Industrial Shelving
Boltless rivet, steel clip, wire, bulk rack, bin and stainless industrial shelving units for warehouses, parts rooms, tool cribs and maintenance shops. MH-USA matches the construction to the load, sizes the run to the room and quotes it by manufacturer — delivered and installed nationwide from Salt Lake City.
Since 1997 · 50 states shipped · sales@mh-usa.com
6
Industrial shelving constructions compared
350–2,000+ lb
Per-shelf capacity range across the families
1½″
Typical shelf adjustment increment
(800) 326-4403
Talk to a shelving specialist
What “industrial shelving” actually covers
Industrial shelving is hand-loaded storage built to carry heavier, denser loads than office or retail fixtures: steel posts, steel or engineered decks, and shelf capacities from a few hundred pounds up to several thousand pounds per level. It is not pallet rack — nothing on it is placed by a forklift — but it is the storage that sits beside pallet rack in almost every warehouse, plant and parts department.
The phrase covers six different constructions that are quoted, installed and priced very differently. A buyer who searches “industrial shelving” is usually still deciding among them: boltless rivet shelving for cartons and bulk items, steel clip shelving for small parts that must sit on a solid surface, wire shelving where air and light need to pass through, bulk rack for wide, heavy hand-stacked items, bin shelving for piece-picked components, and stainless where washdown or corrosion is the constraint.
This page is the routing point for that decision. It compares the six families side by side, explains the capacity and decking numbers manufacturers publish, shows where each construction earns its place, and then hands you to the detailed family page — steel shelving, boltless shelving, wire shelving, bulk rack, bin shelving — or to parts shelving when the job is a parts room.
- Six industrial shelving constructions from the manufacturers MH-USA represents — Lyon, Penco, Tennsco, Hallowell, Borroughs, Equipto, Jaken, Metro, Nexel and Quantum
- Published per-shelf capacities, uniformly distributed, confirmed against current manufacturer data before we quote
- Seismic anchoring, aisle clearance and egress reviewed for Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona installs
- Freight, phased installation and removal of the old shelving quoted with the new run
Six industrial shelving types — and the job each one is built for
Pick from the load first, then the room, then the budget. Each card links to the family page with sizes, gauges and load tables.
Boltless (Rivet) ShelvingRivet-lock beams, no hardware, wide bays. Assembles with a mallet, spans 48″–96″ and carries the heaviest static loads of any hand-loaded shelving on lower levels. The default for warehouses, archives, cartons and bulky items. Boltless shelving →
Steel Clip ShelvingSolid 18–22 gauge steel shelves on slotted posts. Small parts, hardware, powders and paperwork sit flat; open or fully closed with backs, sides, doors and drawers. The parts-room and tool-crib standard. Steel shelving →
Wire ShelvingOpen wire decks on grooved posts. Air, light and sprinkler water pass through; shelves move in 1″ steps. Chrome for dry rooms, epoxy for coolers, stainless for sanitation. Best where cleanliness or visibility rules. Wire shelving →
Bulk Rack / Wide-Span ShelvingHeavy beams, deep wide bays, hand-loaded. Bridges the gap between shelving and pallet rack for tires, motors, spooled goods and oversized cartons that are too big for a shelf and too light for a pallet. Bulk rack →
Bin ShelvingShelving supplied complete with hopper bins. Each part gets a labeled location; pickers work by bin, not by carton. Sold as pre-configured units or added to an existing steel run. Bin shelving →
Stainless & Corrosion-Resistant Shelving304 or 430 stainless, or galvanized steel. For washdown, food, pharma, labs and wet plant rooms where painted steel chips and rusts. Available as rivet, wire and solid-shelf constructions. Stainless shelving →Industrial shelving constructions compared
Capacities below are typical published per-shelf ratings for uniformly distributed loads; every quote uses the exact figure for the series, width and gauge selected.
