Cantilever racking systems are a very useful, but often overlooked, solution in warehouse storage. They are ideal for storing long items including timber, lengths of steel, pipe and other tubing. Accessibility of cantilevered products is very easy as there are no vertical uprights (as in selective pallet racking) in the way when loading to worry about.

Cantilever Racks

are made up of four components: upright columns, a base, arms and brace sets. All of these components can vary in size.

When considering the best type of cantilever racking system for your Brisbane warehouse needs it is important to concentrate on what you plan to store on them. Specifically, the weight, length, depth and width of the products.

Length of Arms

Most importantly, the depth of the loaded item should never exceed the length of the cantilever racking arm. For example, timber sheets that are 1metre wide need at least a 1 metre arm supporting them. In addition, the capacity of an arm to hold a certain weight is greatly reduced if the arm is loaded incorrectly

Spacing and number of arms

Your products must be placed over enough cantilever arms to prevent load deflection. Damage may occur to your products and to the cantilever arms if deflection occurs.

If deflection is detected then decrease the weight of your load immediately. Alternatively, spread the load over a greater number of cantilever arms.=

A good rule of thumb is to overhang your product by approximately half the distance that the cantilever arms have been separated.

Importantly, the spacing of the cantilever columns is crucial to achieving correct weight loading. Heavier loads will require columns that

Weight capacity of Cantilever arms and columns

The Upright Column and the arms of your cantilever system will have different safe weight load ratings and need to be considered separately. For example a column may have a 4000 Kg rating and each arm 1000 Kg. Loading 5 arms each with 900 Kgs may not impact the rating of the arms but will seriously overload the column. Likewise, the same column loaded with only 2 arms but with loads of 1200 Kgs on each will not compromise the column but may cause serious damage to the arms.