When talking about industrial shelving, the two terms are often used interchangeably, but are in fact very different. Those in the warehouse industry understand that they’re actually quite different. Warehouse shelving, generally, is a generic term that encompasses both conveyor systems and industrial shelving, and though both are used primarily to store products or pallets of products, they’re also used in other situations as well. For example, in a doctor’s office, you’ll find small metal shelves on one side of a room, with a doctor’s instruments on top, and lab equipment on the other side. While most people would call these spaces a set of drawers, they’re actually part of a warehouse shelving system.
Industrial Shelving for Warehouse Storage
Industrial shelving comes in many different varieties, both when it comes to their use in factories and in warehouses and various other businesses. One type of industrial shelving found in many warehouses is wire shelving, which features long, sturdy metal shelves that can be stacked up in order to create a larger storage area. The wire design allows for quick and easy access to stored items and is usually color-coded to make finding things easy. These shelves are often used for storing items that aren’t in use but still need to be kept organized. Other types of industrial shelving can include shelves that feature hooks on the bottom in order to hang ladders from, shelves that feature locking latches in order to keep stored items secure, shelves that feature shoe racks that can hold the shoes of people working in any capacity from forklift drivers to sales clerks, or rows of desks that have built in bookcases at each corner of the room so that all of the clutter can be easily seen and inventoried.
Because wire shelving and many forms of industrial shelving are often used to store materials that aren’t in use at the time, they can be designed to be as air-tight as possible. Many warehouse shelving units feature specially designed air ducts in order to help maintain an even, humidity controlled environment, so that the materials stored on the shelves don’t become too moist or damp. Wire shelving can also be designed to keep liquids dry by having small drainage systems, or to help prevent the formation of mold and mildew by having built in filters that can remove these conditions.
