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Racks & Mezzanine Floor Manufacturing

Racks

Shelving constitutes a key element of most modern materials handling systems because it offers the simplest, most economical way to efficiently organize, store, retrieve and display goods. The advantages of structural wood panels make them ideal shelving materials for many situations. They are also one of the most economical shelving materials because the grade and thickness can be selected to match the particular application. In situations where the load will be heavier, thicker panels can be chosen. Lighter load situations won't require as much support, so less expensive, thinner panels can be selected.

Cutting. When hand sawing, use a saw with 10 to 15 points to the inch. A combination or fine-toothed blade without much set is recommended for power sawing. Use a sharp saw and remember that planning and layout can minimize waste.

Edge Treatments. In most industrial applications, no special edge treatment is required for structural panel shelving. However, for appearance, or uses where panel edges may need protection from careless loading procedures, edges may be chamfered or protected with stock wood half-round or standard metal or plastic edge strippings.

Finishing. Because structural panels are real wood, they will accept any standard wood finish if the surface is clean and the manufacturer’s directions are followed. For durability on frequently cleaned surfaces, use washable enamels or high density overlay (HDO) plywood. In situations where panel shelves may be exposed to unusual edge damage or abrasive wear on their surfaces, they can be economically covered with expendable hardboard, thin sheet metal or other protective surfacing.

Consult the tables in APA publication Materials Handling, Form M200.

Mezzanine Floors

While used in a broad range of commercial and industrial structures, mezzanine floors are most often designed to support heavy loads. In addition, the mezzanine may be required to carry pallet jacks or carts so that unused overhead cubage becomes low-cost working warehouse space.

Finish flooring will vary with anticipated use. In some cases, bare panels have proven satisfactory. However, a wearing surface should be provided to resist crushing of floors subject to hard wheel or caster traffic. An expendable layer of panels or a dense wear surface, such as tempered hardboard, should be used if wheels are small, hard or heavily loaded.

Related Publications

• Materials Handling, Form M200
• Plywood Floors for Lift-Truck Traffic, Form W900
• Technical Note: Caster Loadings on Plywood, Form X227