Monday, April 28, 2014

Maintenance Tips for Your Warehouse

Warehouse maintenance is the process of controlling the movement and storage of materials within a warehouse. It involves activities such as storage, shipping, receiving, putaway and picking. The maintenance of warehouse operation is an essential process to ensure maximum utilization of both facility and equipment assets of a company.

To maintain and continuously improve the operation of your warehouse, here are some effective tips to consider.

1. Warehouse maintenance involves keeping the warehouse facility and all its aspects in good condition and shape, such as grounds, utilities, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, fire protection, security systems, and more. Even before any operation starts, make sure that there is well-organized system involving these aspects.

2. Storage systems such as industrial mezzanines should be well installed and can accommodate the equipment or stored items well. To maximize warehouse space, opt for custom fabricated mezzanines and storage systems.

3. Implement efficient storeroom inventory tracking system. This will help you track inventories easily and more conveniently without the hassles of manually counting stocks every hour or so.

4. For safety and security, equipment should be handled with care at all times and only by authorized personnel. Post warning labels and signs at all sides and corners of the warehouse. First aid kits should also be available in cases of emergency.

5. Regularly check the condition of each equipment piece in the warehouse. If you notice some damage – whether major or minor – tell the officer-in-charge right away and discontinue the use of the equipment temporarily. Have it fixed as soon as possible to avoid further damage.

6. Invest in a warehouse maintenance software system that will provide you with a set of computerized procedures to handle the receipt of stock and returns into a warehouse facility model and manage the logical representation of the physical storage facilities. This will make your life in handling warehouse operations easier.

These are just some ways on how to maintain the operation and materials handling inside the warehouse. For more information about storage systems such as industrial mezzanines, visit http://msshouston.com/cantilever-racking-10/uncategorised/industrial-mezzanine.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Choosing Elevated Platforms

An elevated platform is a useful piece of equipment installed in any room or warehouse space to provide additional space vertically, especially when room expansion or addition is not possible.  The existence of elevated platforms is often utilized for an additional work space, monitoring room, multipurpose space, and storage solution.

When choosing an elevated platform for your warehouse, there are several things you need to consider, including the following:

Size and Volume– Choose an elevated platform that fits exactly in your available warehouse space. If there is no standard-sized platform ideal for your warehouse space, opt for custom fabrication that is perfectly according to your preferences and specifications.

Safety – Choose an elevated platform that is safe to use, work on, and store items on. Ensure that the materials used for the platform are of high quality and can withstand the test of time and rigorous activities.

Durability – Choose an elevated platform that is durable to hold heavy items and strong enough to accommodate operational activities. Each platform, however, features a maximum weight capacity. Be sure to know this as this will serve as your guide when storing items or using the platform for a specific activity.

Platform Surface –Choose an elevated platform with a platform surface that is safe to walk in, such as one that is embossed with a safety tread and features smooth steel with silica sand for slip resistance, open grating, or wood surfaced. The most ideal platforms are made from durable materials inclduing carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum and may be finished with industrial enamel, epoxy paint, zinc finishes such as Galvacon.

Choosing an elevated platform for your warehouse should be fairly easy, especailly if you are equipped with the right knowledge. For more information about warehouse storage systems and elevated platforms, visit http://msshouston.com/cantilever-racking-8/uncategorised/elevated-platform.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Dos and Don’ts in Using Cantilever Racks

Although it may seem quite easy to use, a cantilever rack requires correct utilization and proper maintenance to prolong its life and avoid any damage or accident in the warehouse. Because of this, there are a couple of guidelines to follow and practices to observe when using cantilever racks as a storage system in the warehouse.

Below are the dos and don’ts and using cantilever racking systems which can serve as your guide on what to follow and what to avoid when it comes to using the cantilever rack.


Dos in Using a Cantilever Rack

Store only items that are suitable in your cantilever rack, such as pipes, lumbers, steels, and other long and heavy items.

Consider the maximum weight capacity of your cantilever rack. Make sure that the total weight of the items stored in your rack is within this weight capacity. Otherwise, the rack or the items stored may suffer from damage.

