Types of Warehouse Storage Systems

With warehouse space, it’s not about what you’ve got: it’s about how you use it. The different types of warehouse storage systems can help you to get the most out of your warehouse space, helping to create a functional, organised and efficient environment with optimal throughput. Here we’ll take a look at types of warehouse storage systems, and the benefits of the different options.

Most common types of warehouse storage systems

Pallet Racking

Does your stock mostly consist of items on pallets? Pallet racking is likely to be the most efficient storage system for your warehouse.

Benefits:
- Makes use of vertical space in the warehouse
- Easy to assemble
- Can be customised to meet your individual needs, with a variety of pallet racking accessories available
Main features:
- Designed to store pallets

Static shelving

A traditional solution, static industrial shelving will always be a mainstay of warehouse storage.

Benefits:
- A cost-effective storage solution
- Can be heavy-duty, for weightier products
Main features:
- Stays in one place all the time
- Suitable for products picked by hand, rather than by forklift

Mobile Shelving

With a flexible and easily adjustable configuration, mobile shelving is a useful option if space is at a premium. Also known as roller racking, it allows you to store a large number of products in a high-density system, while still having easy access to what you need, when you need it.

Benefits:
- Space-saving, allowing you to store a high number of items in a small space
- No need for fixed aisles – configure your shelving according to your need
- Flexible
Main features:
- Mobile shelves are attached to a rail system, so you can move them easily whenever you need to.
- Suitable for manually picked items, rather than forklifts or other machinery
- Suitable for medium loads (typically 75kg per shelf)

Mezzanine flooring

If you have the height in your warehouse to install an additional mezzanine floor, you can maximise the space available. Mezzanine flooring can be used for extra storage, or as an office space.

Benefits:
- Get the most out of your vertical space – you could increase your working area by as much as 100%
- Can be delivered ready to use
- Available new or used
Main features:
- An additional level is constructed as an intermediate space, halfway up the warehouse building
- Mezzanine flooring isn’t integral to the structure of the building so it can be dismantled

Other types of warehouse storage systems

Automated storage systems make use of computers and warehouse robots to do the picking, rather than relying on humans.
Drive-in racking involves storing multiple pallets back to back, loaded using a forklift. Because this makes the items that were loaded in first inaccessible, it works best if you are storing a large quantity of the same product.
Spinlock storage uses a horizontal carousel for efficient picking: the picker can stand in one place and wait for the item to come to them as the carousel rotates.

What warehouse storage system should you choose?

Every warehouse is different, so your ideal storage system will depend on a few factors.

These factors include:

the size, type and weight of the products you store
how frequently you need to access them
whether or not you need to use machinery such as forklifts
how much vertical space you have available

Here at Rack Storage, we are experts in warehouse storage solutions. We’ll be happy to advise you if you have any questions about which type of warehouse storage system will suit you best.

Ask the experts

If you have any questions about warehouse storage systems, just get in touch. Call us on 01707 394 847 for professional advice, or fill in our contact form.