Racks
Buying Tips
- Quick and simple boltless assembly
- Corrosion-resistant thanks to galvanised metal frame
- Height-adjustable chipboard shelves
Industrial shelving for warehouses, workshops and offices
Whether in industrial facilities, workshops, or private households, storing goods and tools safely and with easy access is simple with heavy-duty shelving. Find out which model is best suited to your needs in our comprehensive buyer's guide.
- What are industrial shelving units and what advantages do they offer?
- What types of heavy-duty shelving are available?
- Accessories for heavy-duty and industrial racking
- How to choose the right heavy-duty shelving unit
- Assemble industrial shelving individually with our shelving configurator
- FAQ for heavy-duty shelving
1. What are industrial shelving units and what advantages do they offer?
Heavy-duty shelving covers various shelving systems, in which loads of up to several tonnes can be stored. The shelving systems are extremely robust and stable because the framework is made of galvanised or powder-coated metal. Structurally, the beams of the heavy-duty shelving are assembled using plug-in systems or screw connections, and depending on the model, the individual tiers are designed in a variety of ways, for example, from shelves to support arms to mesh baskets and material boxes.
Even vertical versions of industrial racks and shelving for bulky goods are available. This means that you can also use them to place materials safely and appropriately - or to present goods optimally for customers in wholesale and retail. Heavy-duty shelving units in the modular plug-in assembly system are also easily expandable. With our high-quality modular components from Jungheinrich PROFISHOP, for example, you can create heavy-duty hybrid systems of pallet racks and wide span shelves in no time at all. Heavy-duty racking variants are also available for indoor and outdoor use.
2. What types of heavy-duty shelving are available?
Depending on the nature of your storage space and the type of goods to be stored, we offer you various design variants of heavy-duty shelving:
Industry, craft workshops, workshops, retail and wholesale trade, production halls, warehouse logistics, for indoor areas
Craft workshops, workshops, retail and wholesale trade, private households, for indoor areas
Industry, production halls, warehouse logistics, for indoor and outdoor areas
Assembly shops, manufacturing, retail and wholesale, more suitable for indoor areas, models available for cold and damp rooms
Wide-Span Shelving
Due to the open tubular steel construction, you can safely store heavy and voluminous goods on several levels using wide-span shelving. For example, with our META brand models, you always have an overview of your material and goods, and you can store or retrieve goods on both sides. Even in separate operating areas, the stored material can be accessed. Heavy, voluminous, and bulky items can be safely stored on the long shelves over several levels with a shelf load of up to 1,000 kg.
- Storage shelves made of wood and wood-based materials: slip-resistant, robust, durable
- Shelves made of powder-coated steel, galvanised sheet steel or mesh: for damp and oily goods, easy to clean
- Bay load up to 8,000 kg
- Large storage area for bulky materials with high dead weight
- Lightweight construction, easy to transport
- easy to assemble and dismantle thanks to plug-in assembly system
- Easy to extend with add-on bays and shelf connectors
- Available in different sizes, heights and load capacities
- Top shelves are more difficult to reach
- Use with industrial trucks not permitted, cannot be automated
Shelving Units
Flexible shelving units with a maximum shelf load of 500 kg are ideal for small and medium-sized goods. The open heavy-duty shelving units can be loaded with materials on both sides, and they are stored stably on the shelves or in open fronted storage bins within steel or tubular steel construction. The heavy-duty shelving systems from META or SCHULTE can either be flexibly assembled or firmly bolted together. These shelving systems can also be individually extended with additional shelves and add-on bays.
If you need a mobile solution, our mobile heavy-duty shelving with castors is an excellent alternative. With the versions available at Jungheinrich PROFISHOP, you can move the stored goods to the assembly area in a workshop, for example. On heavy-duty swivel and fixed castors, you can manoeuvre the shelving to a specific location and secure it with parking brakes.
Additionally, robust tyre racks offer a dedicated solution to tyre storage. The levels of these heavy-duty racking systems are made exclusively with cross beams without the need for shelves. They can be loaded with a shelf load of up to 150 kg. In this way, you can sort tyres of all sizes on edge and effectively use the storage space of the shelving units.