Regularly check and monitor the condition of your cantilever rack. Inspect for any damage or loose bolts or nuts to ensure that the rack is still in good condition for use.

Don’ts in Using a Cantilever Rack

Do not store items more than the total allowed capacity of the storage system. This will only damage the rack and reduce its life span.

Do not use the rack if there is any damage on it. Even a loose nut or bolt can cause a lot of harm and huge accident, especially if the heavy items stored in it slip and fall down.

Do not allow any unauthorized person to access the cantilever rack, especially if the items stored are big and heavy. This is a safety measure that needs to be observed strictly in the warehouse. Posting of signage and warning labels can help guide workers inside the warehouse.

When using cantilever racks, it is important to observe proper safety measures to avoid any accident in the warehouse. For more information about the different types of storage systems, visit http://msshouston.com/cantilever-racks.html.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Maintenance Tips for Your Cantilever Racking Systems


Cantilever racks are useful for storing long and heavy items, such as pipes, steel, timber, and the likes. They are made durable to withstand the heavy weights of the stored items. However, they still require proper use and maintenance, so they can last for a long time and avoid any forms of damage.


Here are some essential tips in maintaining your cantilever racking systems.

1. If you will assemble your racking system by yourself, read the manual that comes with it first before trying to set up any parts of it. If you can, seek the assistance of professional cantilever rack installers to ensure that you will be able to assemble the product as accurately as it should be.

2. It is very important that the cantilever rack structure be installed in a plumb, level, and square condition. Setting it up on an uneven flooring might make it unstable and unbalanced, and may cause further damage.

3. Load items with total weight according to the maximum capacity of the type of rack you have. Cantilever racks are classified as to light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty, with specific maximum capacity for each. Make sure that you don’t exceed the maximum weight they can carry. Otherwise, they can stand unstable or be damaged immediately after several uses.

4. Ensure that all hardware and parts are installed in place and properly tightened before the cantilever racking system is to be used.

5. Make regular monitoring and inspection. The moment you see damage, put down all items stored in the rack and have it fixed right away. If damage is non-repairable, better to replace it with a new and functional one to ensure safety and security.

These are just some of the maintenance tips for your cantilever racks. For more information about the various types of warehouse storage systems, their installations, and repair, consult with the experts at http://msshouston.com/cantilever-racking.html.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Understanding Cantilever Racks

A cantilever rack is a storage tool designed to keep long items or items with varying lengths, such as pipes, tubes, lumber, steels, and similar materials. It can either be single or double sided, maximizing the storage spaces it provides. Some of the industries that use cantilever racking systems include furniture, cardboard, lumber, steel, plastics, and tubing industries.

Types of Cantilever Racks

Cantilever racks can be classified into four major types – light duty, medium duty, heavy duty, and structural racking systems.

Light duty cantilever racks are used to store long products like metal braces and conduit. They are ideal for storing wide and heavy material that can be lifted into place by staff or a forklift. Often, they are used in in retail as both storage and display.

Medium duty cantilever racks are often used as storage for timbers, pipes, and sheet metals. They are ideal for the storing wide and heavy material that may require a forklift to lift and retrieve, and are widely used in retail and hardware stores.

Heavy duty cantilever racks are used to carry and store really wide and really heavy materials, such as strong metal pipes and columns. They are popularly used by manufacturers, factories, and building suppliers. They are the perfect option when other racks would be under great strain.

Structural cantilever racks are used for loads that free-standing cantilever racks can't handle. Sometimes called extra heavy duty cantilever racking system, they require expert advice, design, and manufacturing ability.

What to Consider when Getting Cantilever Racks

Before getting cantilever racking systems for your warehouse or retail store, here are some of the things that you need to consider and think about.

How many racks do you need? The number of storage system will depend on how many items will you be storing. Make sure to get enough racks so you can store your items properly and presentably.

How durable are the racks? Make sure that your cantilever racks are made of high-grade, high-quality materials that can hold the heaviest of products to be stored.


To know more about your cantilever rack options, consult with the experts at http://msshouston.com/cantilever-racks.html.