Board Racking Perth | Rackman Australia
Overview of Board Racking Solutions
Storing large flat boards – such as plywood, MDF sheets, plasterboard (drywall), glass panels, or metal sheets – requires special consideration. If you stack them flat on top of each other, access to lower boards is difficult and the weight can cause damage or warping. Lean them against walls, and they can slide or get scratched. Board racking provides a dedicated system to hold these sheet materials either vertically (on edge) or horizontally with proper support, keeping them safe and accessible. Rackman Australia offers board racking solutions in Perth tailored to the type and volume of boards you need to store.
Our board racking typically comes in two main styles:
- Vertical Board Racks (A-Frame Racks): These racks hold boards on their long edge, leaning slightly against a support frame. Often A-shaped frames with dividers to segment different board types or sizes. This is great for easy retrieval of individual sheets and for prevention of warping (boards stay upright). Common in hardware stores for products like drywall or in manufacturing for sheet raw materials.
- Horizontal Board Racks: Essentially cantilever racks or shelving adapted to support sheets flat or at a slight incline. They provide multiple levels to stack boards horizontally with support along their length. We often line the arms or shelves with wood or rubber to protect edges. This is useful when vertical space is ample and for storing many sheets of the same type in stacks where lifting equipment can load/unload from the front.
Often a combination approach works: vertical racks for assorted or partial sheets, horizontal for bulk stock of full sheets. Rackman can design a system using elements of our cantilever racking and custom dividers to create the perfect board storage.
Key Features of Rackman’s Board Racks
Boards can be very heavy (a stack of MDF or plasterboard weighs a lot), so our board racks are built with robust steel frameworks. For vertical racks, we use steel A-frames or uprights with angled supports and base brackets that hold boards at about 10-15° lean – enough to stay put but nearly vertical to save space. They include dividers or support arms at intervals, which create slots to organize boards and prevent them from all slumping together. Horizontal board racks use strong cantilever arms or shelf levels that fully support the length of the sheet to avoid sagging. Heavy-duty arms or beams ensure even heavy sheet bundles can be stored on higher levels.
We often incorporate protective surfaces on contact points. For example, timber or rubber strip padding on the vertical rack’s base and back supports to avoid scratching the bottom or face of the boards when sliding in and out. On horizontal racks, smooth decking (like plywood or plastic surface) can be used on arms to ensure sheet materials aren’t gouged by metal. These details preserve the quality of your boards (important for materials like finished plywood, glass, or laminate panels where surface damage is a concern).
Rackman’s board racking is custom-fitted to your board sizes. Standard sheet dimensions are 2400x1200mm, 2700x1200mm, 3000x1200mm, etc. We ensure the rack’s width and height can comfortably hold these. For vertical racks, we make the rack height slightly taller than your largest board so it can stand upright. We also provide adjustable dividers (movable pegs or arms) so you can change compartment widths for different batch sizes or board thicknesses. If extremely large boards or odd shapes (like stone slabs or glass) are to be stored, we beef up the structure accordingly and provide appropriate slings or edge restraints as needed.
The design focus is to let one person (or a forklift, if large stacks) retrieve boards without hassle. Vertical racks allow you to flip through sheets almost like pages, selecting one and pulling it out from the front end. We keep the base slightly raised off floor and clear of obstructions so the board’s bottom edge doesn’t catch. Horizontal racks are spaced so that forks can get under a stack or so that hand pulling of top sheets is straightforward. We can also integrate roller conveyors or low-friction surfaces for sliding heavy sheets, if manual retrieval is common. The idea is to minimize strain and time when accessing boards, especially delicate ones that can’t just be grabbed any which way.
Benefits of Proper Board Racking
Storing boards upright or properly supported horizontally ensures they stay flat and unbowed. Warping happens when boards are leaned at odd angles or improperly stacked with uneven support. Our racks keep sheets either completely vertical or evenly supported across their length – maintaining shape. Also, edges and corners – the most damage-prone parts – are better protected. In a vertical rack, boards aren’t banging against each other or the floor; in a horizontal rack, they’re not subject to weight beyond their capacity because support arms carry the load. This translates to less wasted material (no more dinged corners that must be cut off, or warped sheets that are unusable) and a better end-product for your customers.
Board racks seriously improve space usage. Consider a vertical rack: you might line up 50 or 100 sheets in just a few feet of floor width by using vertical storage, whereas the same sheets flat could occupy a large area. Vertical storage also leverages height – even a 3m sheet stands easily in a room with 4m ceiling. Horizontal multi-level racks stack sheets upward safely, instead of one tall unsafe pile on the floor. By going vertical, both orientation-wise and stacking-wise, you free up floor area. Plus, dedicated racks mean you can position boards against walls or in tighter areas that weren’t usable before. Many carpentry shops, for instance, reclaim a wall of their shop by installing an A-frame board rack, getting sheets out of the way yet accessible.
