In solar water heater manufacturing, broken collector glass and warped sheet metal casings are margin killers. Stop relying on static wooden crates or disposable packaging. Upgrade to a standardized, forkliftable fleet that protects your MRO supplies and production materials while slashing return freight costs by 80%.
For manufacturers like Rheem or similar HVAC giants, the supply chain for solar collector glass and large sheet metal water heater casings presents a specific headache. These materials are heavy, prone to damage, and awkward to store. If you are still using static A-frames or wooden pallets, you are facing two major leaks in your operation: breakage during forklift handling and wasted floor space in your MRO storage zones.
The Collapsible Glass Storage Transport Rack (Agrack) is engineered specifically to close the loop between your glass fabricator and your assembly line. It transforms from a heavy-duty protective storage unit into a compact, stackable pallet for return shipping.
The biggest cost in a closed-loop supply chain isn't the outbound shipment; it's the return of empty assets. Standard A-frames consume the same amount of trailer space whether they are full of solar glass or empty. This means you are paying full freight rates just to return empty metal to your supplier.
Our folding glass shipping racks solve this by collapsing down to a fraction of their height. You can stack up to 11 folded units in a single column.
High-density stacking of empty racks maximizes container utilization.
The Math: Instead of fitting only 20 empty static racks in a truck, you can fit over 100 folded Agracks. This creates a massive reduction in your logistics overhead, directly impacting the bottom line of your solar water heater production costs.
In a busy HVAC manufacturing plant, Facility Management (MRO) often struggles with storing spare windows, large facility maintenance glass, or raw sheet metal casings. Leaning these against walls or using generic pallet racking leads to "domino effect" accidents and scratched surfaces.
The Agrack is designed with integrated forklift channels (two-way or optional four-way). This allows your material handlers to move fully loaded racks of water heater casings or solar glass directly from the receiving dock to the assembly line without manual re-stacking.
Secure forklift handling prevents breakage during internal transport.
Solar collector glass is tempered and expensive. Even a micro-fracture or "shell" on the edge can cause the glass to shatter during the thermal expansion cycles of a water heater. Standard steel racks without proper padding are a liability.
Our glass transport pallet system utilizes proprietary rubber strips. Unlike glued-on foam that peels off after a few months of outdoor exposure, our rubber is 10mm thick, reinforced with an internal steel plate, and bolted directly to the Q235 steel frame. This ensures that your glass or painted casings never touch bare metal, preserving the integrity of the material from the glass fab to your production floor.
Steel-reinforced rubber strips ensure long-term asset protection.
Floor space in a manufacturing plant is premium real estate. You cannot afford to have single-level storage for MRO supplies or incoming raw materials. The Agrack is built with heavy-duty stacking feet that allow for 3-high stacking when fully loaded.
This effectively triples your storage density for solar panels or heater casings without requiring permanent racking infrastructure. When production demand fluctuates, you can simply stack the racks higher or fold them away, giving your facility manager complete flexibility.
Safe 3-high stacking allows you to triple your warehouse density.
1. Can these racks hold heavy stone or just glass?
While designed for glass, they are rated for heavy loads (up to 2000kg). They are excellent for storing stone slabs, sheet metal casings, or heavy MRO facility panels.
2. How many empty racks can fit in a standard shipping container?
Thanks to the folding design, you can fit up to 112 units (stacked 7 high, 16 rows) in a 40HQ container, significantly reducing return logistics costs.
3. Are the rubber pads replaceable?
Yes, but they rarely need it. Because they are bolted on and steel-reinforced, they outlast glued alternatives. If damaged, they can be easily unscrewed and replaced by your maintenance team.
4. Can we use a crane to move these, or only forklifts?
Standard models are forklift-ready. However, we can weld certified lifting hooks (lifting lugs) onto the corners for facilities that utilize overhead cranes for moving solar heater components.
5. Will these rust if stored outside in the yard?
The standard finish is powder coating, which is durable for indoor/warehouse use. For outdoor storage of MRO supplies or raw glass, we highly recommend our Hot-Dip Galvanized option for maximum weather resistance.