| Consideration | Boltless rivet | Steel clip | Wire | Bulk rack | Bin shelving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical per-shelf capacity | 350–2,000+ lb by beam and span | 350–800 lb by gauge and width | Light duty to ~800 lb on heavy series | 1,000–3,000+ lb per level | As the steel host unit (typically 400 lb) |
| Bay widths | 36″–96″ | 36″, 42″, 48″ | 24″–72″ | 48″–96″ | 36″ standard |
| Assembly | Mallet, no hardware | Clips or nuts and bolts | Split sleeves, no tools | Mallet or bolts | Pre-configured |
| Small loose items | Fall between decks unless steel/board decked | Sit flat | Fall through unless mats added | Not intended | Contained in bins |
| Wet / washdown rooms | Board decks swell — specify steel or wire decks | Painted steel chips; stainless available | Epoxy, polymer or stainless built for it | Galvanized available | Plastic bins fine; steel host as above |
| Security / enclosure | Pair with wire partitions | Closed backs, sides, doors, drawers | Enclosure panels, locking doors | Rarely | Doors on closed host units |
| Reconfiguring later | Easy | Moderate | Very easy | Easy | Easy — move the bins |
| Relative cost per shelf-foot | Lowest for heavy loads | Moderate; higher when closed | Moderate | Moderate | Highest (includes bins) |
| Detail page | Boltless | Steel | Wire | Bulk rack | Bin |
Steel shelving vs industrial shelving — same thing?
Not quite. Steel shelving is one construction (solid steel shelves on clipped or bolted posts). Industrial shelving is the whole duty class, and steel clip shelving is one of its six members. If you already know you need solid steel shelves for small parts, go straight to the steel shelving page; if you are still choosing between steel, boltless, wire and bulk rack, this page is the right place to start.
Load capacity: how to read the number on the spec sheet
Every industrial shelving series publishes a per-shelf capacity for a uniformly distributed load — the weight spread evenly across the whole shelf area. Concentrating the same weight at the center of a 48″ boltless beam or a 36″ steel shelf reduces what it can carry, and nobody publishes a point-load rating for shelving the way they do for pallet rack beams.
Three numbers matter on a quote:
- Shelf capacity — the published uniformly distributed rating for that series, width and depth.
- Unit capacity — the total the posts or uprights will carry; shelf capacity × shelf count is usually higher than this, and the lower figure governs.
- Floor loading — a fully loaded 84″ run of bulk rack can exceed what a mezzanine or slab-on-grade with a thin topping was designed for; check before you stack.
Heavier loads do not always mean heavier gauge. Boltless rivet shelving reaches 1,500–2,000 lb per level with a double-rivet beam, while 22-gauge steel clip shelving tops out around 400 lb but wins on rigidity for small parts. Match the construction to the load pattern, not the headline number.
Decking and shelf surfaces: the choice that decides what the shelf can hold
On boltless rivet and bulk rack the beams carry the load, and the deck only has to bridge between them — so the deck material is a separate decision:
- Particleboard — lowest cost, solid surface, fine for cartons and dry rooms; swells if wet and should not carry concentrated point loads.
- Steel decks — solid, wipeable, rated for heavier and smaller items; specify where parts are loose or the room is washed.
- Wire mesh decks — galvanized welded wire lets sprinkler water and light through and is usually required by the fire marshal on tall runs; small items need a bin or tray.
- Solid steel shelves (clip shelving) — the shelf is the structure. 22 gauge is standard, 20 and 18 gauge for higher ratings; reinforcing channels add capacity to a wide shelf.
Where a run mixes loads, mix decks: wire mesh on upper levels for sprinkler clearance, board or steel on picking levels. The detailed trade-offs are on boltless shelving decking options.
Shop Industrial Shelving Units Online
One example from four industrial shelving constructions — a heavy-duty rivet rack starter, an open 22-gauge steel unit, a chrome wire shelf kit and a closed steel unit supplied with bins — priced in our online store. For a full run, other sizes or installed systems, request a quote and we will price it by manufacturer.
Need a whole room, not a unit?
Single units cover a wall. A warehouse, parts room or tool crib is quoted as a system: unit count from your dimensions, capacity from the heaviest shelf, decking from what sits on it, plus anchoring, freight and installation. Request an industrial shelving quote or configure boltless bays with live pricing in the shelving designer.
