Are you having a challenge storing long and bulky items? Cantilever racking might just be the solution you are looking for. This smart storage system aids you in organising any heavy or awkward materials with much ease, saving space and boosting efficiency. Let us have a look at the advantages that racking will bring to your business. Let’s start!
Figure no 1 Cantilever racking
1) What Is Cantilever Racking?
Cantilever racking is a type of storage system designed to store long, large, and odd-shaped items. Unlike shelving, it doesn’t have front columns, which provide unobstructed access to place or remove large items such as pipes, wooden planks, or steel bars.
Well, the design is open and robust, which is ideal for items that won’t fit on conventionally shaped shelves. Whether loading by hand or using a forklift, cantilever racks simplify the process.
Figure no 2 What is Cantilever racking
- Cantilever racking has three main parts:
- Base: It is the bottom of the rack which bears the entire structure and keeps the rack upright.
- Uprights: These are the vertical columns designed to hold the weight of the items stored.
- Arms: These elements extend from the uprights and serve as shelves. You can set your objects on these arms.
To enhance stability and balance, some racks incorporate additional bracing between the uprights.
- How Cantilever Racking Works
The system is quite straightforward. You put the items on the arms directly. Since there are no vertical barriers at the front, effortless loading and unloading of materials can be done. This design is ideal for storing long, wide, or awkwardly shaped items.
The arms can easily be adjusted according to the item’s dimensions. Some arms can even be repositioned to different slots or exchanged for shorter or longer versions. This flexibility caters to different storage needs in the future.
For those managing bulk goods, cantilever racks are greatly beneficial. This racking system further enhances organisation and saves for more valuable time.
2) Types of Cantilever Racks
To meet individual storage needs, cantilever racks come in different types. The choice you make will depend on what you plan to store and the available space. Here are the primary types.
i) Single-Sided Cantilever Racks
These racks have arms on one side only. Therefore, they can be placed against a wall to save space. Well, they are ideal when access is only needed from one side. This system is very useful when the items stored are long but quite light.
Figure no 3 Types of Cantilever racking
ii) Double-Sided Cantilever Racks
Double-sided racks have arms on both sides of the upright. These racks can be placed in the centre of the room, allowing access from both sides. This gives you more storage space while achieving easy loading and unloading of items.
iii) Light Duty Cantilever Racks
Light-duty cantilever racks are designed to carry lighter items such as plastic pipes, small wooden planks, or aluminium strips. These racks are best suited for small shops, garages, or light storage facilities.
iv) Medium-Duty Cantilever Racks
Medium-duty racks can bear greater weights, like lumber, metal sheets, and even rolled carpet. They are supportive and stable, though not quite as bulky as Heavy-Duty racks. These racks are often found in warehouses and workshops.
v) Heavy-Duty Cantilever Racks
These are built for the toughest storage jobs and can be used for housing steel bars, large timber beams, or heavy pipes. The racks are made out of thick steel, which makes heavy weight far easier than bending or breaking.
Make sure to assess your storage needs when selecting the option that best works for you.
3) What Can You Store on Cantilever Racks?
Cantilever racks are useful in storing items that conventional shelves cannot accommodate. Their robust and open structure makes it easy to store long, heavy and irregular-shaped products. Some common examples of storable items include:
- Long Pipes and Bars: To store stealing pipes, PVC pipes and metal bars is no hassle at all. These items are usually heavy and long, so the strong arms of cantilever racks can support them easily without obstruction in the front.
- Lumber and Wooden Planks: Cantilever racks also support timber yards and furniture shops. The open-sided racks allow for the simple loading and picking of wooden boards or planks of varying lengths.
- Metal Sheets: Cantilever racks keep flat items secure as well, making them versatile. Metal sheets and panels can easily be arranged and stacked for quick access.
- Furniture and carpets: Along with flat-packed furniture, bulky items such as rolled carpets and mattresses can also be held vertically on cantilever racks. This keeps space organised due to the products being stored horizontally and the wide open arms as support.
- Any Bulky or Odd-Shaped Items: Cantilever racks are exceptional for any oversized or irregular-shaped items, as they are highly flexible. Anything from crates to pipes can easily be placed on the racks.
Cantilever racks provide a convenient solution for tricky items difficult to store.
4) Where Are Cantilever Racks Used?
Because cantilever racks allow the safe and efficient storage of long, heavy, or bulky items, they are many places. Different businesses benefit from their open design and strong build. Here are a few of them:
Figure no 4 Uses of Cantilever racking
- Warehouses: Cantilever racks help stores organise materials like pipes, metal bars, wood planks, etc. They make it possible to find an item and pick it up at once, which saves time and energy. You know, space and organisation are also very important in warehouses.
- Manufacturing Units: Plastic pipes, steel rods, wooden boards, etc., are always kept ready for production in the manufacturing units. These racks, designed for heavy loads, are a must in busy workshops. Moreover, raw materials for book production are often kept on cantilever racks.
- Hardware Stores: Hardware shops order lines of various products, including long pipes, tubes and lumber. With these racks, they can easily reach the stock without clutter.
- Showrooms for Furniture: Furniture showrooms typically pose a problem in that they contain oversized goods like mattresses, wooden panels, and carpets rolled up into cylindrical shapes. These large pieces can be stored and displayed using cantilever racks that do not block the line of sight and do not make the space cramped.
