Disorganization in a commercial or industrial facility leads to more than just clutter. It causes lost productivity, misplaced inventory, and serious safety hazards. The foundation of an efficient, secure, and productive workspace is a well-designed storage system. And the heart of that system is a variety of industrial shelving types.

Industrial shelving is a heavy-duty storage system designed for the hand-loading and organization of non-palletized goods, parts, and materials. It’s the versatile workhorse that brings order to everything from small components and file boxes to bulk supplies and work-in-process inventory. This guide is for facility managers, procurement professionals, and business owners. Our goal is to help you select the most efficient, durable, and cost-effective shelving solution for your unique needs. As America’s leading steel storage manufacturer, Lyon has been proudly manufacturing storage solutions in the USA since 1901, and we’re here to share our expertise to help you get organized.

Shelving vs. racking: Clearing up the core confusion

People often use the terms “shelving” and “racking” interchangeably, but they are two distinct systems engineered for different purposes. Understanding the difference is the first step in choosing the right storage solution for your facility.

Industrial Shelving is designed for items that are loaded and picked by hand. It’s the ideal solution for organizing individual items, boxes, totes, or bins. Think of it as the system for lower-volume, higher-variety inventory that needs to be easily accessible to people.

Racking is engineered to hold heavy, bulkier items, sometimes palletized loads that are accessed by forklifts, pallet jacks, or other material handling equipment. This system is built to manage high-volume, uniform inventory in bulk.

Here’s a simple comparison:

Feature	Industrial Shelving	Racking
Loading Method	Hand-Loaded	Hand-load or Forklift
Typical Items	Boxes, bins, parts, files	Bulky products or pallets
Capacity	Lighter/Medium Duty	Heavy/Extra-Heavy Duty
Primary Use	Order picking & part storage	Bulk warehouse storage

How to choose the right industrial shelving: 5 key questions to answer first

To find the right fit for your operation, you can start by asking a few questions about your needs. Answering these five questions will guide you to the perfect shelving system and prevent you from overspending or under-planning.

Question 1: What are you storing?

The size, shape, and type of your items are the most important factors. Are you storing thousands of tiny electronic components, bulky boxes, sensitive archival records, or containers of liquid? What you’re storing will determine the best shelf type, decking material, and whether you need open or closed units to contain items.

Question 2: How much does it weigh?

You’ll need to figure out the total weight you plan to place on each shelf. Every industrial shelving unit has a specific weight capacity, often expressed as a uniformly distributed load (UDL). This means the capacity is based on the weight being spread evenly across the entire shelf surface, not concentrated in one spot. Always choose a system with a capacity that safely exceeds your heaviest expected load.

When considering weight capacity, it’s also important to think about the “deflection” of the shelf. This is the amount the shelf will sag or bend under load. A high-quality shelf will have minimal deflection even when loaded to its full capacity, which prevents items from sliding or becoming unstable and is a key indicator of a well-engineered product.

Question 3: What is your application? 

Where will the shelving be located? A warehouse has different requirements than a basement, a cleanroom, a corrosive industrial area, or a public-facing office. The application dictates the best type of shelving or rack to use based on your use case. 

Question 4: How much space do you have?

Measure your storage area carefully. Consider the available floor footprint as well as the vertical height you can use. Going vertical with taller shelving units is one of the most effective ways to increase your storage capacity without expanding your building’s footprint. Don’t forget to plan for adequate aisle space for people to move safely and efficiently.

Question 5: How do you need to access your items?

Think about your workflow. Do you need to access items from all sides of the unit, or just from the front? Is it for frequent, daily picking, or long-term archival storage that is rarely touched? Your access requirements will help you choose between open-backed shelving, closed units, or even high-density mobile systems.

The primary types of industrial shelving systems

Once you’ve assessed your needs, you can explore the different types of shelving available. Each system offers unique benefits tailored to specific applications and environments.

Rivet rack shelving (boltless shelving)

• What It Is: Rivet rack shelving, also known as boltless shelving, is a versatile and easy-to-assemble system. It uses a simple design of interlocking rivets and keyhole slots, eliminating the need for nuts, bolts, or clips. The most common decking options are particle board or wire mesh.
• Best For: General-purpose storage in warehouses, garages, stockrooms, and light industrial applications where a fast and simple setup is a top priority.
• Capacity Range: Light to medium duty, typically holding 350 to 1,500 lbs per shelf.
• Lyon’s Solution: We recommend Lyon’s boltless shelving for its remarkable ease of assembly. You can have a unit ready for use in minutes. Our design creates a strong, sturdy unit that is built to last.