Where industrial shelving earns its keep
Eight applications we quote every month, with the construction that usually wins and why.
Parts Rooms & Parts DepartmentsSteel clip or bin shelving. Thousands of small SKUs picked by location; solid shelves, dividers and bins keep them separated. Parts shelving →
Manufacturing & Line-Side StorageBoltless with steel decks. Kitted components, fixtures and WIP staged where the line needs them; wide bays take totes two deep. Manufacturing storage →
Distribution & FulfillmentBoltless rivet shelving in long runs. Slow movers and each-picks beside the rack; wire decks upstairs for sprinklers. Distribution center shelving →
Tool Cribs & MRO StorageClosed steel shelving inside a wire partition. Accountable tooling, spares and consumables issued through a window. Tool cribs →
Government & Military SupplyBoltless or steel clip, GSA-priced. Accountable-property storage with numbered aisles and lockable bays. Government storage →
Fleet & Maintenance GaragesBoltless with board or steel decks. Fluids, filters, PPE and shop supplies within reach of the bays. Fleet garage storage →
Automotive Dealers & Repair ShopsSteel clip shelving with drawers and bins, plus bulk rack for tires. Fast-moving parts up front, bulk and tires at the back. Automotive shelving →
Records & Archive StorageBoltless sized to the box. Letter/legal cartons two deep on 42″ or 48″ bays; convert to mobile when the room fills. Records storage →Accessories that change what an industrial shelving run can do
The base unit is a platform. Most storage problems reported after installation — small parts getting lost, stock pushing through, tools walking off — are solved with an accessory, not another unit.
Dividers, bins and label holders turn one wide shelf into a dozen addressable locations. Shelf dividers slot into perforated steel shelves in 3″–6″ increments; open-front hopper bins hang or sit on the shelf and come in a dozen sizes; label holders clip to the shelf edge so locations survive re-slotting. Buy these with the unit — matching the shelf gauge and lip later is harder than it sounds.
Back and side panels, doors and drawers convert an open unit into contained or secured storage. Closed backs stop stock pushing through into the next aisle; lockable doors and modular drawer inserts make a bay accountable without a separate cabinet. See the full list on the steel shelving and boltless accessories pages.
Decking upgrades and extra levels are the cheapest capacity you will ever add. Most units ship with four or five levels and the posts will take more; an extra beam pair and deck costs a fraction of a new unit. Wire mesh decks replace board where sprinklers or cleanliness demand it.
Anchors, spacers and sway braces are not optional in seismic states. Floor anchors and top ties are part of every MH-USA quote in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California; row spacers keep back-to-back runs plumb; sway braces stiffen open steel units taller than 75″.
Mobile bases put any of these constructions on carriages when the room is full and the building cannot grow — planned on the mobile shelving hub.
Sizing an industrial shelving run: a worked example
Unit count comes from the room, shelf depth from the product and capacity from the heaviest shelf — in that order.
| Step | What we ask | Example: 30′ × 20′ parts room, 10′ clear ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inventory | SKU count, carton or part sizes, heaviest items | 2,400 SKUs, most under 12″ deep; brake rotors and batteries are the heavy exceptions |
| 2. Depth | Deepest common item plus 1″–2″ | 12″ steel clip shelving for small parts; one 24″ boltless row for rotors and batteries |
| 3. Height | Ceiling minus sprinkler clearance, minus top-shelf reach | 87″ posts; top shelf at 72″ so the last level is reachable without a ladder |
| 4. Layout | Aisle width for the picker or cart, egress, door swings | Three double-sided rows on 36″ aisles + one wall row = 42 bays of 36″ steel + 8 bays of 48″ boltless |
| 5. Capacity | Heaviest shelf sets the series | 22 ga steel at 400 lb/shelf for parts; double-rivet boltless at 1,500 lb/level for the heavy row |
| 6. Anchoring | Slab type, seismic design category | Floor-anchored posts with top ties on all rows; row spacers on back-to-back runs |
Send us the room dimensions and a stock list and we return this table filled in for your facility, with the unit count, shelf count and a price by manufacturer. The SKU Upload Analyzer will do the first pass on your inventory file before we talk.
