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Is your breakage rate eating into your margins? |
In the glass fabrication industry, particularly when handling high-value Insulated Glass Units (IGU) or Low-E coated sheets, protection is everything. The most common failure point in generic racks is the rubber padding. Traditional manufacturers use adhesive glue to attach rubber strips to the steel frame.
Here is the reality on the warehouse floor: under the extreme pressure of 3,000 lbs of glass and the heat of a California summer, that glue degrades. The rubber peels off. Suddenly, you have a sharp glass edge grinding directly against a steel upright. The result? Micro-fractures, chipped edges, and eventual catastrophic failure during transport.
Our Solution: Mechanical Fixation. We utilize a Steel-core rubber profile that is screwed directly into the rack frame using self-tapping screws. The internal steel plate within the rubber disperses the pressure from the glass edge, preventing the "cutting" effect, while the screws ensure the padding never falls off.
Figure 1: Close-up of steel-core rubber profile securing IGU units without peeling or displacement.
If you are shipping wholesale tempered glass to installers or construction sites, you know the pain of reverse logistics. Delivering the glass is profitable; hauling empty, bulky A-frames back to the factory is a sunk cost. A standard 53' truck might carry 20 full racks out, but it can also only bring 20 empty racks back. You are essentially paying freight to ship air.
This is where the L-Shape Glass Holding Rack changes the math. Designed with a specific geometric offset at the base, our racks feature a "Nesting" capability.
The Math: When empty, our L-racks slide into one another like shopping carts. You can stack 7 empty racks in the footprint of a single unit. This reduces your return shipping volume by up to 70%, drastically lowering your freight cost per trip.
Figure 2: Empty L-shape racks nested together (shopping cart style) to minimize storage footprint.
When dealing with architectural glass or heavy laminated sheets, "good enough" welding doesn't cut it. A rack failure with a 4-ton load isn't just an inconvenience; it's a massive safety liability.
Many competitors use spot welding to save time. We don't. Our Heavy Duty Glass Rack systems are built using Q235 Carbon Structural Steel with Full Seam Welding. This ensures that the joint strength exceeds the strength of the tube itself. Furthermore, we engineer a precise 3-5 degree tilt. This angle is critical—it utilizes gravity to keep the sheets stable against the backboard without creating excessive lateral stress that could warp thin 1/4" glass.
Figure 3: Full seam welded structure supporting heavy-duty architectural glass loads.
In a busy glass fabrication plant, floor space is premium real estate. Traditional A-Frame racks occupy a large central footprint because they are double-sided. While useful for storage, they clog up aisles.
The L-Shape design allows for single-sided loading, meaning racks can be placed directly against the warehouse walls or back-to-back to create high-density storage aisles. This layout opens up forklift lanes and improves the workflow for moving raw float glass to the cutting table.
Figure 4: Back-to-back placement of L-racks optimizing aisle width for forklift operations.
1. Can these racks handle standard 96" x 130" float glass sheets?
Yes. Our standard L-rack is designed to accommodate common wholesale sizes including 96" x 130" and can be customized for Jumbo sheets up to 130" x 204".
2. What prevents the rack from tipping forward when fully loaded?
We engineer the base geometry with a specific center-of-gravity calculation. Additionally, our heavy-duty models include Glass Transport Rack counter-weights on the rear structure to ensure stability during forklift handling, even when fully loaded with 4,000 lbs.
3. How long do the rubber pads last?
Unlike glued rubber that fails within months, our steel-core EPDM rubber pads typically last 3-5 years depending on usage intensity. If they wear out, they can be easily unscrewed and replaced in minutes.
4. Do you offer hot-dip galvanized finishes for outdoor storage?
Absolutely. For distributors storing glass or stone slabs outdoors (like in stone yards), we recommend Hot-Dip Galvanizing (HDG) to provide superior corrosion resistance against rain and humidity.
5. Can these racks be moved by crane?
Yes. All our heavy-duty racks come equipped with certified crane lifting lugs (lifting eyes) on the top beam, allowing for safe overhead movement in addition to standard forklift pockets.
