MASON, OHIO- Today, we thought we would take a little walk down memory lane to one of the more unique projects we have ever completed…

In September, 2003 a severe thunderstorm passed directly over King’s Island Amusement Park in Mason (Cincinnati), Ohio. Though very little major damage was done to the park itself, the iconic King’s Island marquee sign, visible from I-71 literally blew over. That old sign had been welcoming visitors to King’s Island for 30+ years.

A month or two later, we were contacted by an engineering firm designing the new sign for the park. This new sign was going to incorporate a newly refreshed logo and be 4-5 times larger than the old one. We were asked for a ladder solution for workers to SAFELY access the upper levels of the interior of the sign for service or maintenance.

We along with the Engineering team at Vestil Manufacturing came up with and eventually manufactured and shipped a Steel Caged Walk-Thru Fixed Access Ladder system (very similar to the one pictured above) which started at the bottom of the sign and went nearly to the top. The sign was built with a series of work platforms. The series of ladders were positioned at different sides of each “platform”. These were all custom built. This allowed workers to maintain and repair the sign safely, entirely from the interior of the sign.

The final product… the sign still stands today. While we didn’t install the fixed ladders in the sign (the ladders were shipped to the sign company and they did) the collaborative efforts of our companies made for a very smooth (not to mention interesting) project!

Contact our team of experts for a wide range of OSHA and BOCA approved Steel Rolling Ladders of various designs and styles.

All of our Ladders are proudly manufactured in the United States!

DAYTON, OHIO– An often requested Pallet Truck accessory is the Rubber Pallet Truck/Jack Stop from Vestil Manufacturing. This inexpensive, rubber cradle is designed to secure your Pallet Jack in the back of truck beds during transit. This helps prevent trailer and door damage from “runaway” Pallet Jacks not to mention the valuable freight on the truck. So often we would see delivery truck drivers secure their Pallet Jacks with ratchet straps or bungee cords to the trailer when driving. It was so time consuming and often times did not safely secure the Pallet Jack to the truck.

These Pallet Truck Stops are simple to use… you simply roll the Pallet Jack load wheels (rear wheels) onto the rubber stop and it keeps the Jack from moving during transit. No straps, no cords or bungees!

Ideal for freight companies, trucking companies, and other material handling customers. These Pallet Truck Stops are easy to store as they only measure 11.5″ x 11.5″ and weighs less than 5 lbs. each.

Columbus, Ohio– We sell a full range of steel rolling ladders for warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and industrial applications. Our most popular option is the 4-step steel rolling ladder, with the 10-step steel rolling ladder close behind for customers needing access to higher shelving and storage areas.

10-Step Steel Rolling Ladder for Multi-Level Shelving

A customer based in Columbus was looking for a mobile steel ladder that could safely reach multiple shelf levels while improving employee safety. Their must-haves included a larger top platform, wider step treads, and added safety features to reduce the risk of slips or unauthorized use.

They also requested a safety chain to prevent use while the ladder was stored, along with a self-locking bottom step (Saf-T-Lock) for stability during operation. To dial in the right solution, we partnered with Tri-Arc Manufacturing to build a ladder that met all of their requirements.

The ladder was initially provided as a trial unit. After several weeks of daily use, the customer was confident in the design and performance and placed an order for 26 steel rolling ladders, which were shipped to multiple locations across the United States.

Steel Rolling Ladder Options and Features

Our steel rolling industrial ladders are available with two different step styles to match your environment:

• Grip Strut (expanded metal) steps offer maximum slip resistance and feature a self-cleaning, open design that works well in wet, oily, or slippery conditions.

• Perforated (Perf Tread) steps provide a high-strength, slip-resistant option that’s also more economical for general warehouse use.

Ladders can be configured with spring-loaded casters that retract under the user’s weight or the Saf-T-Lock foot-pedal locking system for fast, secure positioning.

All of the steel rolling ladders we sell meet OSHA safety requirements and are built for long-term industrial use.

Freight and Shipping for Steel Rolling Ladders

One of the biggest challenges with steel rolling ladders is shipping. While a ladder may weigh as little as 125 lbs, even when shipped knocked down (KD) it takes up considerable space in a freight trailer. Because of this, ladders often ship at freight class 200–300.

To keep shipping costs competitive, we work closely with our 3PL freight partners to secure the lowest possible rates while maintaining fast and reliable delivery times nationwide.

All of the Steel Rolling Ladders we sell are proudly manufactured in the United States!

Plain City, Ohio-We often get calls from building, construction and renovation contractors doing demolition on interior structures and need an efficient and safe method to remove the debris. Most times from upper levels of multiple story buildings. Certain considerations have to be remembered, like door widths/heights as well as elevator openings. The total weight of the truck is also a factor when moving material up and down an elevator. The perfect piece of equipment for such a job is a Trash Hopper-CHIP and WASTE TRUCK.

• 5/8 cubic yard capacity with 1,500 lbs. weight capacity, 68″L x 24.5″W x 40″H, 1,500 lbs. capacity (truck weighs 200 lbs.)
• 3/4 cubic yard capacity with 2,000 lbs. weight capacity, 68″L x 30.5″W x 40″H (truck weighs 245 lbs.)
• 1.0 cubic yard capacity with 2,000 lbs. weight capacity, 68″L x 3.5″W x 40″H (truck weighs 265 lbs.)

