Cantilever racking is known to be a storage system typically used to store long, irregular or even irregularly shaped products that cannot fit in pallet racking. This is why cantilever racking is the most common method of storing hardwood and softwood lumber products.
Columns
The leg system – or columns to give them their proper term – has a number of arms attached to them by various means (by pins, bolts or rarely by welding) which extend from the columns.
The posts are connected together by a series of cross braces and tie beams for lateral stability. This provides uninterrupted storage runs – ideal for storing Timber’s long product lengths.
Lumber Storage Solutions
Of course there are other methods including vertical storage (often called A-frame) – where lumber is stored by resting it upright against a series of beams, or pigeonhole storage – where lumber is stored horizontally in small compartments. The disadvantage of both systems is the need to store the inventory manually, which is time-consuming. In the case of vertical storage, the lumber is prone to warp due to varying drying due to the thermal gradients that exist in most buildings, especially during the summer months.
The increased use of cantilever racking in the lumber industry is directly related to the trend for end users to purchase only the amount of lumber they can use immediately. Tighter credit lines and the requirement for companies to keep a tight rein on cash flow and inventory levels means they no longer need whole packages of material that may take weeks or even months to consume.
This trend has subsequently led to the need to increase multi-point deliveries while handling more small orders. This, in turn, puts pressure on order picking systems with the shorter cycle times required. Against the backdrop of a severe recession, margin pressure from increased competition in a demanding market did not allow for the convenient option of hiring more employees and purchasing or leasing more mechanical handling equipment.
Using cantilevered racks to store lumber not only ensures safer storage than simple block stacking, but also has the major benefit of allowing individual lengths to be selected to meet an increasing number of smaller and more diverse orders. This can be done either directly from the shelf or by placing packages stored high up on the floor with the package and then returning it to its original position when the selection is complete.
This is a more efficient process than moving several packages of bulk stacked lumber (inevitably, it is required to remove three lengths of lumber from a package at the bottom of a three-deep, four-high bulk stack) and provides a lower level of added benefit of inventory damage because the packages are handled less frequently before being used up.
The use of modern multi-directional rugged terrain side-loading reach trucks with relatively low bed heights allows manual selection of two or three levels at the bottom of the rack. This allows for accommodating peak demand cycles by temporarily increasing manpower without the need for additional mechanical handling equipment.
All in all, cantilever racking reduces order selection cycles and optimizes vehicle space utilization while reducing inventory damage. All of these benefits, along with high levels of customer satisfaction and the resulting repeat business, make the investment in cantilever racking a compelling argument for all lumber merchants.