With proper racking, you can sort boards by type, size, or job. Perhaps one section of the vertical rack holds plywood, another holds acrylic sheets, another holds metal plates. Everything is clearly separated by dividers, making retrieval faster. Workers aren’t struggling to pull a sheet from the bottom of a pile or guessing which stack is which material. This organization not only saves time but also reduces accidents – random piles of boards can slip or cause strain, whereas a designed rack slot is straightforward to use. In retail settings, an organized board rack allows customers to find what they need (with supervision) and keeps the store looking tidy and professional. In production settings, it speeds up the picking of raw material for cutting, thereby improving productivity.
Boards are large and can be heavy – handling them poorly can result in injury or accidents. Board racking significantly improves safety by storing them in a controlled manner. Vertical racks eliminate the hazard of a sheet sliding down a wall or a stack toppling. Horizontal racks eliminate the hazard of someone climbing on a stack or over-reaching to grab a sheet. With features like anti-slip bases, guardrails on sides, or proper loading clearances, the racks make it much safer for staff to handle sheets. The risk of cuts (from sharp sheet edges) or crushed fingers (from heavy boards shifting) is minimized when boards are racked properly. Moreover, less manual heavy lifting is needed – sliding out of a vertical rack or using equipment with horizontal racks is ergonomically better than lifting from flat on the floor.
Rackman’s Board Racking Services
Assessment and Design:
We will assess what kinds of boards you handle (wood, glass, metal, etc.), their dimensions and weight, and your available space. Then we’ll propose the best racking style. For example, if you run a timber shop with lots of different sheet goods, we might lean toward a vertical A-frame rack with multiple sections. If you’re a metal fabricator with heavy plate steel that you move by crane, a horizontal rack with slots for the crane to grab might be better. We custom design the rack or combination of racks to suit those specifics. Our design will show dimensions and how boards will be supported/rested.
Fabrication & Supply:
Board racks often involve some custom fabrication or assembly. For vertical racks, we have modular A-frame units that can be ganged to make longer racks, and adjustable divider rods. For horizontal, we use heavy cantilever components or build shelf units with needed depth. Rackman sources quality steel materials and ensures welding and finishes are top-notch, especially since boards (like glass or finished wood) might directly touch these surfaces. Many of our board racks are powder-coated to a smooth finish to avoid rust or abrasion on stored materials.
Installation:
We’ll install the racking at your site, making sure it’s anchored properly (vertical racks usually anchored to floor for stability, horizontal ones anchored or very stable due to weight). We align everything so that surfaces are plumb and level – critical for vertical storage so boards stand straight and for horizontal so weight distributes evenly. If any special assembly (like attaching wood buffers or rubber strips) is needed, we handle that as well. Before use, we double-check that dividers move as they should and gates (if any) function correctly.
Guidance on Use:
specially for a new type of storage, we can guide your team on the best way to use the board rack. For example, how to sort materials into the sections, the safe way to pull sheets out (e.g., slide out and then tilt), how many sheets is safe per slot, etc. We can provide signage like “Store sheets vertically, lean against back, do not exceed X sheets per bay” to reinforce safe usage. Our goal is that the rack is used effectively and safely to its full advantage.
Ongoing Support:
Board racks are pretty low maintenance, but should you ever need to reconfigure (say add more dividers, extend the rack, or add another level for new material sizes), we can assist. If a part gets damaged (maybe a divider arm gets bent by a forklift hit), we can replace just that part. Additionally, as with all our products, if your needs evolve (maybe you start storing longer sheets), we can adapt the solution – perhaps adding an extension to handle those lengths. We keep records of your rack specs, so we can easily match or modify them in future projects.
Storing boards properly can transform a cluttered corner into a showcase of organisation and safety. Rackman’s board racking solutions make that transformation easy.
Secure Your Sheet Materials with Rackman Board Racks
Tame that stack of sheet goods in the corner of your shop or warehouse – let us provide a rack that will keep your boards straight, accessible, and safe. Board Racking Perth by Rackman Australia is the answer to efficient sheet material storage.
To get started, call 1300 722 626 and tell us about the boards or panels you need to store. We’ll likely ask for their sizes, quantities, and your current storage pains. From that, we can suggest a solution and offer a site visit to take measurements.
You can also contact us online with the details. If you have a particular problem (like “my plasterboard keeps getting damaged” or “we waste time digging out sheets”), mention that – we’ll target those in the solution. Feel free to send photos of your material storage area, as they help us visualize.
Rackman Australia has helped lumber yards, cabinet makers, glass suppliers, and construction warehouses in Perth upgrade their sheet storage – increasing capacity and reducing damage. Join them in reaping the benefits of a well-designed board rack.
No more warping, no more dangerous sheet piles. Get your boards in order with Rackman’s board racking solutions. Reach out today and let our team craft the perfect way to rack ‘em up!
Nobody knows racking like Rackman Australia
We’ve got racking auditors right across Australia and will provide inspections from 20 pallet spaces to 20,000. No matter the job, what remains consistent is our level of detail, efficiency, reliability and affordability. If you’re ready to get a Perth racking audit – let’s get your storage sorted.