These Chip & Waste Trucks all include 10″ x 2.5″ welded on rigid casters (load wheels) and 8″ x 2″ mold-on rubber swivel casters. All models are leak-proof and are constructed of 14-gauge steel for durability.

These versatile trucks are also great in housekeeping applications!

Two other related products to improve removal of debris is the Manual Tilt Truck. This Truck is great for manual handling of light weight, in plant refuse such as cardboard, paper, wood, pallets and trash. It is not watertight though. Also, the Lo-Profile Manual Tilt Truck with an overall height to the top of the push handle at 30″, while the bucket measures 24″ from the floor to the top edge. These Trucks are manufactured by Jesco Industries and Vestil Manufacturing and ship in a matter of days, not weeks like the competition.

Like all of our products, these Trucks are proudly manufactured in the USA!

So many customers spend too much time thinking about Pallet Rack Upright height, depth and Beam lengths. They often overlook Pallet Rack Beam capacity. For many, this is not an issue (as what they will be storing is relatively light) but for certain customers in certain industries it is a major factor that needs to be considered when sourcing Pallet Rack Beams.

Just as Pallet Rack Beams come in different lengths, each Beam length also comes in multiple capacities. The Pallet Rack Beam capacity, is generally calculated as a combination of the Beam length and the Beam height. For example, an Interlake 96″ long Teardrop style Beam that is 2.75″ high has roughly a 2,440 lbs. capacity. The same 96″ long Beam length in a 4.0″H face has a 5,370 lbs. capacity. Quite a difference! It is also important to remember that Beam ratings are calculated as an evenly distributed load.

A mistake we often see is a customer who purchases Beams on cost alone with no regard for related capacities. There are a couple of industries that immediately come to mind who have uniquely heavily concentrated loads… roofing, tile and feed & grain industries.

Case Study

We recently had the owner of a large feed & grain business in Lancaster, Ohio contact us about some Pallet Rack for one of their retail operations. We expressed our concern for the capacity of the Beams being purchased (due to weight of skids being stored) but in the end they purchased our least expensive 96″L Beam at 4,100 lbs. capacity per pair. Prior to pick-up, we once again mentioned that we did not think that this Beam would be adequate for the application, but they insisted it would.

A week or so after installation, we received a call (and subsequent photo above) with their concern for the way the Beams were deflecting with two, fully loaded skids on them. Note the excessive deflection (or bowing as it is commonly referred as) in the middle pair of Beams. We asked the customer to perform a simple deflection test.

We asked them to run a string from one side of Upright to the other and measure the “deflection gap” at the very center.

So what is an acceptable level of deflection on a pair of Beams?

It is important to note that some deflection is permissible, but not much. The maximum amount of deflection that is allowed in pallet rack beams is governed by the RMI-Rack Manufacturers Institute as well as ANSI Standards. The RMI deflection limit for a normal pair of Pallet Rack Beams is L/180 or the span divided by 180. A 96” Beam will have a deflection limit of 96/180 = 0.533”.

In more simple terms… Divide the length of the beam (from the inside of the columns) by 180. If  the 96″ Beam length is divided by 180 for a result of .533, or about a ½ inch. If the deflection gap is equal to or greater than ½ inch, the beam is considered overloaded and unsafe.

Once they performed this simple test they realized that the Beams that they purchased were considerably under capacity for the loads they were storing.

What was interesting was they went from the lightest Beam we stocked at the time to the heaviest (8,560 lbs. cap. per pair). Unfortunately, we were unable to take back the overloaded Beams they never returned to their original shape.

We are often asked about Interlake “OLD” and Interlake “NEW” style Pallet Rack Uprights and Beams. But, what’s the difference? This has always been a confusing one…

A bit about the original design… The original “OLD STYLE” pin design of standard Teardrop style Beams has remained unchanged for decades. The pins were roundish (if not completely round) in shape and were positioned into the larger opening of the inverted teardrop holes on the Uprights. They were then simply pushed down and locked into the smaller portion of the teardrop hole. This simple design, quick installation and safe operation is what has made Teardrop style Racking so widely popular.

INTERLAKE NEW STYLE RACKING

In the late 1990’s, Interlake introduced a new design they termed “NEW STYLE INTERLAKE”. This new design is not considered Teardrop Racking, instead an Interlake proprietary design. What Interlake did was reinvent the locking pins on the Beams to look less rounded and more like an upside down hook. While these hooks might appear to lack the strength of the traditional rounded design, they carry equal strength. These NEW STYLE components were no longer compatible with existing older Teardrop components. As a result, new (“New Style”) Interlake Beams and Uprights would need to be purchased when adding onto existing or replacing.

Now for the confusing part… NEW STYLE Beams were interchangeable with OLD STYLE Teardrop Uprights but OLD STYLE Beams were not interchangeable with NEW STYLE Uprights.

SHAVED PIN BEAM

Fortunately, what Interlake competitors came up with was what is called a “Shaved Pin Beam”. These Beams are compatible with either new or old style Uprights, eliminating all confusion between the two styles. What they did was simply “shave” the rounded connector pin to allow for universal placement into the NEW STYLE Uprights.

This “Interake new style” of Pallet Rack is no longer being manufactured but a substantial amount of it exists today, primarily on the used market.

If you are not sure what type of Pallet Rack you have, we have created a handy PALLET RACK IDENTIFICATION GUIDE. It is designed to help you identify what brand and style of Racking you have. Most historical styles are listed.

Contact the Pallet Rack professionals at Midwest Material Handling, LLC with any questions or for both new and used Racking options!