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To increase your capacity, throughput, and profits! Sheet metal storage and handling is one of the most overlooked aspects of fabrication businesses; without good processes in place, fabricators get buried in their own material without ever capturing those costs. Material handling costs are very real, and they add up extremely quickly.
Loaded question! This largely depends on your size, variety, volume, footprint, and other factors. In a nutshell, it starts with allowing for quick & independent access to your material, while also decreasing your current storage footprint. Once you minimize time and reduce space, you’ll begin to reap the benefits of efficient FIFO control, protected material, and protected operators.
If you cringe when we ask any of these questions, then yes, you are likely a good fit:
No. At least, not typically. We can adjust if you have specific requirements, but for the most standard offerings see the cartridge sizing chart here.
5,000 pounds.
Typical lead time for a sheet rack is 6-7 weeks. We build-per-order to ensure we’re meeting your exact specs, and we will always do our best to work with your scheduling needs.
No, we do not offer hand-operated sliding drawers. There are a few other manufacturers that we can connect you with, but the rolling slide-out drawers are not our product. Instead, ours are accessible steel storage racks with forklift, which allows us to go much higher and better use the vertical space in your shop.
A lot of people call it a depalletizer, but we prefer “Pin Table” because we use a series of sliding pins along a grid framework to successfully and efficiently transfer sheet metal off a wooden pallet or runners onto a LEAN sheet metal storage cartridge. See more info about the 'Material on Runners' process here.
Please contact us and we would be happy to provide you with the footprint of our sheet metal storage systems. We can either send a drawing of the rack itself, or you can send us a DXF of your plant layout, and we can see where they’d fit.
Pending the exact specs of your system(s), your concrete must be able to support 3,000 PSI across a level surface. If you have concerns about your concrete, we do offer larger foot pads for the sheet racks, which can help further distribute the load.
No. Each sheet metal rack has (4) anchoring holes for securing the unit to the floor.
Of course! Blue and white is our default color scheme, but we’re more than happy to swap out for the powder of your choice. Just let us know what you’d like to have on your shop floor, and we’ll make it happen! We’re still waiting for the first hot pink order…
The reusable steel cartridges are typically designed to match a standard 40×48 pallet size. Height spacing is determined per order to best suit our customer’s needs.
Height typically ranges between 10’ and 14’, depending on your ceiling and/or forklift constraints.
Yes! We base specs off of our customer’s needs. We know that our customers get the most functionality and efficiency when we design projects specifically for them.
Typically, the load rating is 3000 lbs. per shelf evenly distributed. If a different load rating is required, reach out to us and we can discuss what we can do to accommodate your needs.
The racks are shipped in a series of flat panels (side walls & back wall) that are stood up and joined together with supplied hardware.
They can be assembled using either an overhead crane or a forklift – typically customers do not use any outside rigging services, but we’re happy to point you in the direction of local companies if you need assistance.
Rule of thumb is 2-3 hours for 2-3 operators for the first unit, and 1-2 hours for each additional unit after that.
Typically, 5-7 weeks is the standard lead time for the WIP Staging racks.
Contact us and we are happy to supply you with footprints for the rack. Since each project can be slightly different, we prefer to provide footprints as our customers request them.
Magnets for labeling the steel cartridges.
Job folders on side of rack to identify which job is staged in each individual cartridge.
Most commonly, 40×48 table dimensions to match a standard pallet.
LEAN Pallet Carts are built-to-order and can be modified to your exact dimensions.
Depending on your needs, an ergonomic working height typically is between 28”-36”. Working height is easily adjustable for what is most comfortable for you.
Most commonly, our small and mid-size pallet carts are rated for 3,000 pounds of evenly distributed load.
If you have custom load requirements, we can typically accommodate.
Depending on your application, ergonomic push/pull handles are available. They can either be welded in place, or removable. Let’s discuss what will work best for you.
Our pallet carts are put together via steel weldements, most commonly 11ga. Casters and brakes are bolted onto the carts so they are easily removable for repair/replacement if ever needed.
After fabrication/welding, our carts are always powder-coated for longevity and appearance – colors are up to you!
Yes! We specialize in customization. If you have custom ideas for a pallet cart, you are in the right place. We have added custom handles, casters, dimensions, flanges and more to our carts. We would love to hear your ideas!
Adding your company name, values, slogans, etc. to the side walls of the pallet cart is an extremely easy way to boost company culture on the shop floor. Let us help promote what’s important to you.
We laser-cut stainless-steel tags and rivet them to the side wall(s) for you. Some common examples:
{your company name}
Doing it right the first time
Helping each other succeed
Honoring the Golden Rule
Staying focused
Striving to do our best
We are family
We offer casters that fit your needs. Most commonly, customers order 6” diameter steel casters on their carts, but we can change diameter and work with a number of caster types:
Polyurethane
Phenolic
Cast Iron
Etc.
Fill out an RFQ or give us a call. It is helpful to have prepared your desired dimensions, quantity, preferred load rating and how you plan to use the pallet cart. We aim to be cost-effective and make this an easy decision for you; our goal is to turn every new customer into a repeat customer!