How we specify and quote industrial shelving
Five steps, and we do most of them.
Profile the stock
What is stored, how it is picked, the heaviest items and how often the layout changes. This picks the construction.
Measure the room
Clear height, sprinkler heads, columns, doors and floor condition. We do this on site in the Mountain West or from your drawings elsewhere.
Pick decks, depth and openings
Shelf depth from the product, deck type from the load and the room, shelf openings from the tallest item on each level.
Decide open, closed or secured
Backs, sides, doors, drawers, bins and dividers — added now, priced in the same quote.
Quote as a run, deliver and install
Unit list, accessories, freight and installation coordination in one quote, with the shelf capacity stated so your team can check it.
Installation is part of the quote, not an afterthought. Our crews assemble and anchor runs in occupied buildings in phases, so a parts department or stockroom keeps working while the old shelving comes out and the new goes in. Every run leaves with the published shelf capacity and the anchoring detail documented, so the customer’s safety team knows exactly what was installed.
We do not certify that a shelving installation “meets code.” Seismic anchoring, aisle widths, egress and sprinkler clearance are set by your local authority having jurisdiction; we build to published manufacturer data and document what was installed for your review.
Compare industrial shelving manufacturers
We quote every line below; the table shows where each one is usually the right answer. Follow the links for series detail and literature.
| Manufacturer | Constructions | Typically specified for | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon | 8000 Series steel clip, 2000 Series closed steel, rivet rack, bulk rack | Parts rooms and tool cribs; heavy-duty rivet rack starters and add-ons stocked online | Lyon shelving |
| Penco | Clipper steel shelving, Rivet Rite boltless | Records, evidence, military and government supply; closed and secured bays | Penco shelving |
| Tennsco | Q Line, Imperial, Z Line steel; bulk storage rack | Stockrooms, parts departments and bulk hand-loaded storage | Tennsco shelving |
| Borroughs | Rivet-Span boltless, Box Edge Plus steel, Flexi-Bins | Automotive dealers and distributors; matched drawer cabinets | Borroughs shelving |
| Hallowell | Hi-Tech steel shelving, Rivetwell boltless, bulk rack | General warehouse and plant storage; broad stocked range | Hallowell |
| Equipto | V-Grip steel shelving, bulk rack, wire rack | Industrial parts and MRO storage with drawer and bin inserts | Equipto V-Grip |
| Jaken / RiveTier | Boltless rivet shelving, Fastrak bulk rack | Warehouses and archives; configurable in our shelving designer | RiveTier shelving |
| Metro & Nexel | Wire, stainless and polymer shelving | Food, healthcare, labs and cleanrooms | Metro wire shelving · Nexel |
| Quantum | Ironman 22 ga steel, bin shelving packages, wire kits | Ready-to-ship units and shelving-with-bins packages priced online | Build & price shelving |
Availability: some common sizes are in stock at select manufacturers, subject to confirmation at the time of order. MH-USA does not hold inventory; we quote lead times by manufacturer and coordinate freight to your dock or our installation crew. Stocked online units ship in days; a full run of closed steel shelving with drawers and doors is typically a few weeks.
Federal, state and cooperative buyers can purchase most of these lines through contract vehicles — see GSA shelving contracts and state shelving contracts.
Industrial shelving FAQ
What is the difference between industrial shelving and commercial shelving?
Which industrial shelving type is strongest?
Is industrial shelving the same as pallet rack?
How much weight can an industrial shelf hold?
Does industrial shelving need to be anchored?
Can I add shelves or accessories to industrial shelving later?
What decking should I use on boltless shelving?
Do you sell used industrial shelving?
How long does industrial shelving take to deliver and install?
Do you install industrial shelving outside Utah?
Industrial shelving resources
Family pages, application guides and manufacturer detail — everything on this page routes to one of these.
Shelving Families
Applications & Guides
Manufacturers & Purchasing
Tell us what goes on the shelves — we will pick the construction and size the run
Send the room dimensions and a stock list. We come back with the shelving type, unit count, shelf capacities, accessories and a price by manufacturer, with freight and installation included.