Heavy-Duty Warehouse Shelving VS Medium-Duty Shelves, which to pick? When deciding on what type of warehouse shelving best deserves your hard earned cash, it is critical to understand the difference between the two. Whether it be the heavy duty warehouse shelving units or their less fortified, but highly adaptable and more affordable cousin, the medium duty shelving. Their peculiarities, their hang ups, and their prices are what separates the two.
What are heavy-duty warehouse shelving?
The heavy-duty warehouse shelving system – also, in many cases, labeled as industrial shelving- is generally designed for quick, smart and efficient storage of medium to heavy loads. It is safe and adjustable and can adapt in a pinch to changing business parameters.
These types of systems are normally fully assembled structures in form of beams and metal columns. They are designed with a forklift and other tools in mind, taking into account factors like:
- worker safety;
- ant-collision pillars;
- high-maintenance;
- heavy duty racking;
- forklift safety and maneuverability.
Characteristics of heavy-duty shelving system
Heavy-duty storage shelving units have a couple of key characteristics that make them unique and distinctive:
- Composition: they are normally fully assembled, highly robust units, made out of steel, powder coated steel sheets, galvanized steel, wire decking, and/or wooden beams.
- Structure: industrial heavy-duty shelves are structured in the form of column pieces and beams.
- Reinforcement: this type of racking can be reinforced, including with steel ribs under the panels in order to support much heavier loads.
- Use: they are not only used for heavy items but for expensive items — this is on account of their makeup and composition. They are incredibly resilient to faults and forklift damage.
Heavy-duty racks can be customized to the client’s demand and the space of the warehouse. They can adapt to the square footage. Not only in length, height, and depth but also in regards to automation services and other optimization tools.
What is medium-duty warehouse shelving?
Medium-duty shelving is usually composed of light to medium material. It is a bit more flexible and pliable. They are normally, as a whole, used to store relatively small items. Sometimes, they are scattered around the warehouse since some models are movable. These types of shelving are also quite popular in retail— for example in supermarkets, shopping malls, boutiques, and etc. They are not limited to warehouses or distribution centers.
Both types of racking, heavy-duty industrial shelving units as well as medium-duty shelving are sometimes used in the same space. They store different items and optimize overall productivity.
Characteristics of medium-duty shelving
With a load capacity that varies between 200 kg to 800 kg, this type of racking option is incredibly dynamic and versatile. They are easy to implement, adapt into a space, and, in most cases, are moveable. This type of shelving is mostly used for hand-loaded goods and is the go-to shelving option in retail. Especially when you are selling goods and you need customers to have easy access to products.
- Composition: they are normally bought disassembled and their hand stacked design, mostly composed of steel, with different paneling options, is incredibly easy to put together.
- Structure: medium-duty shelvings are structured in the form of column pieces and beams.
- Reinforcement: this type of medium racking can be customized and reinforced in order to support much heavier loads.
- Use: this type of racking is mostly employed in retail or in warehouses for hand-stacked items. Small, light products that can be moved around without the need for forklifts.
Medium-duty shelvings are great additions to a warehouse when considering storing space for small items. In retail, for example in supermarkets, this type of shelving has become ubiquitous and widespread.
Which to pick: heavy-duty shelving or medium-duty shelving?
Medium-duty shelving is affordable, easy to assemble, and incredibly easy to buy. The truth is that most warehouses, no matter what type of material they handle or what type of product they transport will have a couple of these units. Either for small items, like office equipment, storage space for employees, or simply to get them out of a bind when they need vertical storage space.
Meanwhile, heavy-duty industrial warehouse shelving is normally used when a business needs to transport and store heavy items or those that are expensive and may break. This type of racking is best for all warehouses that want to scale up their operations and move products in bulk or simply transport products that need extra protection. This type of shelving needs to be implemented by professionals.
So whether your company prefers heavy-duty or medium-duty shelving, SRSI is available to help you with all shelving needs. Call us at 833-228-6902 or email us at [email protected] to start today.
