Single sided roll out racks transform dead wall space into dynamic, high-density storage. By allowing 100% extendable access for overhead cranes, they eliminate the need for wide forklift aisles, returning valuable floor space to your production line while making material handling safer and faster.
In any metal fabrication shop or steel service center, floor space is the most valuable asset. Every square foot dedicated to wide forklift aisles or disorganized floor stacks is a square foot not generating revenue. The challenge is storing long, heavy materials like bar stock, tubing, and structural profiles safely and efficiently without consuming the entire workshop. Traditional storage methods force a compromise between access and density, creating operational bottlenecks that directly impact productivity.
Single sided roll out racks present a fundamental shift in this dynamic. Designed to be placed against a wall or at the end of a bay, they leverage vertical space and eliminate the operational constraints of conventional systems. This isn't just a new type of shelf; it's a new way of managing material flow that unlocks hidden potential within your existing footprint.
Static cantilever racks serviced by forklifts demand an enormous "aisle tax." A forklift needs a wide turning radius—often 15 feet or more—to handle a 20-foot bundle of steel. This dedicated, empty space is a permanent fixture in your layout. Single sided roll out racks eliminate this requirement entirely. Because material is accessed vertically by an overhead crane, the only clearance needed is the width of the material itself. The extendable arms bring the material out from the rack into an open area, allowing the crane to lift it directly. This can return up to 50% of the floor space previously lost to aisles, creating room for a new machine, a welding station, or simply a less congested, more efficient work area.
The process of finding and retrieving a specific bundle of material from a static rack or floor stack is often called "digging." It involves moving several other bundles—the "overburden"—to get to the one you need. This secondary handling is not only a massive waste of time, often taking 15-25 minutes, but it's also a major source of safety incidents and material damage. Each move introduces a risk of collision, dropped loads, or surface scratches.
A crank out cantilever rack transforms this chaotic process into a controlled, predictable operation. Each storage level is 100% selective and independent. An operator simply uses a hand crank or an electric control to extend the desired level. The mechanical gearing allows a single person to smoothly move tons of steel with minimal physical effort. The target material is presented in the open, ready for the crane. The retrieval time drops from a variable 20 minutes to a consistent 2-5 minutes, allowing production machinery to stay fed and productive.
For businesses handling high-value or surface-sensitive materials, such as polished stainless steel, aluminum extrusions, or aerospace alloys, forklift handling is a direct threat to quality. The friction from steel forks sliding under a bundle or the inevitable bumps against a rack frame cause scratches and gouges. A single deep scratch can render an expensive piece of material useless, violating strict quality standards like those in ASME BPE for high-purity applications.
The combination of a roll out rack and an overhead crane accessible racking system creates a non-contact logistics flow. Once the arms are extended, the crane uses soft nylon slings or a vacuum lifter to engage the material. The lift is purely vertical, with no sliding, dragging, or metal-on-metal contact. This method preserves the pristine finish of your inventory from the moment it's received to the moment it's sent to the cutting table, drastically reducing scrap rates caused by handling damage.
| Feature | Traditional Static Racks / Floor Stacking | Single Sided Roll Out Racks |
| Handling Equipment | Forklift | Overhead Crane |
| Required Aisle Space | Wide (12-20 ft) for vehicle turning | Minimal (width of the extended load) |
| Material Selectivity | Low (Last-In, First-Out). Requires "digging." | 100% Selectivity. Any level is immediately accessible. |
| Average Retrieval Time | 15-25 minutes | 2-5 minutes |
| Risk of Material Damage | High (scraping from forks, collisions) | Extremely Low (no-contact vertical lifting) |
| Operator Safety | High Risk (forklift traffic, unstable loads) | High Safety (operator away from load, controlled movement) |
Adopting single sided roll out racks delivers immediate, practical improvements to the shop floor. It means operators spend their time fabricating, not searching for materials. It means production schedules become more reliable because material retrieval is a predictable, quick task. It creates a visibly safer and more organized workspace by drastically reducing forklift traffic. This isn't just an investment in storage; it's an investment in a leaner, safer, and more profitable workflow.
1. What is the main advantage of a single-sided rack over a double-sided one?
The primary advantage is space optimization. A single-sided rack is designed to be placed directly against a wall or other obstruction, turning otherwise unusable linear space into highly efficient, accessible vertical storage.
2. How much weight can a single extendable arm hold?
Capacity varies by design and is engineered to specific needs. However, these are heavy-duty systems built from structural steel, with individual arm capacities often ranging from 2,000 lbs to over 5,000 lbs, allowing for the safe storage of full bundles of steel.
3. Is an overhead crane mandatory to use these racks?
While the synergy with an overhead crane unlocks the maximum benefits in safety, speed, and space savings, it is not strictly mandatory. The roll-out feature alone provides significantly better ground-level access and selectivity compared to static racks, even when unloaded by other means.
4. How does the manual crank mechanism work with such heavy loads?
The manual crank system uses a gearbox to create mechanical advantage. This allows a single operator to apply minimal force to the crank handle to smoothly and safely extend or retract a level carrying several tons of material.
5. Can these racks store materials other than long bars or pipes?
Absolutely. While ideal for long stock, the extendable levels can be fitted with steel decking, custom cradles, or baskets to securely store a wide variety of items, including sheet metal, heavy tooling, dies, or irregularly shaped components.
