A Quick Guide To Longspan Shelving

The trick to increasing the amount of stock businesses can keep in a warehouse, factory, workshop or store cupboard is to improve the storage solution. One of the best racks to go for is longspan shelving.

To find out more about why this could be the answer to your warehouse storage optimisation problems, read on. 

• Easy to assemble

If you need to set up a storage unit quickly and easily, longspan shelving is the answer, as starter bays can be built in next to no time. Then as you accumulate more goods and need a greater amount of storage space, you can simply enlarge the shelving by getting extension packages.

This enables you to grow your storage units as your business grows, so you are not having to invest too heavily in shelving that you do not fully need yet. 

• Stores bulky goods

Longspan shelving is ideal for storing large, bulky goods, as you can fit the shelves where you need them. Therefore, if your items are really tall, you are not restricted on height, as you can create the longspan shelving you need. 

Additionally, when buying the frame, you can choose the length of the shelves, as well as their depth. Sizes vary between 1m to 2.7m in length, and 40cm to 1.2m in depth. Therefore, you can choose dimensions that are not only perfect for the type of goods you wish to store, but also fits well in the space you have available. 

• Ideal for heavy goods

It is not just bulky goods that longspan shelving is good for, but heavy items too. It can handle extreme weights, holding up to 800kg on its shelves.

Therefore, you can store large, heavy goods on each shelf, such as machinery or furniture. 

However, it is also good for holding lots of smaller products that collectively end up weighing a lot. As items held on longspan shelving tend to be fragile or have an irregular shape, and therefore, cannot be stored on pallet racks and moved around by forklifts, they might be positioned individually on the shelves.

For instance, tyres, office supplies, clothes and batteries are often items that are kept on longspan shelving. Although individually they might not weigh a lot, their weight quickly adds up when they are stored in high quantities. 

• Durable

Perhaps the biggest advantage of using longspan shelving is that they are highly durable. 

As they are made of lightweight materials, they can easily be moved around without getting damaged. Therefore, they are more likely to last a long time. 

Despite their light weight, they are also incredibly strong, so you can be confident they will not buckle under heavy loads.

How to keep longspan shelving safe to use?

If the frame height to depth ratio exceeds 4:1, it is wise to bolt the shelving to the floor to reduce the risk of it falling. 

For instance, if the shelving is not handled correctly or if heavy loads are placed high up first, this can make the system unstable. 

It should also be anchored to the ground if the top shelf is not easily reachable, as this prevents the unit toppling over if people are trying to grab an object placed up high.  

For more information on A Quick Guide To Longspan Shelving talk to UK Shelving Ltd