Overview
Mobile Shelving, also known as a roller racking system or mobile aisle shelving, has been popularised by their use in environments such as archives, stockrooms and educational facilities. High density mobile shelving is housed on large mobile carriages that slide aside, removing the need for an isle between each row of shelving, this recovers space and offers a cost-effective alternative to actually increasing the floor space.
Mobile storage shelving can be manufactured in a large range of shapes and sizes and customised to the individual needs of your organisation and its items. These systems are widely used for the storage of files, stock and other administrative products in environments such as schools and libraries.
What are the benefits of mobile shelving?
The key benefit of mobile shelving is that it requires far less floor space than traditional shelving systems but still offers a superior volume of storage space.
Because static shelving systems cannot function without aisle space between each row of shelving, they take up a significant amount of room in commercial and office spaces where space can be at a real premium. Mobile storage systems eliminate this requirement as they operate on an inbuilt trackway, meaning the space required for aisle access is only created when the containers are moved, vastly reducing the amount of space required.
As an example of the space saving qualities of mobile shelving; 132 linear meters of traditional storage (four draw filing) would occupy 35sqm of space, but replace this with mobile racking, and it occupies just 10sqm!
Mobile Shelving Gallery
Where is it used?
Mobile Shelving / Roller Racking is in use across numerous sectors, including: Archives, Education, , Healthcare, Museums, Offices and .
Just a few examples:
National History Museum Darwin Centre – See the Case Study Here.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – See the Case Study Here.
Keele University – See the Case Study Here.
How does mobile shelving work?
Mobile shelving units are mounted on level trackways that offer a flat supporting platform on which the shelving can operate, this makes it possible to move heavy units with minimal effort and a high level of usability.
Trackways can be installed either on top of an existing floor (as with our monotrak systems) or be integrated into raised access flooring (as with our Multitrak solutions), allowing for a smooth transition between each unit on surrounding floor levels. Modern mobile shelving systems are typically manual, with handles which are turned to move the units, however there are electronic solutions (such as our Powertrak solution) that operate via electric motors saving even more effort.
What are mobile shelving systems made of?
Mobile shelving and racking bases are are manufactured using light-weight and hard-wearing steel with a powder coated finish. The shelving which sits on top of these varies, typically steel but we have built solutions with timber tops, and to house older cabinets.
Should you choose manual or powered mobile shelving?
Put simply, it depends on your needs and your individual situation. If you are installing the units in an area which does not have mains power for example, a powered solution may just not be possible or economically feasible.
If you are adding the system into a powered area, then both manual and powered mobile shelving systems function in the same way. The only difference is the working mechanism for powered systems is moved electronically.
If you have staff who may struggle to move a manual system, and where you need speedy access, then an electronic system may be the best for you.
Glossary of Terms
Mobile shelving systems are often referred to in a number of different ways, so to help avoid confusion we have listed below some of the most popular terms you may have come across and explained the differences between them.
• Bespoke Mobile Shelving
Bespoke mobile shelving is designed and manufactured to the exact specifications of a customer, offering a tailor-made solution for offices and commercial premises with particular storage and spacing requirements. Bespoke shelving can also be re-designed and modified if you find you are running out of storage space and need to increase your storage capacity. Here at Rackline, we specialise in the creation of bespoke storage systems and can tailor our designs to meet your exact needs.
• Heavy-Duty Mobile Racking Storage Systems
Heavy-duty systems are traditionally popularised by commercial premises such as warehouses where storage is required for a high volume of heavy or bulky goods. But because these systems can be manufactured in very tall or long dimensions and can take heavy loads, they are also used for archive, museum and library storage.
These systems are reinforced to provide solid and stable structures that can withstand the heavy demands of regular use and can be built into large-scale commercial or industrial storage systems.
• Mobile Aisle Shelving
Mobile aisle shelving is the term used for shelving or storage units fitted with wheeled traction systems. This creates highly condensed, space-saving storage systems where each unit is lined up in a row and can be moved along an extended trackway mechanism, allowing the users to access different storage sections by creating aisle access when the units move.
• Mobile Racking Systems
Mobile racking (also known as high density storage) is the term used for any storage system where the mobile carriages run on a trackway mechanism. These systems can operate with manual and electronic mechanisms and allow for greater storage capacity as well as offering a high level of security, protection and ease of access.
• Mobile Roller Racking
Roller racking offers an inventive solution for environments such as warehouses, where heavy goods can be difficult to manoeuvre across within shelving compartments. To address this problem standard flat shelving is replaced by a platform of rollers that allow the easy movement of goods but are more than capable of withstanding heavy-duty storage needs.
• Roller Aisle Racking
Roller aisle racking is popular in commercial properties and warehouses where quick and effective access to stock is required. Roller racking systems operative on a trackway mechanism that allows speed of access to storage sections and offers a marked increase in storage capacity and efficiency when compared to traditional static shelving.
Is there anything else you would like to know?
The team at Rackline are mobile shelving specialists so if you have any questions about these systems such as ‘how they work?’, ‘how they can be moved?’, ‘how static shelving can be converted to mobile?’ or even how it will look in your workplace, please get in touch!
Contact our friendly and knowledgeable customer services today on 01782 770144 or contact us on the form below.