One of the unique innovations emerging in manufacturing is the mobile shelving system. Its basic form involves placing standard shelving units on carriages that roll on tracks.
Mobile systems have been around for a long time and go by many different names: mobile shelving, mobile aisle, rolling shelving, compact shelving, mobile aisle track shelving, high-density shelving, and more.
In this article, I will describe in more detail what a mobile system is, its main uses, how its flexibility and versatility allow it to be applied to a variety of storage applications (including examples), and most importantly, what benefits it can bring to your business!
This mobile storage system is a high-density storage system that places standard shelving units, racks, and cabinets on rolling carriages, which in turn are placed on floor tracks.
The carriages move along the tracks, and when an aisle is opened to access items on the shelves, the carriages are arranged closely together. The aisles can be opened manually or electrically by the operator.
Patented track design and mechanically assisted handles allow the shelves to move smoothly and safely without requiring significant effort.
Designed for a Specific Purpose
The main purpose of a mobile shelving system is to maximize the use of existing storage space. It is designed to eliminate the wasted aisle space required by fixed lateral shelving systems.
Mobile shelving systems can also utilize vertical space up to 28 feet, thus increasing not only lateral storage capacity (by eliminating aisles) but also vertical storage capacity (by utilizing unused air space) within the same footprint.
It is also known as a high-density storage system. Mobile shelving systems eliminate dead space and utilize it to improve efficiency, productivity, and storage density.
For example, if you are currently using standard filing cabinets, you can reduce your storage space by 50-75% and use the extra space for more efficient purposes, or for more storage – the choice is yours.
Flexible and Versatile Storage
Mobile systems are flexible and can be configured in different depths, widths, and heights (see "Dimensions and Load Capacity" below) to accommodate many different types of spaces.
Mobile storage systems are highly versatile and can store a wide variety of items, as they can be equipped with standard shelving, library shelving, and box shelving, cabinets, locks, security doors, art racks, weapon racks, garment racks, file drawers, browser boxes, and more.
For industrial applications, the mobile carriages can also accommodate wide-span shelving or pallet racking, which can be configured to your specific storage needs.
Their flexibility and versatility allow them to store a wide range of items, from palletized goods to sports equipment, linens, towels, documents, boxes, crates, small to medium-sized parts, tires, artwork, automotive parts, molds, artifacts, books, tools, aerospace parts, medical supplies, weapons, and much more.
Security Features
High-density mobile shelving can be secured with roller doors and/or lockable doors, drawers, and cabinets.
The entire mobile shelving system can be equipped with aisle safety locks to prevent the shelves from moving before being unlocked. Additionally, other safety features prevent the shelves from moving when a user is located within an open aisle.
Mobile systems are widely used in libraries, education, healthcare, government, automotive, corporate, public safety, museums, and entertainment sectors.