- Shelves made of wood and wood-based materials: slip-resistant, robust, durable
- Shelves made of galvanised sheet steel or powder-coated steel mesh: for moist and oily goods, easy to clean
- Bay-load up to 3,000 kg - lightweight construction, easy to transport
- Easy to assemble and dismantle thanks to plug-in assembly system
- Easy to extend with add-on bays and shelf connectors
- Variable in size, height and load capacity
- Low purchase and maintenance costs
- Height of shelves is variable
- Top shelves are more difficult to reach
- Use with industrial trucks not permitted, cannot be automated
- Wide aisles are needed for drawers
- Loose materials may fall down
Pallet racking
Our practical and stable heavy-duty pallet racks are designed to store materials on standardised pallets or specialised accessories within them. You can also use the pallet racking in demanding and high-frequency industrial warehouses since the basic frame of the heavy-duty racking from Jungheinrich or META is a solid steel construction that can be firmly anchored to the floor. You can easily access the individual shelving levels with stacker trucks or pallet trucks. All goods are stored safely on the crossbars.
Our pallet racking can make optimum use of the largest warehouses. The flexible heavy-duty racks are not only operable from both sides (provided two pallet racks are back-to-back) but can also be extended with individual add-on bays. High-bay racking systems can also be installed. In this way, you can take full advantage of storage heights of up to 50m and increase your storage capacities.
- Galvanised steel frame with powder-coated crossbars
- Safety plug-in system with safety bolts
- Bay load up to 28 t
- Sturdy construction
- very good use of space
- expandable through add-on bays
- Optimum standardisation of work processes
- Flexible size, height and load capacity
- High investment costs
- High safety requirements
- Can only be automated to a limited extent
- Industrial trucks necessary for operation
Flow racks
Flow racks have four to eight shelf levels, depending on the design, which are constructed on a slope. In this way, the stored material automatically slides down as soon as something is removed. The individual levels can be assembled as flat shelves or roller conveyors. On the rollers, the goods slide particularly easily to the other side of the shelf. The flow racks are thus optimally designed for the "First-In-First-Out (FiFo) principle": The goods are entered on the higher side and removed on the lower side. At the end of the levels, a rail ensures that nothing can fall out.
You can easily and flexibly add more shelves to these heavy-duty shelves and adjust the shelf height individually. In the versions with a sheet steel roof, the stored goods are also protected from dust and debris. The individual levels can be loaded with shelf loads of up to 200 kg. Additionally, the flow racks are suitable as buffer or temporary storage racks.
- Galvanised or powder-coated steel frames and shelves
- Roller rail inserts made of steel or plastic
- Bay load up to 2,000 kg
- Lightweight construction, easy to transport
- Easy to assemble and dismantle due to plug-in assembly system
- Easy to extend with add-on bays and shelf connectors
- Flexible size, height and load capacity
- Very good space utilisation due to spatial separation of storage and retrieval aisles
- Relatively high investment and maintenance costs with roller variants
- Use with industrial trucks not permitted
- Rollers are susceptible to failure
- Accumulation pressure of the goods can lead to them falling out
Heavy-duty shelving with screw or boltless system
Most types of heavy-duty shelving are available as boltless or bolt-together systems. Before you decide on a system, you should weigh up the advantages and disadvantages, as well as your own requirements. Besides functional features, both systems differ in terms of flexibility and pricing structure.
- Dynamic storage or for variable storage materials
- High throughput of goods, buffer storage
- Goods and tool storage with average turnover rates
- High bay racking over 12 m high and mechanised operation
- Extremely stable construction, highest load capacity
- Easy to erect and dismantle
- Particularly stable and sturdy
- Flexibly adjustable, load levels can be spontaneously adjusted in height
- Easy to extend
- Higher load capacity than heavy-duty shelving with bolted systems
- Flexible in size, height and load capacity
- Relatively high purchase costs
- Warehouses with above-average storage times (archives)
- Goods and tool warehouses with average turnover rates
- High bay racking below 12 m height and mechanised operation
- Solid construction
- Inexpensive purchase costs
- Easy to expand
- Flexible in size, height and load capacity
- Lower load capacity than plug-in system
- Less flexible, e.g., the height of the shelves is fixed
- Considerably longer assembly time, thus higher personnel costs for assembly
3. Accessories for heavy-duty and industrial racking
To enable you to react flexibly to changes in the goods management and storage at any time, or to carry out minor repairs to your storage systems, you can obtain various accessories for industrial shelving and racking from Jungheinrich PROFISHOP.
