Cantilever Racking — Open-Front Storage for Long, Bulky & Awkward Loads
The only racking system engineered for steel bars, lumber, pipe, profile, panel, furniture and oversize loads. Single-sided or double-sided arms, 1–10 m long, indoor or outdoor — AME Rack manufactures EN 15512 / RMI MH16.2 / AS 4084 compliant cantilever systems exported to 65+ countries.
Cantilever Racking — The Specialist for Loads Without Pallets
Cantilever racking replaces vertical uprights and horizontal beams with a column-and-arm structure: arms project horizontally from one or both sides of a centre column. The open front lets forklifts, side-loaders or overhead cranes deposit loads directly onto the arms — no need to fit cargo into rectangular bay openings.
Used wherever standard pallet rack cannot work: long steel bar stock, lumber, plywood sheets, PVC and HDPE pipe, extrusion profile, carpet rolls, fabric rolls, furniture, boats, ladders and any irregular item exceeding 2.5 m in any direction.
Why Cantilever Racking Beats Pallet Rack for Long Loads
Eight engineering and operational advantages that explain why cantilever racks are the standard storage system for steel service centres, lumber yards, pipe distributors and furniture warehouses worldwide.
Open-Front Access
Zero front obstruction — forklift, side-loader or crane deposits load directly onto arms. Cuts handling cycle by 30–50% vs pallet rack.
Variable Load Length
One rack stores 1 m to 12 m items on the same arm row. No bay-width restriction — perfect for mixed-length steel and lumber inventory.
Single or Double Sided
Single-sided against a wall, double-sided in open floor — same column, just add arms to the other side. Maximise floor utilisation.
Heavy-Duty Engineering
Hot-rolled I-beam column (IPE / HEA / HEB) with structural-grade arm welding. Arm load capacity up to 2,500 kg per pair.
Indoor or Outdoor
HDG hot-dip galvanised finish (80–120 μm) certified for outdoor lumber yards, coastal sites, and unheated open-side warehouses.
Adjustable Arm Pitch
Arms bolt or slot into column at 75 mm or 100 mm pitch — re-level in 15 minutes per arm without dismantling the column.
Bolt-Together System
No welding on site — base, column, brace and arms ship knock-down, assemble with M16/M20 bolts. One trained crew installs 30 columns per day.
Compact Shipping
Column and arm sections nest compactly — typical 40HQ container ships enough for 600–900 linear metres of cantilever rack.
Six Cantilever Rack Configurations for Every Load Profile
From light-duty indoor pipe storage to weatherproof outdoor lumber yards and mobile high-density systems — match the column system, arm capacity and finish to your specific load and environment.
Light-Duty Cantilever Rack
Bolt-together cold-rolled column, 250–500 kg per arm. Indoor use for PVC pipe, small profiles, retail back-stock and light fabricated parts. Lowest cost per linear metre.
Heavy-Duty Cantilever Rack
Hot-rolled IPE / HEA / HEB column, fully welded arm-to-column with gusset plate. 1,200–2,500 kg per arm. Engineered for steel service centres, structural beam storage and heavy bar stock.
Single-Sided Cantilever Rack
Arms extending from one side only — installs flush against a warehouse wall or perimeter fence. Ideal for narrow buildings, side-access loading docks and wall-line lumber or pipe storage.
Double-Sided Cantilever Rack
One column with arms on both sides — doubles storage capacity per linear floor metre. Standard configuration for centre-aisle steel, lumber and profile storage with two-side forklift access.
Outdoor HDG Cantilever Rack
Full hot-dip galvanised 80–120 μm finish for 15-year corrosion resistance. Optional pitched roof and side-cladding for lumber yards, profile yards and builder's merchants exposed to weather.
Mobile Cantilever Rack
Cantilever bays mounted on motorised mobile bases — only one aisle open at a time, up to 85% floor utilisation. Engineered for high-value warehouses, premium space sites and low-rotation long-stock archives.
Engineered Technical Parameters — 4 Standard Configurations
Standard catalogue spec range. All parameters are fully customisable — send load profile, building dimensions and indoor/outdoor environment for project-specific engineering.
