If your warehouse floor is laden with over-length and bulky items, Cantilever racks might be the ideal solution for storing non-standard sized items like tubing, lumber, and pipes.
These specially designed and versatile racks are the industry storage go-to for heavy and cumbersome products because they offer an alternative to floor stacking items that are not palletized.
They can be stored single-sided or double-sided (back to back).
Depending on your industry and the product you are storing, there are several cantilever rack systems you can choose from:
- Standard duty
- I-beam
- Light duty
- Furniture cantilever racks
Setting the Racks Up
Spacing and number of arms
The first step to using cantilever racks is knowing how to set them up for the items you will be storing. Decide on how far you will need your racks spaced out. They should be half the length of your load apart.
Next, determine how many arms your cantilever racks will require. To do this, use trial and error to test how many arms you must add to prevent your load from sagging. From there, arm length and type can be determined.
Arm length and type
To determine the correct arm length, make sure the arm is either equal to or greater than the width of your load. If the arms are shorter than the load it is supposed to bear, they will be ineffective and dangerous.
Then, determine the arm type – straight or tilted. Straight arms work well for flat, stable loads, like lumber.
Tilted arms are better suited for rounded, unstable loads, like piping.
Column height
Your next step is to determine the correct column height.
Here is the formula:
Base height + number of storage levels x load height + handling clearance [4” to 6”] x number of levels + number of arm levels x arm thickness = column height.
Once the columns are set at the correct height for your load, the capacity of your cantilever racks and base measurements must be calculated.
Capacity and base measurements
To calculate your capacity, you will have to find both the arm capacity, as well as the column capacity.
To determine your arm capacity, divide your load’s total weight by number of arms per level.
Column capacity, on the other hand, is determined by multiplying the number of arms in a column by the load on each arm. Double the load weight for two-sided racks.
Calculating your base depth entails measuring from the outside edge of the column to the end of the base. Base depth must be equal to or greater than the length of your arms.
Lastly, the arms must be anchored to insure the support of your load.
Anchoring the arms
Anchor your arms so they can support your load. Each column base should have two anchors set in a slab of concrete flooring at least three-quarters of an inch deep. The more anchors, the better, especially if you know, you are going to be handling extremely heavy loads.
Accessing the Racks
Once you have the racks set up, your cantilever racks are ready to be used. Place items you need to access frequently closest to the floor.
To use your cantilever racks, you will need a forklift.
You can use a counterbalance forklift, a side loader forklift, or a multi-directional forklift to load and unload your items onto and off the racks.
A counterbalance forklift works best for long loads. Side loader forklifts work in narrow aisles and can easily fit through standard doorways.
Multi-directional forklifts can move in any direction, making loading and unloading your cantilever racks simple.
Final Thoughts
Cantilever racks are easy to design and build. They can greatly increase warehouse efficiency, especially if your facility houses oversize or bulky items.