Industrial steel shelving (open and closed)

• What It Is: This is the classic, highly durable workhorse of industrial storage, known for its strength and longevity. Many types of industrial steel shelving are modular, allowing you to create long, continuous rows cost-effectively. You start with a basic “starter” unit (with four posts) and then add on “add-on” units (which use only two new posts and share posts with the adjacent unit). It comes in two primary styles:
  • Open Shelving: Features open sides and back, stabilized with sway braces. This design allows for improved visibility to stored items from all four directions.
  • Closed Shelving: Built with steel panels on the sides and back. This creates a fully enclosed unit that provides greater stability, protects items from dust, and helps contain products to prevent them from falling.
• Best For: Heavy-duty storage in demanding environments like warehouses, tool cribs, and manufacturing plants. Closed units are the perfect solution for controlling inventory and organizing small parts.
• Capacity Range: Medium to heavy duty, typically supporting 400 to over 1,000 lbs per shelf.
• Lyon’s Solution: Lyon’s Industrial Shelving is the industry standard for strength and reliability. Made from heavy-gauge steel and protected by a durable powder coat paint finish, it is designed for the toughest jobs and backed by our lifetime warranty.

Bulk storage racks

• What It Is: Bulk storage racks are a hybrid system between industrial shelving and pallet racking. They are designed for storing heavy, bulky items that are too large or heavy for standard shelving but don’t require a forklift for handling. They often feature boltless assembly and wide, deep shelves with wire or particle board decking.
• Best For: Hand-loading of oversized cartons, motors, equipment, and other bulky inventory in warehouses, distribution centers, and maintenance areas.
• Capacity Range: Heavy duty, often supporting 1,500 to over 3,000 lbs per shelf.
• Lyon’s Solution: For those intermediate loads that are too much for standard shelving, Lyon offers a variety of heavy-duty bulk storage rack solutions that provide the perfect middle-ground in strength and accessibility.

Pallet racks

• What It Is: Pallet racks are the strongest storage rack available. These robust units can hold an extreme amount of weight. They often feature boltless assembly and wide, deep shelves with wire decking or front-to-back supports.
• Best For: Loading of full pallets of cartons, motors, equipment, and other bulky inventory in warehouses, distribution centers, and maintenance areas.
• Capacity Range: Heavy duty, often supporting 5,000 to over 6,000 lbs per shelf.
• Lyon’s Solution: For facilities that need to store full pallets directly onto a shelf. Most commonly loaded with forklifts.

High-density mobile shelving

• What It Is: Mobile shelving is a clever system that mounts any of the above shelving units onto wheeled carriages that move along floor tracks. By compacting the units together, this design eliminates fixed aisles, allowing you to create an access aisle only where and when it’s needed.
• Best For: Maximizing storage capacity in a limited footprint. It is the perfect solution for storing archival records, medical files, law enforcement evidence, and high-density parts where not all items need to be accessed at the same time.
• Capacity Range: Varies widely based on the size and construction of the system.
• Lyon’s Solution: You can dramatically increase your storage with Lyon’s Mobile Aisle Shelving systems. These high-density solutions can effectively double your storage capacity within your existing floor space, saving you the high cost of facility expansion.

Understanding materials and finishes

The material and finish of your shelving are just as important as its design. These elements directly impact durability, how long it lasts, and suitability for your specific environment. As a steel manufacturer, we know what it takes to build a product that lasts.

The strength of steel: gauges and construction

Steel is the material of choice for industrial applications due to its great strength and durability. When selecting a steel shelving system, pay attention to the steel gauge. In this measurement, a lower gauge number means thicker, stronger steel. Lyon proudly uses heavy-gauge, roll-formed steel components to ensure our shelving units can handle their rated capacities day in and day out, for a lifetime.

Protective finishes: beyond the paint

The finish protects the steel from its environment. Choosing the right one is key to a long service life.

