Industrial Shelving Solutions for Colorado Businesses — See 4 Key Elements for Design

4 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR CUSTOMIZING YOUR INDUSTRIAL SHELVING UNITS

Every Coloradian wants to get a big bang for their buck, especially bustling warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing facilities trying to deliver low-cost, fast-turnaround solutions for their customers. Industrial shelving is one of those resources that really comes through to support those goals.

It is a low-cost way to achieve high-volume small-item storage with quick, easy access. Industrial shelving is ideal for the assembly of small parts, slow-moving SKU storage, and hand-picked order fulfillment. BONUS – industrial shelving also works with automated picking applications. 

Industrial shelving is easy to install and the modular design allows you to customize each unit within the system. To maximize your investment dollar, consider these three elements of your operation in order to configure your industrial shelving.

Operational Specs That Go Into Industrial Shelving Design

1. Available space
2. Required load capacity
3. SKU specs – dimensions & weight
4. Picking applications

AVAILABLE WAREHOUSE SPACE 

One of the key issues that Colorado warehouse operators face is a lack of available space and making the space you have work for you. Industrial shelving solutions are modular, allowing you to create the most space conscience configuration to optimize your work area. 

Modular Industrial Shelving Designs

• Side-to-side
• Front-to-back
• Corner-shaped
• Mix & Match any of the above

In areas with high ceilings, consider adding pallet rack above your industrial shelves for pallet storage. Alternatively, you can install your shelves underneath a mezzanine to max out available square footage –or on your mezzanine as part of a pick module or climate-controlled pick area… the possibilities abound. Boosting productivity and reducing travel time should be a key focus in industrial shelving design.

Remember to confirm vertical clearance (particularly when working on or below a mezzanine) to ensure your industrial shelves don’t block lighting, ventilation, sprinklers, conveyors, and other important items secured above. 

Another great thing about industrial shelving is its flexibility and adaptability. It’s easy to add onto, relocate and redesign, which means more bang for your buck particularly if your inventory levels or mix changes in the future.

Industrial Shelving Load Capacity

Just like designing any storage system, you want to know your anticipated max load capacity.  This helps you lay out the number of units needed and ensure safe function and operations for your team.

Industrial shelving is available in numerous styles and sizes, from medium to heavy- and extra-heavy-duty units. Heavy-duty shelving is made from a higher gauge steel which enables it to hold more weight. We recommend that you work closely with your Apex Colorado systems designer to get the most out of your money and hit your storage goals. 

SKU Specs, Dimensions & Weight

It’s time to configure your industrial shelving once you’ve determined the best location and the amount of available space. Before you can complement it with accessories to improve productivity and performance, you first have to know your inventory specifications, including item width, depth, and height. 

Open Vs. Closed Shelving Considerations

Individual units can be open or closed in the back and or on the sides. The option that is best for you is based on your item specifications. Here are a few key points to consider:

• Closed shelving is good for stopping small items from falling into a place where they’re difficult to reach
• Open sides permit for airflow (if required)
• Open shelving makes it easier to see products and detect when stock is low
• Open shelves are more cost-effective

Shelves are also modifiable within small increments (usually 1-1/2”), which enables them to simply adjust to inventory changes versus other storage systems. Don’t forget it is imperative to operate within the stated load capacity. 

Picking & Putaway Applications

Your shelving also adapts to your order-picking and putaway applications.  You can space units to allow for pick carts, pallet jacks, or conveyors –whatever material handling equipment you choose. Plus, your industrial shelving unit is fully compatible with automated picking software such as pick-to-light and voice picking.

One Call = Full-Service Support

Once your industrial shelving is complete, you can add accessories to help minimize picking errors and keep small items in place. Dividers, roll-out shelves, and plastic bins will all achieve this purpose. 

Contact your local Apex Colorado team to help you optimally configure your industrial shelving units. Our team will work with you to choose the right solution to meet your unique needs. We also have professional installation teams that will ensure your system is built to meet all safety regulations and support the long-term use of your industrial shelves.

Also, you can check out our photo gallery for ideas! We look forward to working with you on your next project.

Contact Apex today to schedule a free on-site consultation.