The Purpose and Significance of Shelves, Mention shelves and most people are already quite familiar with them. From the ancient Chinese medicine shops' cabinets to the various shelves used in modern shopping malls and stores, to the steel or more advanced materials used in large-scale storage warehouses, they are all things that are well-known to many. However, when delving deeper into the professional aspect of shelves, perhaps not many people are aware of it.
Shelving categories can be divided into the following types based on size:
1. Heavy-duty pallet racking: Made from cold-rolled steel sheets rolled into shape, the columns can reach up to 6 meters in height without any seams in the middle. The beams are made of square steel, offering high bearing capacity and resistance to deformation. The connecting pieces between the beams and columns are cylindrical protrusions that fit into each other, ensuring reliable connections and easy assembly and disassembly. Lock pins are used to prevent the beams from being lifted by forklifts during operation. The entire racks are treated with processes such as acid washing, phosphatization, and electrostatic painting, providing corrosion and rust resistance and an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Suitable for large warehouses.
2. Medium-duty Racking: The medium-duty racks feature an elegant design with a reasonable structure, are easy to assemble and disassemble without the need for screws, and are robust and durable with high load-bearing capacity. They are widely used in shopping malls, supermarkets, corporate warehouses, and public institutions.
3. Lightweight Shelving: The lightweight perforated shelving is a highly versatile structural system, widely applicable for assembling light-duty material racks, workbenches, trolleys, hanging systems, safety guards, and support frames. The perforated angle steel can be quickly cut to length by gauge, assembled with screws at will, adjusted, and reinstalled, thus meeting both carefully planned and emergency usage needs.
4. Loft Shelves: Featuring a full assembly structure, these shelves can be constructed with materials such as wood boards, decorative panels, and steel plates for the deck. They offer flexibility in designing two-story and multi-story configurations, making them ideal for storing small packaged items of hardware tools, electronic equipment, and mechanical components. Efficiently utilize space for a variety of goods in small batches.
5. Special Racks: Including mold racks, oil drum racks, slotted shelves, mesh racks, scissor lifts, and mesh partitions, a total of six categories. The racks can be divided into several types based on their suitability and external features:
6. High-Bay Racking: Technically imported from Germany, featuring excellent assembly, high load-bearing capacity, and strong stability. The racking is made of cold and hot rolled steel plates.
7. Walk-in Racking: Designed for storing large quantities of similar pallet goods. Pallets are stacked one after another along the depth direction on support guides, increasing storage density and enhancing space utilization. This type of racking is commonly used in expensive storage spaces such as cold storage warehouses. The walk-in racking consists of four basic components: frame, guide rail support, pallet guide, and diagonal bracing, etc. It boasts high warehouse utilization, allowing for FIFO (First In, First Out) or LIFO (Last In, First Out) systems. Suitable for storing bulk quantities of few types of goods with batch operations. It can provide larger storage capacity in a smaller space. It is suitable for storing goods in bulk quantities with few types, requiring less space. Forklifts can directly enter the aisles for loading and unloading, making operations convenient. Equipment requirements: Counterbalance forklifts or stacker racks are characteristics: suitable for storage with lower inventory turnover; offering 20%-30% of optional space; used in warehouses with lower pick rates. Ground usage: 60%, high (subject to calculations based on the above design)
Rack Shelves: A popular and economical storage solution, known for its safety and convenience, suitable for various warehouses and direct goods handling. It's both simple and widely used, maximizing space utilization. The easy-to-use tray handling method is well-coordinated with forklifts, enhancing operational efficiency. Equipment requirements: Counterbalanced forklifts or stackers. Stacker usage can increase ground space utilization by 30%, with an operational height of over 16 meters. The features of rack shelves include smooth inventory turnover, providing 100% selection capability, improving average picking rates, and offering product protection. Ground utilization rate: 31%, slightly low (dependent on the above design calculations). Gravity Flow Shelves: Compared to standard pallet racks, they do not require operational aisles, thus increasing space utilization by 60%. Pallet handling follows specific principles, enabling automatic storage rotation. Separating the storage and picking processes significantly boosts output. Due to gravity-assisted sliding of goods and the absence of operational aisles, this design reduces transportation routes and the number of forklifts.