Depending on the quantity and current workload, lead time is typically between 3-4 weeks.
All pallet carts ship fully assembled so they are ready to use as soon as you receive them. We want to make this an easy plug-and-play for you!
A pin table is utilized to swiftly transfer sheet metal from wooden pallets to a lean cartridge, liberating the material from the pallet in just a few seconds.
The depalletizer includes twelve upright pin weldments that can be repositioned within the pin table's framework. These pin weldments are positioned within the pallet's windows to effectively engage the sheet stock, ensuring an even distribution of load as the material is lowered onto the weldments. This process effectively separates the material from the pallet.
The pin table offers user-friendly operation, enabling you to detach sheet material from wooden pallets efficiently. Refer to the accompanying video to observe the process of transferring sheet metal using a LEAN Pin Table/Depalletizer:
We design and build the mini-hoppers on an as needed basis. Each mini-hopper is designed for exactly what you need. Send us your desired dimensions and footprint and we can create something to fit your needs.
Typically 4” steel casters. Swivel casters in the rear near the release handle, and rigid casters in the front.
Static, structural steel weldments
3,000 lbs. each stacking pallet
Most commonly, these are designed to accommodate a standard 40×48 pallet. We often adjust sizing per a customer’s specifications – if you let us know what you’ll be storing and transporting on the stacking pallets, we’ll work with you to find the best solution!
Depends on your application – if you let us know what you’ll be storing and transporting, we’ll work with you to put together the best configurations.
Most commonly, clearance varies anywhere from 8” to 36”.
There are (4) bolt plates on each stacking tier. It is recommended that once you establish location(s) on your shop floor, you bolt the bottom one to the floor as a base fixture. Then, you can stack and re-stack to any configuration needed.
Recommended maximum height of 12’ configuration.
By utilizing 40×48 re-usable cartridges within the stacking pallets.
With the use of low-profile carts for increased mobility without a forklift.
Depending on the quantity and current workload, lead time is typically between 3-4 weeks.
Stacking pallet racks are quickly movable as full units across the floor. Stacking pallets work extremely well for “kitting” a full assembly together.
WIP staging racks are extremely dense storage, designed for staging a specific work cell.
If you have questions about which one fits your application better, please ask! We’d be happy to review your operations and offer suggestions.
Most commonly, these are designed to accommodate a standard 40×48 pallet. We often adjust sizing per our customer’s specifications – if you let us know what you’ll be transporting on the carts, we’ll work with you to find the best solution!
Versatile, independent, and mobile access to multiple different components. It’s easily configurable to fit a variety of different projects, and always able to adjust to your current workload.
Very useful when handling cosmetic parts that need to keep separated.
“Fab Shop” example: you’re running a cosmetic stainless job, and the lasered blanks need to go to the press brakes for forming. With the modular stacking cart, the laser operator can configure the cart to hold all the parts needed, without any scratches, and with independent access for the brake operator – then, as the brake operator is forming the parts, he/she can remove the tiers and keep continuous workflow without excess handling.
The Modular Stacking Carts have multiple levels for part/component placement, while the Rolling Pallet Carts are single level.
Depending on size, we always try to keep the tiers under 40 lbs. for operator safety.
The base cart is a steel weldment, and each stacking tier is an aluminum weldment. If the tiers are for a heavier-duty application, steel can be used in its place.
500 lb uniform load rating for each aluminum tier. If you have requirements for heavier loads, we can change materials and add more reinforcement crossmembers.
We do not recommend exceeding 6’ tall in a cumulative stack. Although they could be stacked higher, we recommend keeping it at an ergonomic max height for an operator so he/she is not reaching above head-level.
Yes! We specialize in customization. If you have custom ideas for a cart, you are in the right place. We have added custom handles, casters, dimensions, flanges and more to our carts. We would love to hear your ideas!
Depending on the quantity and current workload, lead time is typically between 3-4 weeks.
All carts ship fully assembled so they are ready to use as soon as you receive them. We want to make this an easy plug-and-play for you!
The top surface is either aluminum or steel, pending your preference.
We also offer rubber top layers for a small cost. This is highly recommended for the extra protection to your parts, and the added friction to prevent sliding parts.
LEAN High-Density Storage racking is ideally suited for round stock, tubes, blanks, fixtures, and work-in-process materials. This highly versatile cartridge-style racking ensures that you always have access to the materials you need while occupying only a fraction of the footprint that your raw materials and WIP currently consume.
LEAN's Industrial Pivot Cart effectively stages large sheet metal or work-in-process materials at an ergonomic height for the operator. Once the sheet material is pulled for processing, maintaining accessibility and an ergonomic height is crucial to minimize additional handling by both operators and loading equipment.
The Lean Remnant Cart, as its name suggests, is designed for efficient storage of laser-cut blanks and remnants, providing an easy-to-manage and organized solution.
The LEAN Remnant Cart is structurally engineered to offer the flexibility of being fitted with either 5 or 10 gap slots, tailored to accommodate the volume of your remnants. This ensures that sheets and remnant materials are always prepared for immediate use, allowing them to be arranged in such a way that the operator can transition smoothly and efficiently between jobs.