Warehouse racking for manufacturing.

Storage across the manufacturing operation

Manufacturing storage requirements span several distinct zones. Raw material stores handle incoming deliveries of steel, aluminium, plastics, timber, chemicals and components, and must be organised to allow efficient issue to production. Work-in-progress (WIP) areas store partially assembled products between production stages, where racking must accommodate non-standard dimensions and weights. Finished goods stores hold completed products awaiting despatch, often on standard pallet racking sized around the finished product pallet. Tooling and jig stores require specialist cantilever or bespoke racking to protect high-value production equipment. Maintenance stores hold spare parts, consumables and MRO items on longspan or boltless shelving systems.

Racking systems for manufacturing

Selective pallet racking is used in raw material and finished goods stores where standard pallet handling equipment is available. Longspan shelving provides accessible, flexible storage for components, spares and MRO items in maintenance and production support areas. Kanban racking and carton flow systems keep production lines supplied by gravity-feeding components to the point of use from a replenishment face at the rear. Vertical racking stores bar, tube, pipe and extrusion stock in raw material stores. Mezzanine floor systems create additional storage levels above the production floor without requiring additional building space. Rackstor UK works with production engineers and site managers to design storage systems that integrate with the production layout and handling equipment.

• Raw material stores — steel, aluminium, plastics
• Work-in-progress (WIP) storage
• Finished goods and despatch areas
• Tooling, jig and fixture stores
• Maintenance and MRO parts stores
• Production line component supply

Lean storage and 5S in manufacturing

Manufacturing facilities operating lean production systems require storage that supports 5S principles — Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain. Racking systems with clearly defined, labelled storage locations, visual management systems and appropriate aisle widths for the handling equipment in use enable the disciplined organisation that lean manufacturing requires. Rackstor UK can design storage systems aligned with lean and 5S principles, with shadow boards, colour-coded zones and floor marking integrated into the racking layout.