Storing long, cumbersome items is one of the biggest challenges in warehouse management. Standard pallet racking just doesn't work well for items that are long and round. If you manage a plumbing supply house, a steel manufacturing plant, or a hardware store, you know the struggle of keeping inventory organized. This is where a pipe cantilever rack becomes an essential piece of equipment.
A pipe cantilever rack is specifically designed to handle long loads that cannot be palletized. Unlike standard shelving, it has no front columns to obstruct access. This open-front design allows you to use the full length of the shelf.
For businesses dealing with PVC, steel tubes, copper piping, or conduit, this system is a game-changer. It improves safety, speeds up retrieval times, and maximizes vertical space. In this article, we will dig into the details of these systems, how to choose the right one, and why they are the standard for pipe storage.
At its core, a pipe cantilever rack is a storage system consisting of a heavy base, vertical uprights, and horizontal arms. The arms extend outward to hold the load.
Because there are no vertical posts at the front, you can load pipes that are longer than the rack itself. You can place a 20-foot steel pipe onto a rack that is only 15 feet long, provided the overhang is calculated correctly.
The "cantilever" aspect refers to the structural engineering where a beam is supported only on one end. In a pipe cantilever rack, the arm is anchored to the upright, capable of holding massive weight without sagging.
Round items like pipes differ from square lumber or boxes. They roll. If you stack pipes on the floor, you risk a pile collapse. This is dangerous for workers and damages the stock.
A pipe cantilever rack solves this with specific accessories. The arms are often angled slightly upwards to prevent rolling. Additionally, end stops (or pipe stops) can be installed at the tip of the arm.
Using a pipe cantilever rack gets your inventory off the floor. Floor stacking eats up square footage. Racking allows you to go vertical, multiplying your storage density by three or four times.
To understand how to buy the right system, you need to know the parts. A pipe cantilever rack is simple but robust.
The Uprights: These are the vertical spines of the system. They must be anchored to a solid concrete floor. The height of the upright determines how high you can stack your pipes.
The Base: The base supports the upright. It anchors the system and usually extends out as far as the arms do. This ensures the center of gravity stays safe.
The Arms: This is where your pipes sit. In a pipe cantilever rack, arms can be straight or inclined. They are adjustable up and down the upright to accommodate different bundle sizes.
Bracing: You will see diagonal bars connecting the uprights. This provides lateral stability so the rack doesn't sway left to right.
When planning your warehouse layout, you have two main choices.
Single-Sided Pipe Cantilever Rack: These are designed to go against a wall. They have arms on only one side of the upright. This is great for maximizing perimeter space in a smaller warehouse.
Double-Sided Pipe Cantilever Rack: These units stand in the middle of the floor. You can store pipes on both the front and back. This effectively doubles your storage capacity without increasing the footprint of the central structure.
Most businesses start with single-sided units against walls and move to double-sided pipe cantilever rack aisles as they grow.
Safety relies on math. You cannot just guess how much weight a pipe cantilever rack can hold.
Each arm has a capacity rating. Each upright has a total capacity rating. If you have four arms holding a bundle of steel pipes, the weight is distributed across those four arms.
You must ensure the total weight of the pipes does not exceed the sum of the arm capacities. Also, you must ensure the total weight on all levels does not exceed the upright capacity.
Overloading a pipe cantilever rack can cause arm deflection. This is where the arm bends downward. If it bends too much, the pipes will roll off.
One of the most critical aspects of setting up a pipe cantilever rack is spacing the uprights correctly. This prevents your pipes from sagging.
Flexible items like PVC or copper tubing will droop if the arms are too far apart. This sagging damages the inventory.
To fix this, you need more uprights closer together. For stiff steel pipes, you can space the uprights further apart. A correctly configured pipe cantilever rack supports the load evenly along its entire length.
Pipes are expensive. Copper is a high-value metal. Even PVC can crack if mishandled.
Storing these items on a pipe cantilever rack keeps them straight and clean. When pipes are piled on the floor, the bottom pipes get crushed. Dirt and moisture from the concrete can corrode metal pipes.
By elevating the stock on a pipe cantilever rack, air can circulate around the inventory. This is vital for metal pipes that might rust in damp environments.
Speed translates to money in a warehouse. If a worker takes twenty minutes to dig out a specific diameter of pipe, that is lost productivity.
A pipe cantilever rack offers 100% selectivity. Every bundle is accessible all the time. You don't have to move the top pipes to get to the bottom ones if you organize your levels correctly.
Forklifts can easily approach a pipe cantilever rack. Since there is no front column, the driver doesn't have to worry about maneuvering forks between narrow posts. They just drive up, lift, and reverse.
We mentioned rolling earlier. It is the biggest risk with round inventory.
When ordering a pipe cantilever rack, you should request "pipe stops." These are metal bars that slot into the end of the cantilever arm. They act as a barrier.
Some racks also feature "decking." You can place steel mesh or solid steel pans across the arms. This turns the pipe cantilever rack into a continuous shelf. This is useful if you are storing short lengths of pipe or loose fittings alongside long tubes.
Protective caps for the ends of the arms are also a good idea. They prevent sharp metal edges from scratching your employees or the inventory.
Not all pipe storage happens indoors. Lumber yards and industrial supply centers often store galvanized or cast iron pipes outside.
