Differences Between Racking and Shelving
4 Feb 2021 Warehouse Equipment
No matter what type of products, equipment, or inventory you are looking to store in your warehouse space, getting to know the differences between racking and shelving will help you choose the best system for your storage needs. At Commander Warehouse, they carry a selection of different racking and shelving products, making it extremely easy to find the right storage solution for your specific requirements.
What is Racking?
Racking systems tend to be taller and deeper when compared to shelves, as they are designed to make it easy for machines like forklifts to store and remove pallets from the racks. All racking systems are constructed from heavy-duty materials and are bolted to the floor or wall for added safety. Pallet racks usually have mesh shelves or no shelves at all and, in some cases, can feature special rails for the pallets to slide into.
Some of the different types of pallet racking that you can choose from include:
- Selective Pallet Racking
- Cantilever Racking
- Push Back Pallet Racking
- Drive In & Drive Thru Pallet Racking
- Mobile Racking
- Pallet Flow Racking
What is Shelving?
As the most commonly used type of storage solution, shelving systems tend to be smaller than racking systems, making it easy for people to pick up and place items by hand. Shelving systems for warehouse spaces tend to be made from metal materials and are available in a wide range of different heights with varying numbers of shelves. While most shelving systems are bolted to the ground or floor for added safety, shelving systems are also available in mechanized solutions that can be moved apart on tracks to help save floorspace.
Some of the different types of shelving products available include:
- EZRECT Shelving Trimline
- EZRECT Shelving Type 1
- Slotted Angle Shelving
- Rousseau Spider Shelving System
- Spider Open Shelving
- Spider Closed Shelving
- Chrome Wire Shelving
- Bulk Storage Shelving
- Record Storage Shelving
- Manual Mobile Shelving
- Mechanical Mobile Shelving
- Powered Mobile Shelving
- Widespan 4000 Shelving
Racking vs Shelving
While both racking and shelving can be used to store a variety of different items in any warehouse space, racking systems tend to be the better option for storing heavy items or large quantities of items and shelving tends to be the best choice for storing smaller lightweight items.
If you would like to learn more about the differences between racking and shelving, or if you are interested in one of our racking or shelving systems, please contact Commander Warehouse at one of their four locations across Western Canada or by filling out a contact form on their website.
