Cantilever Racking

Cantilever racking systems, also known as cantilever pipe racks or cantilever lumber racks, are specialized storage solutions designed for handling long and bulky items. Built with durable columns, bases, and cantilever arms, these racks provide strong support for heavy loads. They are ideal for storing materials such as pipes, tubes, lumber, and sheet metal, as well as larger, awkward items like automotive and aircraft parts.

A cantilever is a structural element that extends horizontally and is supported at only one end. In construction and engineering, it is commonly used in bridges, balconies, and shelves, where one side is anchored firmly to a vertical support while the other side projects outward without any additional support. Cantilevers are also used in rack systems, especially in warehouses for storing long, bulky items like pipes, lumber, or metal bars.

A cantilever rack is a structure designed for storing and handling a wide range of long or odd-sized loads. These include metal pipes and profiles, plastic tubes, wooden boards, and sheet metal.

Yes, by installing continuous shelves, made of metal or wood, on the cantilever arms. This design provides a stable surface capable of supporting pallets of different dimensions, as well as boxes and containers of varying sizes.

To determine the maximum cantilever rack capacity, several factors need to be considered: the load’s length, the number of arms supporting it, the number of storage levels, and the height of the cantilever columns. Interlake Mecalux’s heavy-duty cantilever racks can hold up to 8,300 lb on a 24" arm, while the columns can support up to 22,500 lb per side when using 24" arms evenly spaced along the column height.

Interlake Mecalux’s cantilever storage racks offer column heights ranging from a minimum of 8 feet to a maximum of 38 feet, with standard height increments available in 2-foot intervals.

Interlake Mecalux’s cantilever shelving solution offers base and arm lengths ranging from a minimum of 2 feet to a maximum of 6 feet, with standard length increments available in 1-foot intervals.

Interlake Mecalux’s cantilever racking solution offers horizontal and X-bracing widths ranging from a minimum of 2 feet to a maximum of 8 feet, with standard width increments available in 6-inch intervals.

To properly design the arrangement of arms and columns in cantilever systems, it is important to account for factors such as the size, weight, and rigidity of the goods, the handling equipment used, and allowable tolerances. Each load must be supported by a minimum of two arms, and goods may extend beyond the arms by up to 50% of the horizontal distance between them. This ensures stable support and even load distribution.

Goods are typically stored and retrieved using forklifts, particularly side loaders, which are designed to handle long or irregularly shaped loads by lifting and transporting them laterally. When placing loads on the cantilever arms, it is crucial to ensure they are properly centered to prevent any contact between the forks and the arms. For heavier loads stored in heavy-duty cantilever racks, larger handling equipment, such as overhead cranes, may be used to accommodate the weight and ensure safe material handling.

Yes, combining cantilever racks with Interlake Mecalux’s Movirack mobile bases allows the system to increase its density while maintaining high selectivity.

Mobile cantilever racks can be installed in various types of facilities. The assembly process involves embedding rails into the floor, allowing the bases to move smoothly along these tracks.

Up to 16 mobile bases can be installed consecutively. To expand the storage system, a fixed cantilever rack must be set up at one end; from there, an additional set of 16 bases can be incorporated.