Differences Between U.S. Shelves and Chinese Shelves

The primary differences between American tray-style shelving and Chinese shelves are as follows:

High standardization level

In the U.S. and Canada, almost all shelf hole patterns are universal (teardrop shape), greatly facilitating customer use and component selection. This means nearly all components are interchangeable. Currently in China, there are numerous shelf manufacturing companies, many with different hole patterns that are not universal. Even in the production base of Nanjing, the hole patterns may appear similar at first glance, but subtle differences still exist, and the compatibility needs further improvement.

2. Different structural designs

In the U.S., there is a higher incidence of full-welded shelf pillars, although this does increase transportation costs, it also eliminates the need for on-site assembly, thus saving a significant amount of labor costs.

Another distinction in column design is that Americans prioritize practicality over aesthetics. When shelf columns bear a heavy load, American designers often add a column or rectangular tube焊接 at the bottom 2 to 3 meters to enhance the load-bearing capacity. In China, such a situation is generally not well-received by customers due to its unattractive appearance. Everyone prefers a uniform column from top to bottom. The pursuit of aesthetics often results in waste of steel, as the top of the shelf does not require such a large cross-section, as the load-bearing capacity of the top column is minimal.

3. Differences in Racking Surface Treatment

In China, almost all shelf surfaces are electrostatic powder coated, while some American companies opt for baked paint surface treatment.