It’s easy to think that industrial shelving is just simple shelving; maybe it’s a little more heavy duty than home or office shelving, but all in all, it’s the same thing. However, this isn’t actually the case. In the world of industrial shelving, there are a lot of options depending on what’s being stored on the shelving, the weight, how it needs to be accessed, and more.
One of these options is carton live storage.
Carton live storage looks like normal shelving, however each shelf is on a slight incline, with rollers installed on the shelves as well. This means that when a carton is taken from the front of the shelf, the next carton behind it automatically rolls forward. This also allows for carton live storage systems to have deeper shelving than traditional shelving systems. Traditional shelving systems can only be as deep as people can reach, but since cartons automatically roll forward, you can store items on shelves as deep as is practical.
Of course this creates a first in, last out system of shelving storage. This may not matter for a lot of stored items, but for cartons being stored that may expire or rely on frequent stock rotation, carton live storage may not be the best option for shelving. This comes down to selectivity versus storage density, similar to how pallet racking is used.
For situations where high selectivity is needed in shelving, simple longspan shelving will usually suffice. Alternatively, for heavier or bulkier items, heavy duty shelving may be the way to go. Just like pallet racking, there are choices in shelving that have their benefits and considerations, depending on the space available, what’s being stored, and how it’s being accessed.
All in all, carton live storage works well for dense shelving storage while also ensuring fast loading and unloading of the shelving. This is because cartons just need to be pushed back, easily loading up the shelving. When unloading the shelving, they quickly slide forward, allowing the next carton to be picked quickly and easily. This is the main benefit of carton live storage: the speed.
As mentioned however, if you don’t need this speed or density, simpler shelving is probably a better option. It’s less expensive to install than carton live storage and has the added selectivity to it as well.
If you’re unsure what shelving is best for your storage needs, feel free to contact us to discuss it. We’re experts in industrial storage and can give you the advice you need.
