Pallet Cages: An In-Depth Breakdown of Main Types and Features

 Storage is all about providing a safe space for various types of items to be held in a certain area without being inaccessible. But like the vast nature of what you can store, you also have a wide range of storage solutions to choose from. This is the reason why you're able to find storage equipment that suits your needs and inventory. 

Having the right type of equipment means you have the safest option and the most fitting one that will last you a long time as long as you take good care of it. A large part of storage is using the correct solution for the job and storage cages are certainly the one solution found in different surroundings.

Benefits of Pallet Cages

Protection

The main advantage of going for a pallet or storage cage is the level of protection it offers. No matter the design, you get to protect your goods even with the most affordable pallet cages. This way you get to keep your items usable until their expiration date or forever if they don't have one.

Safety

By having inventory protected from impacts you make your storage space a lot safer as nothing can bounce off and damage other items alongside the ones it hits initially. You also reduce injuries this way which can help contribute to a more productive workplace too.

Access

Although being guarded by a piece of metal, your pallets can be easily accessed as warehouse cages are quite versatile in design. With a simple opening, you can get whatever you want since if the item can be put inside the cage it can be taken out of it as long as you lay out your inventory properly.

Types of Pallet Cages

Open

An open storage cage offers easy access. This is an open-air design that lets you get whatever you want out of the cage as it only has the mesh sides, no top. However, you don't get as much protection with it as you do with a closed storage cage.

Closed

With closed pallet cages you get a fully covered cage that also lets you access items easily but just not as easily as an open storage cage. These cages are able to protect items not only from impact but also from adverse weather conditions and theft.

Modular

If you want a storage cage that can be set up exactly how you want which can then be repositioned or rearranged later on, you should consider going for modular cages. Their design allows them to be assembled and disassembled rather easily making them more versatile than both open and closed cages. You can place modular cages in almost any area and make them usable with differently-sized items without being affected as much by the space available to you.

What Matters in a Pallet Cage

Material

The two main materials warehouse cages are made of are steel and aluminium. Steel is known for being quite sturdy but know that steel cages are not the best at surviving in corrosive environments. Also, steel cages are quite heavy which makes them less versatile than aluminium ones. Aluminium cages are not only lighter but also better at fending off corrosion as they have a naturally occurring layer that protects their structural integrity. However, aluminium storage cages are not the strongest.  

Size

The sky is the limit when it comes to the size of your pallet cage as you can get a cage with virtually any dimensions. Although those with standard dimensions are more affordable, they are not as versatile as custom-made cages. Keep in mind though, that larger cages are much heavier and more expensive than smaller ones while the latter are more portable.

Finish

The metal the cage is made of can have a different finish which helps protect its surface from corrosion. Painted cages are definitely better than ones that are just bare metal. But if you want to go a step further you should go for a cage with a galvanised finish. Galvanisation helps make the metal tougher and protects it from corrosion as well as the sun. Of course, a galvanised cage costs more than a painted one but it also lasts a lot longer without much maintenance.

Use

Despite being called a storage cage, a pallet cage can be used only to protect your inventory, if that's what you need from it. The purpose of a pallet cage can vary which is what plays a part in the type of cage you'll get alongside the size and material it's made of.

Final Words

Storage cages are such undermined pieces of warehouse equipment that they often go unnoticed but it's because of their simplicity that they do a good job which makes them almost invisible. A proper storage cage will make your warehouse operate much better as long as you get the most fitting one for your facility.