking individual or smaller items, shelves are the better solution. Pallet racking is not intended to be accessed ‘by hand’ and will offer little to no benefit to some types of business.
For storage spaces and loose inventory, pallet racking is also entirely unsuitable, and shelves would be required. It is guaranteed that your business will use some shelving, but you could save a lot of space, time, and money over time through a relatively small investment in pallet racking if your business deals with a lot of pallet-packed goods.