According to your needs, safety elements can be retrofitted, such as impact protection to safeguard racking structures and industrial goods moving equipment, and to increase workplace safety. Furthermore, you can purchase heavy-duty shelving modules to store larger quantities of material effectively.
- Different versions available for each type of heavy-duty shelving
- Flexible storage of goods
- Variable widths and depths available
- Available for indoor and outdoor use
- Highly visible signal colours, noctilucent or reflective available
- Robust sheet steel or plastic
- Available as angle, U-profile or bollard
- Label holders: scanner-compatible, self-adhesive or magnetic
- Signs for shelf rows: non-reflective, impact-resistant
- Floor markings: self-adhesive, resilient
- Increased occupational safety according to DGUV 108-007 directive: prevents falling goods
- Galvanised steel
4. How to choose the right heavy-duty shelving unit
Before purchasing heavy-duty shelving or industrial storage racks, basic questions should be clarified in order to identify the units that best fit your needs. In addition to the location and the type of goods to be stored, the type of shelving system and the materials used are of safety-relevant importance. Firstly, you should correctly calculate the available storage space and the loads to be moved beforehand. This way you can be sure that your industrial shelving units are safe to use, and that the shelving system passes the safety inspection.
Size, type and weight of the stored goods
The nature of the goods to be stored determines, among other things, the dimensions and design of your industrial racks and shelving system. It is therefore important to consider these five basic points in advance:
- Are you handling loose materials or will they be stored on Euro pallets?
- Are the goods excessively long or wide?
- What is the weight of the individual pallets or bulk packaging? For this purpose, it can be helpful if you add up the quantity of the desired stock. This will give you the necessary maximum bay load of pallet racking or goods shelving.
- Is your product range clearly delineated or are you planning to add other goods with possibly different dimensions or characteristics to your range?
- Do you want to operate the racks manually or with machines?
Indoor or outdoor location
When locating heavy-duty shelving indoors or outdoors, there are various criteria to consider:
Dimensions of Storage Rooms:
- Ceiling heights
- Already installed facilities (power and waterlines, sprinkler and ventilation systems)
- Other existing structural features
Fire Protection:
- Shelving components, trusses, etc. must not obstruct escape routes or the visibility of escape route signs
Floor Condition:
- Sufficient strength
- Optimum distribution of pressure must be ensured*
Building Permit Not Required:*
- All racks with exclusive storage function that are not part of the building structure
Building Permit Required:*
- In the case of a development function, the shelving system must be approved
Weather Influences:
- If necessary, a roof must be installed over the heavy-duty shelves
- Closed side and rear walls may have to be added to protect the goods
- Weather-resistant galvanised heavy-duty shelving constructions are recommended
- Consider static load capacity for snow, rain and wind loads on the heavy-duty racks
Fire Protection:
- Route system and arrangement of racking so that fire brigade can approach or reach at least one long side at all times.
Floor Condition:
- Load bearing and level subfloor must be provided.
Building Permit Partly Required:*
- Shelving units in outdoor areas are considered to be structural installations or components thereof
- Regulations on heavy-duty shelving systems in building codes at municipal level
- Exemptions are possible up to a certain height in some municipalities
*Data without guarantee. Please contact your local building authority for further information.
Load capacity, shelf load and bay load
The individual levels of heavy-duty shelving can only be loaded to a limited extent in order not to negatively influence the stability of the shelving or shelving system:
- Load Capacity = Shelf Load (Qf)
This specification indicates the permissible and load-bearing maximum weight for a single shelf or shelf base under uniform load. - Load Capacity = Bay Load (Qmax)
This describes the permissible and load-bearing maximum weight of all shelf levels of a shelf or shelf bay. The dead weight is not included. For stability reasons, the bay load must never be exceeded! - Point Load
This describes the load that can be exerted on the floor or a level.
You should take care never to overload industrial shelves or racks and always to load them correctly. In order to be able to utilise the complete shelf load, we recommend that you distribute heavy goods evenly on the individual shelf levels. Heavy point loads placed in the middle may halve the shelf load due to the bending stress of the shelf.
