What is a stillage? Everything you need

Stillages are an important part of warehouse work and manufacturing life, but it's a term that's rarely used outside of the business.

It’s understandable that you might not be hugely familiar with the concept, but it's likely you've spent a lot of time around them – even when just heading to a local DIY store or furniture outlet.

We've broken down some important details about what a stillage is, and the many different types of stillage that are available, including wood and metal stillages. We’ve also checked out why you need the right stillage for your business.

 

Looking for a stillage that's robust and long lasting?
See our selection of stillages. 

What is a stillage?

Essentially, a stillage is a type of wooden or metal pallet for holding stored goods off the ground. It has a cage or sides around it, offering a form of support so that the contents of the stillage can't slip out, and the weight is stored safely for both you and the materials involved. Typically, that form of support is customised according to what you need to carry.

What kind of stillages are there?

Simply carrying stuff around sounds vague - stillages actually have some very specific purposes and can be adapted accordingly.

In the glass industry, an A-frame stillage is used to support sheets of glass for transport safely. An A-frame stillage is used to bear weight in a safe manner with a cross beam between two legs providing support. The glass is strapped to the inwardly leaning A-frame so that there's less chance of a crack or break during transportation.

A profile stillage is commonly used for material such as aluminium extrusion or extruded plastic. It's a simple way of holding items upwards without damaging them, but without the concerns of fragile material such as in the case of A-frames.

Post-pallet stillages are a lot like traditional pallets, but they have posts attached to them. Typically placed at each corner, these posts make it easy to stack multiple stillages on top of each. Without these posts, the product could be damaged from the weight above. They're an effective way of minimising the amount of space used, without damaging the materials.

Certain stillages can have castor wheels added to them in order to make them easier to move around the warehouse. Circumventing the need for a forklift is useful if you have relatively few forklift operators.

Elsewhere, a simple stillage which looks more like a large metal box can be used as a bin or recycling unit. In the case of industrial waste, it means minimal interaction between workers and the contents of the bin.

Similarly, stillages can be used to store casks or kegs of beer. In this case, they're simply upright metal racks. Not all stillages have to have complicated designs to be effective.

These are just some of the most commonly used types of stillage. Numerous other industry-specific kinds can also be produced, such as ones for transporting scaffolding, or even simply moving many parcels safely.

Why use a stillage?

Stillages are a very flexible way of transporting goods. It's possible to adapt the pallet to work with many different needs within your warehouse.

Stillages are also a very safe way of transporting goods without needing to load or unload them at regular intervals. That means saved time for your business, and a much safer working environment for your employees.

Usually, stillages are stacked up on top of each other so that they use up less space than other forms of container. It's a good way of ensuring minimal risk of damage to the contents of the stillage, and without any risk of spillage disrupting your working environment.

Overall, this means that the time taken to load and unload your products is reduced.

Certain stillages have drop-fronts, so it's even easier to add or remove products, even when they're stacked on top of each other.

How we can help

We’re experts in this business at BlueTrolley, so we can provide an extensive array of trolleys and custom-made material handling equipment. No matter what your business or warehouse needs, we have the right form of stillage for you.Contact us today.