You can buy a pipe cantilever rack with a galvanized finish. Hot-dipped galvanization creates a thick zinc coating that prevents rust.
If you use a standard painted rack outside, it will rust quickly. A galvanized pipe cantilever rack can withstand rain, snow, and UV rays for years without degrading.
Some outdoor systems also come with roof arms. You can install a corrugated metal roof on top of the rack to shield the inventory from direct rain.
Installing a heavy-duty pipe cantilever rack is not a DIY job for a novice. It requires precision.
The floor must be level. If the concrete is uneven, the uprights will lean. A leaning rack is a collapsing rack. You must use shims to level the base plates.
Anchoring is non-negotiable. You must use heavy-duty concrete wedge anchors to bolt the base of the pipe cantilever rack to the floor.
Once the uprights are up, install the bracing. Do not tighten the bolts fully until the structure is square. Finally, slot in the arms and lock them with the safety pins or bolts provided.
Once your pipe cantilever rack is installed, you cannot just forget about it. Forklifts bump into racks. It happens.
You should inspect the system monthly. Look for bent arms. A bent arm has lost its structural integrity and must be replaced.
Check the anchors. Vibrations from heavy machinery can loosen floor bolts over time. Tighten them down.
Check the safety pins on the arms. If a pin falls out, an arm could be dislodged during loading. Keeping your pipe cantilever rack in top shape ensures it lasts for decades.
The price of a pipe cantilever rack varies based on weight capacity and size. Light-duty systems for small workshops are affordable. Heavy-duty structural I-beam racks for steel mills are a significant capital investment.
However, consider the cost of damaged inventory. If you lose 5% of your stock to crushing or bending because of poor storage, that money adds up.
Also, consider labor costs. If a pipe cantilever rack saves your forklift driver one hour a day, the system pays for itself in a few months.
Manufacturers can build a pipe cantilever rack to your exact specs.
You can choose the color. Safety orange or yellow is standard for visibility, but you can match your company branding.
You can choose the arm length. If you store very flexible tubing, you might want shorter arms to prevent deep stacking that crushes the bottom layer.
You can also mix and match arm lengths. You might want long arms on the bottom for heavy, bulk bundles, and short arms on top for lighter, slower-moving stock.
You might have seen "A-frame" vertical racks where pipes stand up on their ends.
These are good for retail environments where customers pick one pipe at a time. But for industrial storage, the horizontal pipe cantilever rack is superior.
Vertical storage has a height limit usually determined by the ceiling and safety reach. Horizontal storage allows you to stack bundles much higher.
Also, long flexible pipes are hard to stand up vertically. They flop over. Laying them flat on a pipe cantilever rack supports them along their length, preserving their shape.
For heavy industrial applications, look for "structural" pipe cantilever rack systems.
These are made from I-beams, similar to the steel used in buildings. They are much stronger than "roll-formed" steel.
Roll-formed steel is shaped from a flat sheet. It is good for light to medium loads. But if you are storing solid steel bars or heavy drilling pipes, you need the rigidity of structural I-beams.
Structural arms are usually bolted on, whereas roll-formed arms might use a clip system. Both are good, but they serve different weight classes.
As your business grows, your inventory changes. The beauty of a pipe cantilever rack is modularity.
You can add more bays later. You can buy taller uprights and swap them out (though this is more work). You can buy more arms to create more levels if your bundles get smaller.
Investing in a high-quality system now saves you from having to scrap a cheap system later. Quality steel holds its value.
If you deal with tubes, pipes, or round stock, there is no substitute for a dedicated storage system. The pipe cantilever rack offers the strength, flexibility, and safety that industrial environments demand.
It transforms a cluttered, dangerous warehouse into a streamlined operation. Your inventory stays straight, your workers stay safe, and your floor space opens up.
Whether you need a small unit for a mechanic shop or a massive outdoor system for a lumber yard, the pipe cantilever rack is the standard solution for a reason. Assess your needs, calculate your weights, and install a system that works for you.
A1: The most effective method is using "pipe stops" or "end stops." These are metal components that attach to the end of the cantilever arm, creating a vertical barrier. Additionally, many pipe cantilever rack arms are designed with a slight upward pitch (angle) towards the tip, which naturally encourages the pipes to roll back towards the upright rather than off the front.
A2: PVC is flexible and prone to sagging. To prevent permanent warping, the arms on a pipe cantilever rack should be spaced closer together than they would be for steel pipes. A general rule is to have at least three or four supports for a standard length of PVC. You should consult the manufacturer's load table, which provides specific deflection guidelines based on the pipe's diameter and wall thickness.
A3: Yes, this is one of the main benefits of a pipe cantilever rack. Because there are no front vertical posts, you can place items of varying lengths on the same level. However, ensure that the shortest items are long enough to span at least two arms to be stored safely.
A4: It depends on the load. Structural I-beam pipe cantilever rack systems are designed for heavy-duty, high-capacity storage (like solid steel bars). Roll-formed racks are made from lighter gauge steel and are more cost-effective for light to medium loads (like aluminum tubing or PVC). Structural racks generally resist forklift impact damage better than roll-formed ones.
A5: The height is limited by your ceiling height, your forklift's reach, and the capacity of the rack's uprights. Common heights range from 8 feet to 20 feet. However, it is crucial to place the heaviest bundles on the lower levels of the pipe cantilever rack to maintain a low center of gravity and ensure stability.
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