| Parameter | Light-Duty | Medium-Duty | Heavy-Duty Structural | Outdoor HDG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arm Load (per arm) | 250 – 500 kg | 500 – 1,200 kg | 1,200 – 2,500 kg | 800 – 2,000 kg |
| Arm Length | 0.6 – 1.2 m | 0.9 – 1.8 m | 1.2 – 2.4 m | 1.0 – 2.0 m |
| Max Height | 3.5 m | 5.5 m | 8.0 m | 6.5 m |
| Column Profile | Cold-rolled C 100×50 | Roll-formed C 140×60 | Hot-rolled IPE 160 / 180 | Roll-formed C 140×60 |
| Arm Profile | Rect tube 80×40×3 | Rect tube 100×60×4 | Hot-rolled IPE 100 / 120 | Rect tube 100×60×4 |
| Steel Grade | Q235B | Q235B / Q345B | Q345B (S355JR) | Q345B |
| Arm Pitch (vertical) | 75 mm | 100 mm | 100 mm | 100 mm |
| Base / Foot | 200×400×8 mm plate | 300×500×10 mm plate | 400×700×12 mm plate | 350×600×12 mm HDG |
| Brace System | X-brace cold-rolled | X-brace + horizontal | Welded gusset + X-brace | X-brace HDG |
| Finish | Powder coat 60 μm | Powder coat 80 μm | Powder coat 100 μm | HDG 80–120 μm |
| Anchor Spec | M12 × 95 mm | M16 × 110 mm | M20 × 150 mm | M16 × 110 mm HDG |
| Compliance | EN 15512 | EN 15512 / RMI MH16.2 | EN 15512 / AS 4084 / RMI | EN 15512 / outdoor cert |
| Seismic Zone | Zone 1–2 | Zone 1–3 | Zone 1–4 | Zone 1–4 + wind cert |
| Service Life | 10 years | 15 years | 25 years | 20 years outdoor |
| Lead Time | 20 days | 25 days | 32 days | 32 days |
| FOB Price (USD/linear m) | $ 75 – 120 | $ 135 – 195 | $ 240 – 380 | $ 220 – 340 |
Every Column, Arm and Brace — In-House Manufactured
Ten core components engineered, rolled, welded and coated under one roof at AME Rack's 15,500 m² Dongguan plant. Full bill of materials and replacement-part price list shipped with every order.
Column / Upright
Vertical spine of the rack. Hot-rolled IPE/HEA for heavy-duty; roll-formed C-section for medium; cold-rolled C for light-duty. Slotted at 75 or 100 mm pitch.
Base / Foot
Hot-rolled plate fully welded to column base, 4 to 8 anchor holes. Provides overturning resistance — sized by arm bending moment, not just gravity load.
Cantilever Arm
Hot-rolled IPE or rectangular tube projecting horizontally from column. Bolted via gusset plate to column — replaceable when damaged.
Arm Connector / Gusset
4-bolt or 6-bolt plate that locks arm to column slot. Determines arm load capacity — heavy-duty uses welded gusset + bolted joint.
X-Brace / Diagonal
Cross-bracing between columns provides longitudinal stability — mandatory per EN 15512. Bolted to column via clip plate.
Horizontal Brace
Tie bar between column tops (and mid-height on heavy frames). Prevents column sway under load and forklift impact.
Arm End Stop
Removable bolt-on lip at the tip of each arm — prevents stored items from sliding off during loading or earthquake.
Column Protector
Yellow HDPE + steel hybrid guard at the base of every aisle-side column, 400 mm tall. Replaceable when struck.
Roof Cover (outdoor)
Optional pitched steel sheet roof + side-cladding for outdoor lumber yards and profile yards. Trapezoid 25 mm Z350 galvanised.
Load Capacity Sign
Aluminium sign at the end of each rack row — bay number, max load per arm, max load per column, total bay capacity. Mandatory under OSHA 1910.176.
Where Cantilever Racking Is the Only Right Answer
Eight industries where cantilever racks outperform every other storage system.
Lumber & Timber
Indoor and outdoor lumber yards — sawn timber, panels, plywood up to 6 m.
Steel Bar Stock
Round bar, square bar, flat bar, angle, channel up to 12 m long.
Pipe & Tube
PVC, HDPE, copper, steel pipe and tube storage for distributors.
Profile & Extrusion
Aluminium, PVC, uPVC window/door profile — 6 m bundles per arm row.
Furniture & Mattress
Knock-down furniture cartons, sofas, mattresses — single or double-sided.
Fabric & Carpet Roll
Carpet, vinyl flooring, fabric and textile rolls 2–5 m long.
Boat & Trailer
Small boats, trailers, jet skis — heavy-duty wide arms with end stops.
Construction Materials
Rebar, mesh, gypsum board, fibre cement panel — builders merchants.
How to Specify a Cantilever Rack in 3 Decisions
Arm length, arm load and column profile drive 85% of total cantilever rack cost. Get these three right before sizing — your warehouse planner can complete this in 30 minutes.
Load Length — Single or Double?
How long are your longest items? Two short items on opposite sides of a column outperform one long item spanning two single-sided racks.
