Medium Duty Racking: The Smart Choice for Hand-Picked Stock
Not every product travels on a pallet. Spare parts, cartons, documents, components and e-commerce stock are usually picked by hand. Medium duty racking, also called long span shelving, gives these warehouses strong, adjustable shelves at a lower cost than heavy pallet racking.
What Is Medium Duty Racking?
Medium duty racking uses slotted steel uprights and step beams that carry shelf panels, usually steel or chipboard. The beams can be moved in small steps, so each level fits the product stored on it. Typical capacities are a few hundred kilograms per level, depending on span and beam size, which suits cartons and boxes loaded by staff rather than by forklift.
Where Medium Duty Racking Works Best
- Auto spare parts warehouses with thousands of part numbers.
- E-commerce and fulfilment centres with fast hand picking.
- Electrical and hardware trading companies with boxed stock.
- Factory stores for components and consumables.
- Archives and records rooms that need long, deep shelves.
Benefits Over Basic Shelving
- Longer spans: wider bays mean fewer uprights and more open shelf space.
- Higher load: stronger than light shelving and slotted angle racks.
- Quick to adjust: move shelves without tools as your products change.
- Can grow into multi tier: medium duty racks can be built two or three levels high with walkways, see multi tier racking.
Choosing the Right Shelf Type
| Shelf | Advantages |
|---|---|
| Steel shelf panels | Strong, fire-safe, easy to clean, long life |
| Chipboard / MDF boards | Lower cost, smooth surface for small items |
| Steel wire mesh | Lets light and sprinkler water through |
Planning a Medium Duty Racking Layout
- Measure the room and the clear height, noting doors and columns.
- List the carton sizes and the heaviest load per shelf.
- Decide aisle widths. For hand picking with trolleys, aisles of about 1 to 1.2 metres are common.
- Think about the future. If you may build upwards later, plan the uprights for a multi tier system now.
Medium Duty vs Heavy Duty vs Bolt Free Shelving
Use heavy duty racking when levels hold pallets or forklift loads. Use medium duty racking for heavy hand-loaded cartons and long items. Use bolt free shelving for lighter stock in smaller bays. Many warehouses combine all three in different zones.
Medium Duty Racking Price in Dubai and Sharjah
The price depends on the height, bay length, depth, number of levels, shelf type and quantity. Used medium duty racks are sometimes available at a lower price. Send your room size and what you store and we will propose the best layout and price.
Making Picking Faster with Medium Duty Racks
The layout of a picking area matters as much as the racks themselves. Group fast-moving products near the dispatch area, give every shelf a clear location label, and keep a standard order of aisles so new staff learn the warehouse quickly. Medium duty racks with adjustable beams make it easy to move fast sellers to the best height as demand changes.
- Use the lowest level for heavy or bulky cartons.
- Keep small, fast items at waist to shoulder height.
- Store slow movers and reserve stock on the top level.
- Leave a full-width main aisle for trolleys and pallet trucks.
Care and Maintenance
Medium duty racking needs little maintenance, but a quick monthly walk-round keeps it safe: check that beams are fully seated and locked, shelves are not bowed, and no upright has been hit by a trolley. Replace bent parts rather than straightening them, and keep within the load per level.
Medium Duty Racking Specifications at a Glance
| Item | Typical options |
|---|---|
| Upright height | From about 2 m up to the clear height of the room |
| Bay length | Short bays for heavy loads, long spans for bulky cartons |
| Depth | Chosen to suit your largest carton |
| Levels | Adjustable in small steps along the upright |
| Finish | Powder-coated frames, steel or board shelves |
Signs You Need Medium Duty Racking
- Cartons are stacked on the floor because shelves are full or too weak.
- Light shelving is bowing under the weight of stock.
- Staff waste time searching because there are no clear locations.
- Your room has height that the current shelves do not use.
Replacing mixed, ageing shelving with a planned medium duty racking system often adds storage, improves picking speed and makes the warehouse easier to manage in one step.
Installed by Our Own Team
Metalraking supplies and installs medium duty racking for warehouses and stores in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and all over the UAE. We deliver, assemble and level every bay, and we can expand the system later as your business grows.
Warehouse Shelving Racks for Hand-Picked Stock
When stock is picked by hand, warehouse shelving racks are faster and safer than pallet racking. Medium duty rack shelves in a warehouse hold cartons at a comfortable height, with long spans so bulky items fit without cutting the bay. Good shelves in a warehouse also make stock counting easier, because every location is clear and labelled.
Warehouse Shelving in the UAE: Supply and Installation
We supply and install warehouse shelving in the UAE for trading companies, spare parts stores, e-commerce and 3PL warehouses. Our team measures your space, draws the layout and installs the shelving in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and all over the UAE.