Weights stored on the floor, on the other hand, are not included in the bay load calculation because they do not influence the statics of a shelving system. At floor storage locations, you can ideally place and arrange pallets and boxes as well as heavy point loads, as long as they do not exceed the lower shelf height (h).
The possible loading of a shelving system can be easily calculated based on the bay and shelf load. If the bay load of your heavy-duty shelving is 2,500 kg and the shelf load 250 kg, you can theoretically install 10 shelves.
Material of the heavy-duty shelving and, if applicable, the shelves (wood, metal)
The frames of our heavy-duty shelving at Jungheinrich PROFISHOP are mostly made of steel or tubular steel and thus guarantee a long service life and high load capacities. To protect the racking from mechanical or weather-related influences, the metal struts used are usually powder-coated or galvanised. Alternatively, framework constructions of heavy-duty shelving made of plastics or wood are offered. However, these variants have a much lower load-bearing capacity, often insufficient for heavy loads.
Materials such as sheet steel or aluminium are used for the shelves or mesh baskets of the industrial shelving systems. In addition, we offer heavy-duty shelving with wooden shelf or plastic box inserts. The drawer models, on the other hand, can be made from a mix of various materials. However, heavy-duty shelving units with metal shelves are most commonly found, as these have the highest shelf loads.
If you need heavy-duty shelving for particularly demanding or hygienically sensitive areas, we offer stainless steel models. These models can be safely and thoroughly cleaned or sterilised. They are also ideal for storage in damp or cool rooms, for example in the food industry or in pharmaceutical companies.
Load-bearing capacity or suitability of the subfloor for industrial shelving units
Wherever heavy-duty shelving is to be installed, the load-bearing capacity of the subfloor must be calculated. This is the only way to ensure that your future heavy-duty shelving can stand safely under full load.
- As a basic principle it should be noted:
The floor at the planned racking location must be such that it can bear the dead weight of the racking system, as well as twice the bay load. - A suitable, load-bearing substrate for a racking system is, for example, concrete:
This must have a minimum thickness of 200 mm and at least meet the requirements of compressive strength.
It may be necessary to anchor the heavy-duty shelving in the floor or attach it to a wall for safety reasons. Here, each heavy-duty shelving type and shelving location must be assessed individually. To ensure work safety, you should never place heavy-duty shelving on uneven ground, asphalt or interlocking paving stones.
Extendable shelving system
As soon as your product range expands or you want to react flexibly to changes, an extension to the existing shelving system can be a sensible solution. With our wide range of add-on bays for shelving or extension modules, you can combine different advantages and features of shelving types. This allows you to restructure the warehouse in a cost-saving way and increase capacities at the same time.
Add-on system (bolt-on or bolt-in)
Heavy-duty shelving units that are bolted together are connected by corner brackets and angle profiles made of steel or sheet steel. For this purpose, the uprights of the shelving frame, as well as the individual shelf levels can be firmly screwed together. Additional add-on bays or modular elements can also be simply mounted to the angle profiles with brackets and screws. If, on the other hand, you would like to attach steel mesh rear walls, these can be fastened to the angle elements with tensioning hooks.
In contrast, heavy-duty boltless shelving is assembled entirely without screws: the individual shelves and supporting depth ledgers are inserted or hooked into wide T-profile frames. To stabilise the plug-in system, cross braces or length bars are attached at the back. With this assembly system, you only need to attach bolts if the heavy-duty shelving is to be fixed to the floor or wall.
We recommend that you make sure that only heavy-duty shelving elements with either a plug-in system or screw system are connected to each other. No cross-system combination is possible.
5. Assemble industrial shelving individually with our shelving configurator
To ensure that the design of the racking system optimally meets your requirements, you can precisely plan industrial shelving units with the Jungheinrich PROFISHOP configurator before you buy a customised racking or shelving system. In addition to the classic specifications such as width, height and depth, you determine further individual parameters such as the shelf load or the pallet weight. For an ideal overview, the configurator automatically calculates the costs and the bay load of the heavy-duty shelving. Additionally, it also determines details such as the number of pallet spaces. Finally, the 3D model view offers you a visual planning check of all details and components before the final assembly.