What should light manufacturing teams check before ordering cantilever rack?

Start with bundle length, weight, stiffness and the way it is lifted. Arm capacity alone does not establish the capacity of a whole column or base. We check support spacing, arm projection and level clearance together, and distinguish single-sided wall runs from double-sided storage accessed from two aisles. Include peak inventory and the work that must stay active during installation, not only average loads. Organize long fabrication stock in an open-front run that respects the plant's existing handling lanes.

How is cantilever rack different from pallet rack?

Pallet rack has a front beam and stores discrete, boxed loads. Cantilever has an open front, so long material loads from the side and slides in without clearing an obstruction - that's the entire reason the system exists.

How far apart should the columns be?

Close enough that the load doesn't sag between arms. A common starting point puts arm spacing at roughly half the load length, with the remainder overhanging each end evenly. We check that math against your heaviest bundle before finalizing spacing.

Cantilever Rack warehouse storage system

Pontiac, Michigan

Cantilever Rack in Pontiac, MI

Pontiac operators can be fitting modern storage into former industrial space rather than a newly built warehouse. Around the city's manufacturing districts, changed uses bring different pallet sizes, loads and picking patterns into an existing column grid. Reusing floor space well starts with the current inventory, not the rack arrangement left by a previous occupant. Organize long fabrication stock in an open-front run that respects the plant's existing handling lanes. Cantilever warehouse racking gets long material off the floor without placing a beam across the loading face. Arms support bundles from upright columns, with spacing and capacity matched to load length, stiffness and weight. Single-sided runs can use a wall area; double-sided runs need access on both sides. The handling path is as important as the arm count.

For Pontiac, the first step is a free warehouse design consultation that turns the storage problem into a layout and an itemized quote, not a guess about how many positions will fit. Send the load dimensions, weights and floor plan, and we will discuss the access and storage tradeoffs before specifying the system.

(313) 637-6214

Why Pontiac Warehouses Work With Us

The former Pontiac Assembly area and the M-59 and I-75 corridors are useful reference points for local manufacturing and distribution. Buildings may have changed occupants or workflows several times. We use the supplied floor plan and load list to separate what can be reused from what needs a new arrangement, instead of assuming a former plant's storage pattern suits today's operation. Organize long fabrication stock in an open-front run that respects the plant's existing handling lanes.

For cantilever, we collect the longest, shortest and heaviest bundles rather than one average dimension. Column spacing must support the material without sag, while arm length and level clearance suit the handling equipment. Round stock may need inclined arms and stops. A layout can combine long-load storage with pallet rows while preserving turning space. Detroit Pallet Rack, a division of Warehouse Equipment & Supplies Co., connects those decisions with the project quote. You receive a drawing to review, the proposed components and capacities, and an installation sequence tied to the work areas you can release. We discuss the tradeoffs with your operations team before ordering material rather than treating a higher position count as the only measure of a successful project.

Free warehouse consultation

CAD layout with position counts

Pallet rack delivery and installation

Cantilever warehouse racking holding steel tubing

Cantilever rack storing lumber and wood products

Operations We Rack Around Here

Local industrial corridors include Centerpoint Business Campus, the Opdyke Road corridor, South Boulevard industrial, the M-59 and Opdyke Road industrial corridor.

Light manufacturing

E-commerce fulfillment

Automotive supply

Contract packaging

How Cantilever Rack Works

Arms with nothing in front of them, built for lumber, pipe, and anything a pallet can't hold.

Columns and anchored bases

Upright columns sit on bases anchored to the floor. Base depth is set by load and arm length so the run stays stable even under an off-center pick.

Arms at adjustable heights

Arms bolt or pin into the column at set increments and move as your product mix changes. Straight arms suit boxed goods; inclined arms with a lip hold round or loose stock in place.

Column spacing against sag

Spacing between columns is set so bundles don't sag between arms. A common starting rule places arms about half the load length apart, with the ends overhanging evenly.

Single-sided or double-sided

Single-sided runs go against a wall. Double-sided runs stand in open floor and load from both faces, doubling capacity per base without doubling the footprint.

What a Cantilever Rack Project Includes

Your Pontiac cantilever rack project begins with the current load list, a floor plan and a discussion of daily handling. For cantilever, we collect the longest, shortest and heaviest bundles rather than one average dimension. Column spacing must support the material without sag, while arm length and level clearance suit the handling equipment. Round stock may need inclined arms and stops. A layout can combine long-load storage with pallet rows while preserving turning space.

Cantilever specification starts and ends with the load. We collect bundle dimensions, weight per bundle, and how material is handled - forklift forks, a side loader, or by hand off a cart - because that determines arm length, arm capacity, and how much clearance each level needs.

From there we set column height and spacing, choose straight or inclined arms, and decide whether lips are needed to keep round stock from rolling. Single-sided runs get positioned along a wall; double-sided runs get aisle dimensions matched to whatever's moving material in and out.

The quote itemizes columns, bases, arms, bracing, and anchors, with a CAD drawing showing the run, arm levels, and rated capacities per arm. Experienced installation crews we schedule and manage anchor bases, plumb columns, brace the run, and set arm elevations to the drawing.

The result is arms you can reposition as inventory changes, capacity ratings for every level, and the floor space that long material used to occupy.

Delivery and installation are agreed against the approved drawing and the areas your team can release. We review access for unloading, the sequence of rows and the material that needs to arrive first. Confirm the load assumptions before handover and retain the layout and capacity records for future additions. If the product mix changes, review the affected levels or lanes before putting different loads into service.

For the Centerpoint Business Campus area, receiving access and active work zones are confirmed alongside the drawing. The final scope separates material, delivery coordination and installation so your team can compare proposals on the same basis. Keep the approved layout and capacity information for later changes rather than assuming a future load will fit the original design.

Lumber, plywood, and sheet goods

Pipe, tube, conduit, and bar stock

Steel service center inventory

Furniture, doors, and windows

Long or awkward loads currently sitting on the floor

Call (313) 637-6214

Recent Installations

Racking projects completed for warehouses across Southeast Michigan.

Pallet rack installation by Detroit Pallet Rack

View More Projects

Get a Cantilever Rack Quote for Your Pontiac Warehouse

Send the basics and we will follow up with a layout and pricing. Prefer to talk it through? Call (313) 637-6214.

Detroit Pallet Rack

19120 Grand River Ave.

Suite C

Detroit, MI 48223

(313) 637-6214

Monday - Saturday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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