The main goal of a warehouse or storage facility is to keep everything organised and easy to move around when it needs to get shipped or stored. There are various types of equipment that can help with that but one of the most underrated pieces of warehouse equipment are stillages.
Also referred to as stillage cages, they are used to help separate and carry items on one floor. With a stillage cage you can save lots of time as unloading and loading goods into and out of it is rather easy and they are also space-saving. This means you can store stillage pallet cages in small spaces as they don't take up too much space. But not every stillage is made the same.
What Matters in a Stillage?
Construction
A stillage cage is made of different materials from wood to plastic but the most common material is metal. If you're going to use a stillage in an environment where heavy items need to be moved then metal stillage cages are the best option. Unlike other materials, they have a rugged construction, especially steel ones which are quite heavy too.
Design
Strength and durability are not the only important aspects of a stillage cage. Its design matters too especially when you're tight on space. If you go for cages that have stackable feet on them you can put them on top of each other. This way you can use them as shelving units or store them away when they're not needed. This versatile design makes them compatible with almost every storage area as well as different types of shelving systems.
Security
When transporting goods over a long distance a stillage that prevents theft or items falling off is key. There is a simple solution here though as all you need to look for is a stillage with locks on it.
Compatibility
If you want an even more versatile stillage cage you should consider one that can be used with your forklift. Forklift-compatible pallet cages have four-way access which means you can use them in any orientation with your forklift and make the most out of your stillage cage.
Storage
Cages with stackable feet are good when you need to store them in small spaces but they're not the best. You should consider going for a stillage that can be either folded up or dismantled without much effort. This makes it easy to put away the stillage and save more space than you would otherwise.
Types of Stillages
Cages
One of the most common steel stillages is a mesh cage. These warehouse cages are commonly used to move a wide variety of goods across large facilities be it warehouses or manufacturing plants. With cages, you get to see exactly what's in them without having to go near them like you would with stillage bins.
Profile
One of the most barebones stillages are profile cages which are specifically used for the handling of extruded profiles made either of aluminium or plastic. They are essentially a frame of a mesh cage without the mesh itself which makes them less versatile but also usable for something a mesh cage can't be used for.
A-Frame
With an A-frame stillage, you have 5 sets of legs placed in a line with a cross beam between each. This design makes the frame look like the letter “A” and it helps you move around items that are tall in a more space-saving manner. The cross beam also helps the legs from slipping which can cause the whole structure to collapse.
Post-Pallet
A post-pallet stillage is a more updated version of a traditional pallet cage since it has posts found on every corner of either a square or rectangular platform. This design allows post-pallet cages to be stacked on top of each other while making the most out of the available space they offer. This makes them a more versatile solution than more conventional pallet cages.
Automotive
There are stillage pallets and cages made only to be used in the manufacturing process of vehicles. These are speciality cages that vary in design according to what you want to transport. Typically there are cages that help move a large number of the same components like bumpers, windscreens and bonnets all at once.
Collapsible
The purpose of collapsible cages is to save space when not in use and therefore their design sacrifices a little bit of storage space for this exact purpose. These are different from stackable cages since you can't put one on top of each other. That's because collapsible cages come with sides that are removable or hinged which can be folded flat and thus make the cage collapse.
Final Words
In the same way, there are various types of goods that can be stored and transported there are also different types of cages that can be used. This is why you should consider every item you handle as well as every aspect of a stillage cage in order to find the right one.
