As a business in the automotive industry, you face a range of complex material handling challenges. But perhaps the biggest is the fact that you deal in a wide range of unique and difficult to handle parts.
Exhausts, bumpers, panels, driveshafts, windscreens and tyres are all heavy, bulky, awkward and potentially fragile items that don’t play particularly well with standard storage systems.
Your business needs a safe, accessible and efficient automotive racking system that allows a wide range of parts to be stored and organised.
Cantilever racking can be exactly that.
In this guide we’ll take a look at cantilever racking for automotive storage: what cantilever storage racks are, why they are ideal for the automotive industry, and how a quality car parts storage solution can be successfully implemented.
What is cantilever racking and why is it ideal for vehicle parts?
Cantilever racking systems feature horizontal arms that extend out from vertical columns, which allow you to easily store items that are too long, bulky or oddly shaped for standard pallet racks.
Cantilever racking is a perfectly versatile racking system. Items sit on the cantilever arms, stretching across as of those arms many as the length of the item demands. The open-front design also means the system provides unobstructed access to stored materials. Mesh decking or timber can be added between the arms to create a solid shelf if needed.
Cantilever racking comes in a variety of different types and configurations designed to meet a wide range of storage needs: light-duty or heavy-duty, single-sided or double-sided.
And this unique set of characteristics makes cantilever racking a particularly compelling storage option to the automotive industry, which deals with more heavy, bulky, long and awkwardly shaped parts than most.
Key benefits of cantilever racking in automotive storage
Why exactly should you choose cantilever racking for NZ automotive storage? This type of vehicle part shelving offers a number of unique advantages:
- Maximised horizontal storage for long items: The vertical columns at the front of standard pallet racking make it impossible to store items longer than the width of a bay. The open-front design of cantilever storage, on the other hand, makes it the ideal type of warehouse racking for long and bulky items.
- Easy forklift and manual access: The open-front design also makes it particularly easy to store and retrieve items in cantilever racking, whether by forklift or manual methods.
- Reduced damage to fragile components: With no vertical columns or horizontal beams to hit, cantilever racking can help workers avoid accidental collisions and potential damage to both inventory and the storage system.
- Modular design allows for expansion: You can easily add more bays or levels to your cantilever racking system as and when you need, to expand your storage capacity.
- Customisable height and arm length: No matter how large or awkward your automotive parts might be, your cantilever racking can be configured to suit. You can adjust the space between the arms both vertically and horizontally in order to fit whatever inventory you need.
- Ideal for high-turnover or bulkier stock: On top of being able to handle the bulkiest and most awkwardly shaped items, the accessibility and picking efficiency of cantilever racking makes it ideal for high turnover stock.
Common use cases in the automotive sector
The automotive industry spans a large range of different sectors and businesses, almost all of which can benefit from automotive racking systems. A few of the most common automotive uses cases for cantilever racking include:
Car parts distribution warehouses
Cantilever racking is used to store a wide range of automotive components and distribute them to retailers, repair shops and dealerships. It helps to power the inventory accuracy and fast order fulfilment that are critical in distribution warehouse environments.
Auto body and repair shops
Collision repair, panel beating and painting services use a range of awkwardly shaped tools, parts and inventory, or even cars themselves which cantilever racking is uniquely capable of storing.
Machinery or fleet service centres
Businesses that support the servicing, repair and maintenance of commercial fleets rely on cantilever racking for the organised storage of parts, fluids, tyres and tools, and to maximise usable floorspace.
Vehicle manufacturing plants
Assembling vehicles from thousands of components, automotive manufacturing facilities demand tightly integrated logistics systems. Cantilever racking can provide the inventory management basis for just-in-time parts delivery, streamlined production lines and strategic storage close to assembly stations.
Agricultural and heavy vehicle parts
Businesses that specialise in storing and distributing parts for tractors, harvesters, construction equipment and other large vehicles face significant storage challenges, but heavy-duty cantilever racking is equipped to handle most.
Compliance and safety considerations
Safety must be the number one priority when designing cantilever racking for automotive storage.
Every aspect of the racking system needs to align with WorkSafe safety standards. The specifics will depend on your situation, but basic principles include:
- Ensuring racking does not block emergency exits or fire systems.
- Labelling racking with SWL signage and other key information.
- Inspecting racking according to WorkSafe guidelines.
- Using barriers and bollards to protect workers and structures.
- Keeping heavy items at lower levels where possible.
A quality racking supplier like Storepro will be happy to guide you on all the regulatory boxes you need to tick in order to comply with NZ warehouse safety rules.
Storepro: cantilever racking professionals
Cantilever racking is a fantastic storage solution for the automotive industry, and can form a key element of your broader warehouse system, complimenting standard pallet racking and shelving systems and allowing you to store, organise and efficiently pick your most challenging inventory.
But crafting the ideal storage system for your situation is no mean feat – in fact, it’s a task that demands some professional expertise.
At Storepro we are that professional. Our expert team is ready to offer all the automotive warehouse racking guidance you might need, or to enhance the performance of your facility by creating a custom designed, high quality storage solution.
Get in touch with our friendly team today for a free consultation, and take the first step towards smarter, safer, more efficient automotive storage.