- ≤ 3 m loads — single or double sided
- 3 – 6 m loads — single-sided wall row preferred
- 6 – 12 m loads — single-sided + close column pitch
- Mixed lengths — double-sided + arm-pitch flexibility
Arm Length & Load Combination
Bending moment = arm length × load. Always size both together. Never over-spec arm length "for future flexibility" without checking arm capacity.
- 1.0 m arm — up to 2,500 kg point load
- 1.5 m arm — up to 1,800 kg point load
- 2.0 m arm — up to 1,200 kg point load
- 2.4 m arm — up to 800 kg point load
Column Pitch — Span Between Columns
Closer column pitch = higher per-metre cost but better deflection control on the load. Match column pitch to load stiffness.
- Steel bar / pipe — 1.0 m column pitch (rigid load)
- Lumber, plywood — 1.2 – 1.5 m pitch
- Carpet roll, fabric roll — 1.2 m pitch (sag risk)
- Profile / extrusion — 1.0 – 1.2 m pitch (cosmetic)
| Arm Length | Light-Duty Cap. | Medium-Duty Cap. | Heavy-Duty Cap. | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.6 m | 500 kg | 1,200 kg | 2,500 kg | Short bar stock, dies |
| 1.0 m | 400 kg | 1,000 kg | 2,200 kg | Lumber, pipe (short) |
| 1.2 m | 350 kg | 900 kg | 1,800 kg | Profile, structural steel |
| 1.5 m | 300 kg | 700 kg | 1,500 kg | Lumber, panel goods |
| 1.8 m | 250 kg | 550 kg | 1,200 kg | Carpet roll, large profile |
| 2.4 m | — | 400 kg | 800 kg | Oversize lumber, boat |
Cantilever vs Pallet Rack / Bar Rack / Vertical Rack / Pigeonhole — Honest Pros & Cons
Which long-load storage system is right for your warehouse? Compare on load access, length flexibility, density, capex, forklift requirement and reconfigurability.
| Factor | Cantilever Rack | Selective Pallet Rack | Vertical (A-frame) | Pigeonhole / Bar Rack | Mobile Cantilever |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Load Length Flexibility | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Front-Side Access | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ end only | ★★★★★ |
| Storage Density | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Capex (per metre) | $$ Mid | $ Low (no pallets) | $ Low | $$$ High | $$$$$ |
| Forklift Needed | Standard / side-loader | CB / reach | Crane / overhead lift | Manual / crane | Standard + rail |
| Outdoor Capable | Yes (HDG) | Limited (HDG only) | Yes | Yes | No (rail wet risk) |
| Reconfigurability | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Best For | Long, mixed-length loads | Standard pallet loads | Sheet / panel material | Short bar stock SKUs | Premium urban sites |
Anything > 2.5 m long
You store lumber, pipe, profile, bar stock, panels, furniture, carpet rolls or other items that don't fit on a standard 1.2 m pallet. Front-side access is critical.
Sheet panels only, <2.5 m wide
You store only flat sheet material (plywood, MDF, plasterboard, glass) and have overhead crane or vacuum lift. Higher density than horizontal cantilever.
Loose small parts, mixed SKUs
If items are short (<1 m), boxed or palletised, standard selective pallet rack is 30–50% cheaper per linear metre of storage face.
Steel service centres do this
Cantilever for bar stock, plate and structural; selective pallet for fittings, fasteners, consumables, packaging. One unified rack catalogue from AME Rack.
Real Cantilever Rack Installations Around the World
Three recent projects across three continents — outdoor lumber yard, indoor steel service centre and pipe distributor. Each shows rack mix, building geometry, linear metres delivered and on-site lead time.
Brisbane Lumber Yard — HDG Outdoor Cantilever
Builders merchant replaced timber-frame storage with full HDG cantilever — 2.0 m double-sided arms, 1.0 m column pitch, pitched corrugated steel roof. Engineered to AS/NZS 1170 wind cyclone Region C. Lumber inventory turn improved 35% due to direct side-loader access from both lane sides.
Houston Steel Service Centre — Heavy-Duty Structural
Steel distributor stocking 6 m and 12 m bar, channel, angle and structural beam. We engineered hot-rolled IPE 180 columns, IPE 120 arms rated 2,200 kg each at 1.0 m, with 1.2 m column pitch. Bolt-together installation finished in 8 working days by 4-person crew.
Dubai Pipe Distributor — Double-Sided Medium-Duty
PVC, HDPE and steel pipe distributor needed dense long-load storage in warehouse. Double-sided medium-duty cantilever with 1.5 m arms, 0.9 m pitch, powder-coat 80 μm tropical-grade. Total 172 linear metres delivered in 1 × 40HQ containers — one consolidated shipment.