- Construction Material Yards: Construction sites and supply yards use cantilever racks in order to store heavy materials, notably steel beams, wood planks, and concrete pipes. These racks also store the materials off the ground, thereby protecting them from damage.
Businesses that deal with large materials can save space and organise better by using cantilever racks as they are flexible, strong and useful when dealing with safely storing bulky and long items.
5) Benefits of Cantilever Racking
If you are storing long, bulky or even irregularly shaped items, Cantilever racking would be an ideal option. It has various benefits that simplify work, making it the ideal storage system. The important benefits include:
a) Easy Retrieval of Goods
Cantilever racks have no front pillars, which obstruct access to goods, thus having unobstructed access to items. So, items can be loaded or unloaded with ease from the arms, which is very efficient. This is very useful when loads have to be moved using forklifts or even manually.
b) Space Efficient
Cantilever racks optimise vertical space efficiently. They help maintain order in the storage areas due to the organisation of items in vertical stacks, which allows the items to be retrieved without consuming floor space. They improve organisation because long and bulky items can be stored both vertically and horizontally.
c) Storage of Long and Bulky items
This racking system is specifically designed to carry heavy loads and long objects. Cantilever racks have the strength to handle items like pipes, lumber, metal sheets, and even furniture. Unlike traditional shelves, they are designed to retain awkward shapes, ensuring that various loads can be placed on them.
d) Contoured Storage
The arms of cantilever racks enable full adjustability to arms that can be moved and arranged in different configurations. This means that the setup can be changed to accommodate evolving storage requirements. This offers the flexibility to store different products without incurring additional costs for a new system.
e) Strong and Durable
Sustaining rugged environments for long periods, vertically mounted cantilever racks are an exceptional investment for any business due to their heavy-duty steel construction, high-grade metal frames, and grit-resistant accessories.
f) Customizable
All cantilever racks are customizable based on client needs, from height, arm length, to loading capacity. With these options, an ideal level of customisation to meet the specific requirements is ensured.
Because of these features, an organised arrangement of items and smart storage for large and bulky materials is accomplished.
6) Drawbacks of Cantilever Racking
The highly durable, effective structure and distributed weight balance have made cantilever racking a widely popular storage system, but it does come with considerations to take in while making a final decision.
Figure no 5 Drawbacks of Cantilever racking
! Not Ideal for Small Items: Cantilevers are typically used for holding oversized or lengthy products. They do not come with tiny shelves or compartments, thus they are unsuitable for parts and small boxes. Small items, without proper containers, can get misplaced or fall off.
! Can Be Costly: Cantilever racks tend to be pricier than basic shelving. Heavy-duty cantilever racks are not constructed from basic wood; rather, they use strong steel designed to sustain heavy loads, making the initial cost high. If you require customised dimensions, the price tends to increase even further.
! Needs Proper Space: Cantilever racks fill a given vertical space but require horizontal space to fit the arms. If your storage area is limited, tight, or overcrowded, these racks may not fit well, complicating movement.
! May Require Trained Workers for Installation: Setting up cantilever racking tends to follow a discrete sequence of tasks due to safety and stability needs. It is advisable to hire trained personnel during setup so that the proper sequence is followed as needed, since unstructured attempts may cause a lot of problems.
While cantilever racking is favourable for bulky items, it can pose a challenge when storing small goods, limited spaces, and constrained budgets. Keeping these arguments in mind can assist in determining whether the system is suitable for your requirements.
7) Tips Before Choosing Cantilever Racking
How well you organise and store your materials can change drastically with the right cantilever racking system. The following pointers are specifically designed to address your needs and preferences.
- Understand What You’re Storing
Before acquiring cantilever racks, consider what type of items you want to store with them. Are you considering using the racks to store long pipes, wooden planks, or heavy metal sheets? This ensures you make the right selection regarding the racks that can bear the weight and dimensions of your materials.
- Evaluate the Space Needed
Measure the designated area you have set out for the installation of the racks. Cantilever systems require significant space around them to freely allow access to the systems. Ensure there is enough uncluttered room for forklifts and other working staff to navigate safely.
- Picking the Correct Kind and Size
Various types of cantilever racks exist, such as single-sided or double-sided, as well as light, medium, or heavy-duty. Select the type that works best for your space as well as the items you store in it. Furthermore, confirm that all arms and uprights match the length as well as the weight of the materials being stored.
- Consider Possible Future Changes
Over time, the storage requirements for your business may change. Therefore, consider going with an adjustable rack system that can be easily expanded later on. That way, you’ll avoid the need to purchase a new system in case your business outgrows your existing setup or changes its products.
- Reach Out for Expert Assistance if Required
If you still have doubts about which cantilever rack will suit you best, feel free to reach out to the experts.. They can assist you in picking the correct system, sizing it, and setting it up. This helps you save money while avoiding potential issues down the line.
Following these suggestions will assist you in finding a cantilever racking system that serves your needs and requirements now and in the years to come.
8) Conclusion
Well, we saw that cantilever racking is an innovative storage system for large, heavy, or long items. It facilitates accessibility, economises space, and is customizable. Even though it is not ideal for tight spaces or small items, the advantages still outnumber the drawbacks. So, if organised material handling systems are what you’re after, then flexible cantilever racking systems are worth considering for your facility.
