Popular Warehouse Shelving Types Explained

Popular Types of Warehouse Shelving

Different forms of shelving can be highly effective storage solutions for warehouses and benefit a variety of industries. However, because there are many types of shelving you may be unsure which is the best storage option for your workplace.

The right option will depend on the requirements of your warehouse. For example, if your warehouse is limited in size, your shelving design will need to optimise storage space. Whereas, for warehouses storing a wide range of products you will need versatile shelving that can store different sized items.

Long Span Shelving

Long span shelving is a versatile option as it’s adjustable, so can be adapted to fit a wide range of manually loaded products. You can configure the shelving to the space you have available in the warehouse, which allows you to create high-level storage or a multi-tier system.

As long span shelving is available in different widths and depths, it can be custom-built for your storage needs. They’re built from chipboard typically, however, they can be manufactured from timber and steel, the material will depend on what the shelves are going to store. You can also adapt the shelving to support different sized products, which allows you to store heavy-duty products.

This type of shelving is also often used in manual picking operations, such as parts storage, storerooms, and parking areas. However, because of its versatility, you can adapt the shelving to fit a wide range of storage needs across industries.

Carton Live Shelving

Carton live shelving features a bed of small rollers built into the shelves. To increase picking speed, the shelves are installed at a slight incline, which ensures products can slide down the shelves’ surface for easy user access. You then load products behind the initial items to create a first in first out (FIFO) stock rotation set-up, which is ideal for high-density storage.

The system is adaptable and can support a variety of storage structures, such as other shelving installations like long span and short span. With the right carton live shelving, you can decrease the distance warehouse staff have to travel to pick items, which will give them more time and increase productivity.

Mobile Shelving

Mobile shelving is an effective high-density storage solution. In any warehouse with limited space, mobile shelving provides flexible storage space. Instead of fixed aisles, you can adapt where the shelving is placed to adjust your warehouse quickly while giving your staff access to all products.

This storage system works as the shelves are compressed and can be moved around the warehouse freely. Using tracks fitted to the floor, you can move the shelving as and when you need to. This can be done manually, by turning a handle, or automatically at the push of a button.

Short Span Shelving

Short span shelving is ideal for the storage of lighter products. It’s a light-duty modular shelving system that features metal racks, which can be adjusted to suit different products. For example, lightweight boxes or smaller products are the ideal items to store using this shelving system.

The shelving racks range in size from 900mm to 1290mm wide and 300mm to 600mm deep. This gives your warehouse flexibility over the design of your storage system, your team can adjust the shelving easily if the products you need to store change. If your workplace stores small products and manually loads them onto shelving, short span shelving is an effective storage solution.

Multi-Tier Shelving

This storage system uses the vertical space in your warehouse to increase capacity, which can also increase the floor space you have available. Overall, multi-tier shelving will make the storage and retrieval of items much more efficient for staff.

Multi-tier shelving will massively increase storage capacity in warehouses even when space is limited. For any organisation that has a high turnover of stock, such as online eCommerce and pick and pack operations, multi-tier shelving offers a cost-effective solution. This storage system allows users to store more while being able to access and retrieve the products quickly.

The shelving offers a range of benefits, especially for warehouses that need to increase their storage capacity affordably and quickly. Relocating or expanding your work site to create extra storage space is often unnecessary, with multi-tier shelving, you can optimise your existing space for a fraction of the cost.

What Shelving Type is Best for my Business?

The right option for your workplace will vary depending on your industry, storage needs, and existing space. That’s why consulting with warehouse shelving experts is essential as they can guide you towards the option that best matches your requirements.

Importance of Choosing the Right Shelving Type(s)

Making the right decision over your warehouse’s storage is crucial for the efficiency, storage capacity, and ROI of your business. To find out more about long span shelving, mobile shelving, carton live shelving, and the other storage solutions SEC Storage provides, explore our site or use the contact information below.

At SEC Storage, our team can guide you towards the ideal shelving storage for your warehouse. We have over 20 years of experience delivering bespoke warehouse storage solutions.

Contact Us

Our award-winning shelving designs aim to create safe and efficient shelving that maximises the available space in your warehouse. Call us today on 01438 731990, ask a question using our Live Chat, or fill in an enquiry form for more information.