Stuck with Old Shelving? It's Time to Invest in Modern Solutions

If you're using old shelving systems for storage or warehousing, you may be costing yourself a fortune. The old shelving systems were good enough in their day, but not any more. The fact is that they're inflexible, and have "take it or leave it" specifications which usually only cover pretty basic "cupboard shelf" designs and are space-inefficient. They just can't do some jobs at all, and they're not designed for modern automated picking systems. The new shelving systems like pallet racking are designed to provide multiple options for storage and best use of cubic space and have their own customized systems.

Old Shelving – The Problems

The original designs for the old shelving date back to manual handling days. Some can work with forklifts, but that's about all they can do. They can deteriorate over time, particularly if they're taking heavy loads and have been knocked about a bit by impacts and over strain. The good solid old shelving is usually trustworthy in their weight range, but some of the steel frame/steel shelves combinations can be real OHS issues. Buckling is a common problem in some old shelving systems, which doesn't make handling any easier, or any safer.

There's another problem that's not as obvious – Space management. This tricky issue, where a lot of space can be wasted simply by placement of shelving, and more can be lost thanks to the limitations of load capacity, was the main reason why pallet racks were invented. The old shelves are basically static in terms of cubic capacity, and what they can't take winds up stacked on the floor or in some compromise solution where stores people have to go looking for these things separately, adding to handling time and costing money.

The fact is that stacking things on the floor by definition means that the shelving is inadequate. There's also the major issue of creating possible traffic hazards for forklifts trying to navigate in the storage area, dodging merchandise. At the other end of the scale, some types of shelving result in wasted space because they're too big. A sort of jigsaw puzzle of storage placement usually results, where everything has to be manually picked. Again, it's not exactly efficient.

Pallet Racks – CAD Design and Space Management

The pallet racking concept is based on efficiency. Pallet racks include multiple storage space options and even include their own picking solutions. The pallet racks are all-purpose systems, including modular "designer" systems to make the entire storage process more cost-efficient and a lot safer for warehousing and storage people. These systems are so versatile they can be used for all industries, like food, pharmaceuticals and even in auto industry roles. Pallet rack systems are designed to use available space effectively, and these systems are also adjustable, modular designs which can literally be used in any environment, even archival storage. These systems are designed to allow fast picking, including drive through, narrow space and palletized systems for efficient handling.

If you're getting tired of guessing what your shelving can or can't do, it's time to start looking at better, modern solutions. Check out the pallet racks. You'll be amazed.

Similar Articles:

• Space Saving Tips for your Garage
• Why I Still Need a Water Tank at My Olongapo Home
• Finally, My House is Getting Repainted – The Right Way this Time
• How to Improve the Interior of your Home
• The Best Home Renovations that you can do Yourself