• Powder Coat Paint (Lyon’s Standard): This is an advanced, electrostatically applied finish that is baked on to create a hard shell. It is far more durable than standard liquid paint and provides excellent resistance to scratches, chipping, and corrosion. As a LEED-focused company, Lyon uses environmentally friendly powder coating processes.
• Antimicrobial Powder Coat: This specialized finish contains an agent that inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew directly on the shelf surface. It is an ideal choice for shelving used in healthcare, food service, and laboratory settings where sanitation is a top priority.

Applications: Industrial shelving in action

Let’s connect these shelving systems to the real-world industries and applications where they help businesses stay organized and productive.

Warehouse & distribution centers

Efficiency and durability are everything in a busy warehouse. We recommend closed steel shelving for organizing items in picking areas and heavy-duty rivet shelving for packing stations and receiving departments. This combination helps manage inventory and keep the workflow moving.

Automotive & manufacturing

Storing heavy, and often greasy, parts requires a strong solution. Heavy-duty steel shelving is the answer. When combined with bin dividers and modular drawers, you can create a highly organized system to manage small parts, tools, and heavy components, preventing loss and speeding up production.

Military & government (GSA)

From base supply to armories, military and government facilities need secure, durable storage for everything from gear and equipment to sensitive records. Lyon provides heavy-duty steel shelving and integrated modular drawer cabinets that meet strict government standards for performance and security.

Schools & archives

Long-term document and book storage requires careful space planning. High-density mobile shelving is the ideal solution for archives and records rooms, allowing schools and institutions to maximize their storage in a limited footprint. For libraries and book rooms, our 8000 Series and 2000 Series steel shelving offers the strength needed to hold heavy loads for decades.

Healthcare & laboratories

Environments that demand sterile and cleanable surfaces have unique needs. While wire and stainless steel shelving play a key role in these applications, our powder-coated steel shelving – available with an antimicrobial finish – is an excellent and durable choice for storing medical supplies, files, and lab equipment.

Safety & layout best practices

Choosing the right shelving is only part of the equation. Proper installation and layout are essential for a safe and efficient workspace.

Safe installation and use

• Load capacity is law: Never exceed the manufacturer’s stated uniformly distributed load (UDL) capacity. It’s a best practice to post the weight limits clearly on each shelving unit.
• Secure and level: Ensure you assemble every unit correctly according to instructions. For safety and stability, we strongly recommend that you anchor shelving units to the floor and/or tie them to a wall, especially in seismic zones.
• Regular inspections: Check your shelving regularly for any signs of damage, such as dented uprights, bent shelves, loose components, or overloading. Address any issues immediately to prevent accidents.

Improving your storage layout

• Plan your aisles: Design your layout with aisles wide enough for safe pedestrian traffic and any carts you might use. Standard pedestrian aisles are typically 30-36 inches wide.
• Go vertical: Don’t waste overhead space. Use taller shelving units to increase the cubic storage capacity of your facility.
• The “golden zone”: Apply ergonomics to your storage plan. Place the most frequently picked items in the “golden zone” – between an employee’s waist and shoulder height. This reduces straining and bending, increasing picking speed and safety.
• Create a smart pick path: Plan the route an employee takes to retrieve items for an order. A well-designed pick path minimizes travel time by arranging high-velocity items close to the packing station and in a logical sequence. This can dramatically improve order fulfillment speed.

Why Lyon? Storage solutions built to last since 1901

After providing you with this expert guidance, we hope you see the value in choosing a partner with deep industry knowledge. For 125 years, Lyon has been dedicated to one thing: building the best storage solutions in America.

• American made, unmatched quality: We proudly manufacture our products in the USA from high-quality, American-made steel. Our commitment to quality is why we can offer the industry’s best lifetime warranty. Our products will last for years to come.
• Expert guidance: Our team of over 20 nationwide solutions experts is ready to help you plan and design the perfect storage system for your facility. We will be happy to help you assess your needs and find a cost-effective solution.
• Ready when you are: With thousands of items in stock and three centrally located domestic plants, we offer fast shipping to get you organized quickly.
• Durable by design: From heavy-gauge steel construction to our tough, lasting powder coat finishes, Lyon engineers every product for durability in the most demanding industrial environments.

Don’t leave your storage solution to chance. Request a Quote from one of our experts today for a free consultation. We’ll help you design a system that will last for years to come and deliver a real return on your investment.

Frequently asked questions