When it comes to storage, you want to ensure you get the best quality and most secure product. Racking systems can be complicated and expensive, but they’re worth it if they keep your inventory safe.
That said, businesses can make many mistakes when purchasing a storage system, including not considering all their options. This post will find common mistakes when buying industrial storage shelves and how to avoid them.
Not Accounting for the Weight of Your Items
One of the most important things to consider when purchasing industrial storage shelves is the weight capacity of your items. For example, a clothes rack used in a clothes showroom will be different from industrial storage rack. Your items need to weigh less than the maximum weight capacity of your shelves and racking system. Weighing your items is a simple task that can save you from making an expensive mistake later on down the road.
To determine how much weight each item will add up to, multiply its length by its width by its height in cubic feet (L x W x H). For example, one foot long by one foot wide by three feet would equal 1 foot x 1 foot x 3 feet = 3 cubic feet or 3 pounds.
Putting Off Maintenance and Inspections
When it comes to the maintenance and inspection of your industrial storage shelves, there are some common mistakes you can make. Some people think their shelves never need to be inspected or maintained, but this is not true.
When you have a business that relies on using your storage shelves, keeping them in good condition is important.
One mistake many people make is putting off regular inspections of their storage systems. This can lead to many problems down the line, including less efficiency and higher costs in replacing damaged parts or whole units if something breaks down completely before you check it out.
Make sure that whoever installs your shelving system takes care of their work so they won’t cause any damage later.
Not Checking for Stability
When purchasing storage shelving for your business, it’s important to ensure the shelf is stable. You don’t want your customers or employees to have accidents because of a poorly constructed shelf.
A good way to test a shelf’s stability is by using a sledgehammer on one of its legs. If it doesn’t shake or move at all, then you know that the leg is strong enough and has enough support from underneath.
It should also not be possible to push over the entire unit when standing on one side with all of your weight behind you. Another method would be placing something heavy on top of an empty stack. Suppose this makes noise or causes any other sort of reaction from underneath.
In that case, there might be problems with how much support the bottom supports provide for each other, so do some investigating before purchasing storage units based on their appearance alone.
Buying a Racking System That’s Incompatible With Your Equipment
A racking system is the backbone of your storage system. It allows you to store equipment and is essential for any business that relies on storing large pieces of equipment. However, it’s important not to overlook compatibility when buying a new racking system.
For example, you can store some types of equipment with other types of equipment because they’re either too small or too large. If you purchase a small-scale rack while also owning larger-scale racks, you’ll be left with unnecessary space between each type of hardware.
On the flip side, if you have a lot of smaller scales but then purchase a massive scale that doesn’t fit in the gaps between existing scales, then again, this means wasted space within your storage system.
You should also consider whether or not your chosen storage shelves are compatible with any other materials that currently exist within your workspace, e.g., do they come with plastic dividers? Are these dividers compatible with metal shelves?
Final Word
Don’t make these mistakes if you’re looking to buy storage shelves for your business. Storage racks need to be strong enough to hold the weight of all of your items. They should also be easy to access and not expose employees or customers to injury hazards like pinch points and sharp edges.