Proper storage of goods, material and tools is a vital part of any industry, especially in warehousing. It ensures smooth workflow, minimal downtime, easy access to goods, and superior safety. Quality and space efficient industrial shelving systems are the best solution for achieving all of this. From home and garage units to office display and storage shelving, shelves can be found in almost every area (commercial and residential) and they come in many different shapes, sizes and models. Depending on your needs, you can choose either fixed or mobile shelves.
Fixed shelving system
Fixed industrial shelving systems have various advantages. They can be engineered to fit any space and can be disassembled and re-installed if you need to relocate them. They are usually very strong and can withhold very heavy loads. However, with a fixed industrial shelving system, a service aisle is needed for each bank of shelves. This takes up a lot of valuable space that can be used for many other practical uses.
Mobile shelving system
With this type of shelving system, also known as a compactus system, you only need one service aisle. The shelves are positioned on rails and the needed aisle can be created simply by pushing the shelves along the rails. This option allows for an 85% increase in storage capacity in single-tier systems and a 100% increase in multi-tier systems.
There are also some rail-free models you can choose from. In these models, the mobile bases run directly on the floor with the use of a special gear. Their great benefit is a significantly reduced assembly time. Mobile industrial shelving systems are ideal for storage of documents in space limited areas and areas where security is required. Generally, there are three types of mobile shelves. The types are defined by how the system moves.
- The most basic system is the manual system. Pull/Push handles are mounted at the end of each mobile carriage, so you have to either push or pull to create an access aisle.
- Mechanical Assist systems are the most popular and they represent 80% of the marketplace. They turn as a user turns a handle at the end of a carriage.
- Electric Mobile Shelving systems offer push button operation for the fastest access and when they are operated properly, they offer multiple safety systems, which protect the users.
Considering all of these factors, one can conclude that mobile shelving systems offer many options. Therefore, they are more practical to use and are great space savers.