How AME Rack Builds Cantilever Racks — 6-Step Production Flow
Owned 15,500 m² Dongguan factory. Hot-rolled steel and coil enter one end, container-loaded cantilever racks exit the other. Every step in-house — no outsourcing, no hidden margins.
Steel Selection & CNC Cutting
Hot-rolled IPE / HEA / HEB sourced from Baosteel / Shagang under annual contracts. CNC plasma and saw cutting tolerance ±1 mm. Cold-rolled and roll-formed columns punched on Amada / Yawei lines.
Roll-Forming & Press-Braking
Roll-forming lines produce light/medium-duty C-section columns and arm tubes. Press brake forms gusset plates, base plates and brace clips. Continuous run avoids changeover delay.
Robotic Welding
Panasonic / Yaskawa robots weld base plate to column, gusset plate to arm, end-stop tab to arm. Full-perimeter weld inspected per ISO 5817 Class B. Heavy-duty IPE arms receive 100% manual TIG inspection.
Acid Pickling & Phosphating
7-stage pre-treatment: alkaline degrease → rinse → acid pickle → rinse → zinc-phosphate → rinse → DI rinse. Adhesion ≥6N/cm cross-cut test. Mandatory before powder coat OR HDG dip.
Powder Coating or Hot-Dip Galvanise
Powder coat: 60–100 μm DFT epoxy-polyester, AME Rack orange / RAL custom. HDG: 80–120 μm zinc bath dip per ISO 1461. Outdoor-grade HDG verified by salt spray test ≥1,000 hours.
QC, Bundling & Container Loading
Final dimensional QC (10% random sample), arm-load deflection test per EN 15512, bundled with steel strapping. Compact nesting — average 600–900 linear metres of cantilever per 40HQ container.
What to Send Us for a Same-Day Quote — B2B Procurement Checklist
Six inputs are all we need to produce a fully-engineered cantilever rack quotation. Send what you have — a hand-drawn floor sketch plus a photo of your load is enough to start.
Load Profile
Item type (lumber / pipe / bar / profile / roll / panel), longest dimension (m), heaviest unit weight (kg), bundle / loose / individual, indoor or outdoor storage.
Building / Yard Drawings
Floor plan with column locations, clear height under steel / roof / sky, floor slab thickness (≥180 mm reinforced concrete for heavy-duty), drainage if outdoor.
Handling Equipment
Counterbalance forklift, reach truck, side-loader, overhead crane, or manual handling? Front-loading clearance: minimum aisle width = item length + 1.5 m.
Single or Double Sided
Against the wall = single-sided; centre-aisle = double-sided. Double-sided doubles storage per linear metre at only 25% extra column cost.
Environment & Finish
Indoor ambient, outdoor exposed, coastal salt-air, fire-zone (sprinklered), food-contact, ATEX explosive atmosphere. Powder coat 80 μm or HDG 80–120 μm.
Compliance Code
EN 15512 (EU), AS 4084 + AS/NZS 1170 (AU/NZ), RMI MH16.2 (US/Canada cantilever specific), local seismic & wind code if outdoor.
15 Procurement Questions Buyers Ask Before Placing a Cantilever Rack Order
Answered for facility managers, steel service centre operators, lumber yard owners, and procurement officers comparing 3–5 racking suppliers. If your question is not covered, WhatsApp Lily at +86 188 2453 7792.
01What is cantilever racking and when should I use it instead of pallet rack?
02What is the maximum arm load capacity?
03What is the difference between single-sided and double-sided cantilever?
04Can cantilever racks go outdoors? What about coastal salt air?
05What is the MOQ — can I order less than a full container?
06How long is the lead time from PO to ready-for-shipment?
07What payment terms do you accept for B2B buyers?
08Is your cantilever rack compliant with EN 15512 / RMI MH16.2 / AS 4084?
09What steel grade do you use for cantilever racks?
10Can you produce custom arm lengths and column heights?
11Do you provide drawings, FEA reports, and installation supervision?
12How much cheaper are you than European / North American brands?
13Can you supply matching accessories — column protectors, end stops, signs?
14Can you handle wind & seismic engineering for outdoor cantilever?
15What after-sales support do you provide for international buyers?
Ready to Spec Your Cantilever Racking Project?
Send load type and longest dimension, building or yard dimensions, indoor/outdoor environment and handling equipment — receive a 3D AutoCAD layout, stamped FEA report, full BOM and FOB quotation within 4 working hours. Zero commitment, no template recycling, English / Spanish / French / Arabic communication available.
