Shelf racks

Industrial shelf racks are ideal for storing small and medium-sized goods. These expandable storage systems are customisable and thus make versatile solutions for your space. Our buying guide will help you find the perfect shelf racks for your needs.

1. What are shelf racks and what advantages and disadvantages do they have?

Shelf racks are heavy-duty shelving units that are particularly versatile for use in warehouses, workshops, or retail spaces. Steel shelf racks can clearly and safely store small and medium-sized items such as sales goods, accessories, storage containers or tools. Depending on the model, these industrial shelf racks can support loads of up to 500 kg.

Shelf racks consist of a base bay that can be used as standalone storage but can also be extended with one or more add-on bays and matching shelves. This allows you to adapt your shelving units to almost any space and extend them as required. Shelf racks are ideal for making the best possible use of the available space, particularly in warehouses with a high turnover rate or when you don’t yet know the expected warehouse load.

Jungheinrich industrial shelf racks offer the following advantages and disadvantages:

2. Shelf racks in plug-in or screw system

We offer shelf racks in both screw and plug-in systems. An advantage of both variants is that they can be quickly assembled and easily extended with matching add-on units, shelves and other accessories. Regardless of their assembly type, all our shelf racks have punched holes in the frame elements, so shelves can be inserted there in 25mm increments.

However, when selecting suitable industrial shelf racks, it is likely that one assembly system will be the best fit:

Parameter/Assembly System	Plug-in system	Screw system
Assembly	Parts and shelves are plugged into T-profile frames	Frame and shelves are bolted together via angle profile frames Perforation in 25 mm grid Tools required
Bracing	For single-sided access shelf racks: by cross braces on the back For double-sided access shelf racks: by longitudinal bars that are plugged in	Angle profile and shelves are connected via corner brackets using screws
Advantages	No tools required for assembly Particularly high shelf load possible Best possible utilisation of the available shelf space Single and double-sided use Can facilitate modular and individual racking expansion	Can be used on both sides Inexpensive solution for single-level shelving units System perforation enables flexible adaptation of the shelving unit
Suitable for	Flexible or temporary storage Storage requiring high shelf loads	Fixed storage locations without regular changes Optional for storing office materials such as files and documents

3. How to find the right warehouse racking system

To ensure that your steel shelf racks perfectly match your warehouse or storage needs, you should consider some important criteria when choosing individual components.

Bay type

We stock both basic shelving bays and matching add-on units for existing warehouse shelf rack systems in our online shop:

Bay Type	Components	Use
Basic bay	Complete shelf frame with shelves Also available with cross braces for stable standing (depending on the model)	Can be erected and used as an independent shelf unit Can be extended with add-on bays, shelves, and accessories
Add-on bay	Single sided upright with shelves	Can be used as an extension to your existing base bay to form single or double-sided access shelving, free standing or wall mounted shelving units Cannot be used as an independent shelf unit

Load capacity

The shelf racks’ load capacity depends on the material thickness of the shelves, the material of the frame and the strength of the connecting elements. The base and add-on units are usually made from robust, galvanised steel. Heavy-duty shelves made of tubular steel or galvanised quality sheet metal can withstand even heavy loads, provided the load is distributed evenly.

Additional features such as support beams, diagonal bracing or lining the shelves with steel panels can further increase your warehouse racking’s load-bearing capacity. You can determine whether your desired warehouse shelf rack unit has the right load-bearing capacity using two values:

• Shelf load: The maximum permissible weight with which a single or continuous shelf level can be loaded.
• Bay load: The permissible maximum weight with which the entire shelf bay (basic or add-on bay) can be loaded (without its own weight).

Under certain circumstances, some warehouse racking solutions may legally require impact protection. We offer impact protection solutions for many different shelf legs and corners.

Access

Our industrial shelf racks can be set up with single-sided or double-sided access to stored goods. Depending on the goods to be stored, the storage strategy and the size and layout of the storage space, you may benefit from one or both of the access options available:

Access / parameters	Set-up	Shelf rack system	Applicable for storage strategy
Single-sided access	Ideal for wall installation With wall bolting if required Bracing with cross-bracing for extra stability	Plug-in or screw system	Last in – First out
Access from both sides	Can be mounted against a wall at one end or positioned as a completely freestanding unit	Plug-in or screw system	First in – First out

Mobility

In addition to stationary shelf racks, we also offer mobile versions for maximum flexibility:

• Equipped with four castors for easy movement
• Accessible from both sides through the open compartments
• Available with either three or five shelves
• Shelf load up to 300 kg with compact dimensions
• Ideal for changing workplaces, temporary storage or mobile order picking

Mobile shelf racks are particularly suitable for businesses with flexible storage requirements or when racking needs to be used at different locations.

4. FAQ for shelf racks