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Is your fabrication floor choking on bulky A-frames? |
In the glass industry, the traditional A-frame is the standard for stability, but it is a "space hog." An A-frame requires access from both sides (or significant clearance to rotate), and its wide triangular footprint often dictates your aisle width. For warehouses dealing with high-value wholesale tempered glass or limited floor space, this geometry is inefficient.
The L-Shape Glass Holding Rack (Grack) changes this equation. Its 90° vertical structure (with a scientifically calculated 3-5° tilt) allows the rack to be placed directly against a wall or "back-to-back" with another unit. This effectively turns dead wall space into active storage for tempered glass or laminated sheets.
By using a single-sided loading design, you reduce the forklift turning radius required to access the glass. You no longer need 360-degree access around the rack. This simple geometric shift can often allow you to add an entire extra row of inventory in an existing warehouse footprint.
Figure 1: L-Shape racks placed near the production line, maximizing floor utility compared to bulky A-frames.
One of the most common questions we receive from glazing contractors and fabricators is: "Can you make the rack shorter to fit under our mezzanine?" or "Can we narrow the base?"
The answer is yes, but with engineering constraints to ensure safety. The standard Grack comes in a 1600mm (approx. 63 inches) length, optimized for shipping. However, for narrow aisles, we frequently customize the footprint:
Crucially, even with customized dimensions, we never compromise on the protection system. Every custom rack still features our signature steel-core rubber profiles secured with self-tapping screws—ensuring that even in tight spaces, accidental bumps don't result in glass-on-metal contact.
The biggest enemy of a narrow aisle isn't the loaded rack—it's the empty one. In a busy glass fabrication plant, empty wooden crates or welded A-frames often pile up, blocking thoroughfares and creating safety hazards.
This is where the customized L-Shape design delivers its highest ROI. Our racks are engineered to nest. When empty, you can slide one rack into another, similar to shopping carts. You can compress 7 empty racks into the footprint of roughly 2.5 racks.
Figure 2: Empty racks nesting together, immediately freeing up aisle space for forklift traffic.
This "collapsible" capability allows you to clear aisles instantly after the glass is unloaded. For a distributor sending glass transport racks to a job site, this also means massive savings on return freight, as you aren't paying to ship "air" back to the warehouse.
Sometimes, the aisle is too narrow for a forklift entirely. In these scenarios, customization means adding mobility. For "Last Mile" movement within the factory—such as moving cut glass from the edging machine to the tempering furnace—we offer the Lmrack (Glass Trolley) variant.
These customized units are fitted with high-capacity, non-marking casters and ergonomic handles. They allow a single operator to maneuver up to 2,000 lbs of glass through tight pedestrian pathways where a forklift simply cannot fit. This is the ultimate "narrow aisle" hack for custom shower enclosure manufacturers who deal with high-mix, low-volume flows.
Figure 3: Mobile trolley versions of the rack allow for manual handling in spaces where forklifts cannot operate.
Customizing for narrow aisles doesn't mean sacrificing strength. Whether you need a Heavy duty glass rack that hugs the wall or a mobile trolley for tight turns, the goal is the same: Protect the asset (the glass) while maximizing the asset (your floor space). By switching from static, bulky storage to nestable, L-shape designs, you are effectively expanding your warehouse without paying for construction.
1. Can customized narrow racks still handle Jumbo size glass?
Yes, but with conditions. For Jumbo sheets (e.g., 130" x 204"), we recommend increasing the vertical height and ensuring the base has adequate counterweight (balance blocks). We cannot make the base too narrow on tall racks due to tipping physics, but we can optimize the length and nesting capabilities.
2. How do you protect the glass edge on custom metal racks?
We use a proprietary Steel-core Rubber Profile. Unlike glued rubber which peels off in heat, our rubber is bolted to the steel frame. The internal steel core prevents the sharp glass edge from slicing through to the rack, ensuring zero metal-on-glass contact even in custom narrow designs.
3. What is the lead time for a custom-sized glass rack?
Since we manufacture from raw Q235 steel, customizing dimensions adds minimal time to the production cycle. Typically, custom orders can be engineered and produced within 15-20 days, similar to our standard models.
4. Can I mix standard and custom racks in a stack?
Generally, no. For the nesting function to work safely, the racks usually need to be of the same geometric footprint. However, we can design custom racks that are "downward compatible" with your existing fleet if provided with accurate drawings.
5. Do these racks work for stone or quartz slabs?
Absolutely. The "L-Shape" design is actually a standard in the stone industry for granite and quartz. The same narrow-aisle benefits apply. We simply recommend a slightly different tilt angle and heavier-duty base profiles for stone due to the density difference.
