Today, an industrial racking system is absolutely necessary in industry. Think about it: with automation we produce more products and more storage space is needed.
Shelving is very closely linked to the industrial environment, historically it has always been the ideal way for storing products and materials.
Relevant processes such as production, logistics, transportation and, above all, storage, depend on the optimization offered by industrial shelving.
Today, industrial shelving and racking has evolved enormously thanks to the technological potential of robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer science. Each of them have contributed to building the transition bridge between manual and automated storage.
What is industrial racking system?
Industrial shelving is a group of metal structures destined to store goods, products and materials.
The modern industrial shelf, in addition to storing things, also serves as a support to arrange products in order to later transport them.
The configuration of the racking system will define the space within the industrial warehouse, establishing a network of corridors in order to handle the stored objects.
Industrial shelving is usually made up of load beams or shelf panels, support crossbars, row spacers and protectors.
Why is it important to have industrial storage shelves?
Storage is a key point in the industrial industry, as it’s the main result of organization and management. Storage helps safeguard the integrity of a company’s material assets in order to benefit from its market value.
Storage requires a physical base in order to exist. Initially, that base is provided by industrial warehouses. However, the interior of these facilities alone is insufficient to store correctly, as there isn’t a precise and safe way to protect the goods.
As a result, industrial shelves were created to correct the internal insufficiency of industrial warehouses, ensuring the well-being and preservation of the merchandise.
Likewise, industrial racking system is designed to exploit the maximum storage capacity of an industrial warehouse, since its metal structures can be more than 10 meters high.
In addition to the above, through storage shelving and racking systems it’s possible to reduce the number of staff members in charge of storage as well as transport and delivery time.
Industrial storage classification
Currently there are various types of industrial shelving and racking systems, their classification depends on the storage or technique system.
Pallet racking is one of the most common types in the industrial environment, characterized by storing products on pallets and presenting a structure with horizontal load beams, instead of trays.
Focusing on the storage mechanism, industrial racking can be classified in the following way:
Manual storage systems
Manual storage systems are all those that require the direct handling of the storage personnel to fulfill their function.
This is the traditional way, used to store merchandise, documents and any type of company belongings.
Despite its traditional characteristics, warehouse staff members can use loading machinery to position heavy goods high up on the racking or shelving systems.
Automated storage system
Automated storage systems are the other side to storage mechanics. Therefore, its structure is almost completely independent from human intervention.
This type of racking represents an innovative system created to optimize storage as much as possible. It is achieved by cleverly manipulating the positioning and order of products, which also increases safety within the industrial environment.
The author of the automated shelving is a logistics software that controls the products using robotic equipment, with functions similar to elevators, conveyor belts, etc.
Considerations when dismantling industrial storage systems
According to regulation, racks and shelves must be fixed exclusively to the industrial floor slab, without leaning on the walls.
In addition, there must be a rigid connection between the industrial flooring and the racks base plates, therefore, the usage of screws and mounting brackets is preferred.
However, when carrying out a restoration of an industrial warehouse such as the renovation of its flooring, the screws and brackets must be removed after disassembling the racks.
Industrial warehouse flooring restorations require that the surface must be free in order to efficiently treat the deteriorated surface.
Being said, to change the configuration of the storage system it’s necessary to remove all screws and mounting brackets in the areas where the flooring will be cleared.
The fact that the flooring serves as a base for the storage systems, reinforces the need to obtain optimal finishes.
Therefore, in industrial buildings, it’s advisable to enhance the strength of the concrete floor and regularize the surface.
The polished concrete BECOSAN® system was designed to meet the most demanding quality standards, in order to create suitable floors for industrial activity.
Industrial racking system
To conclude, you will surely want to know where to acquire these industrial shelving units. Here are 3 top companies that can help you with that.
- Mecalux
- Ar Racking
- Tecny Stand
