Shelfbot Racking Specification

Version 3.5 · 3 November 2026

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Doc: SB-SPEC-RACK

1. Introduction

This document defines the racking requirements for a Shelfbot Automated Storage & Retrieval System (ASRS) installation. It is intended for warehouse designers, racking suppliers, installers, and commissioning technicians responsible for preparing a site for Shelfbot deployment.

The racking system forms a structural component of the Shelfbot solution and must be designed, supplied, and installed in accordance with this specification.

2. Purpose & Scope

2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this specification is to define the minimum racking infrastructure requirements necessary to safely and reliably operate the Shelfbot ASRS, including structural interfaces required for robot rails, tote storage, and electrical equipment mounting.

2.2 Scope

This document covers:

  • Pallet racking type and compliance requirements
  • Frames, base plates, beams and mesh decks
  • Aisle and clearance requirements
  • The Shelfbot rails and caps, and who installs them
  • The front frame bracing for the electrical outlets

This document does not cover:

  • Robot mechanical or electrical specifications
  • Control systems, software, or networking
  • Warehouse fire engineering or sprinkler design for the fire protection design parameters of the Shelfbot system (tote construction, flue spaces, clearances, sprinkler design basis), refer to the Shelfbot Fire Protection document
  • Floor slab design or certification

For these topics, refer to the Shelfbot User Manual and relevant Shelfbot technical specifications.

3. Racking Overview

  • Shelfbot robots are installed on steel pallet racking compliant with AS4084:2023.
  • Each Shelfbot shelf typically stores five (5) totes uniformly spaced across the bay.
  • Maximum tote weight (including contents): 30 kg
  • Maximum shelf load: 150 kg UDL
  • Shelfbot systems may be configured in single-row or double-row racking layouts, depending on site design.
Three aisles of double-row racking
Figure 1. Three aisles of double-row racking seen from the door end, a robot in each aisle

4. Requirements

The requirements are listed from the floor up: frames and base plates, beams and decks, the aisle, the Shelfbot rails, the front frame.

4.1 Frames (Uprights)

  • Height range: 4 m to 10 m
  • Frame depth: 838 mm
  • Upright pitch options:
    • 50 mm
    • 75 mm
    • 76.2 mm (3")
  • Racking to be installed plumb and square in accordance with AS4084 tolerances.

4.2 Base Plates

  • Mechanically anchored to concrete and shimmed as required for levelling.
  • Maximum projection: 50 mm beyond the upright profile.
  • Extended or seismic-style base plates are not permitted unless approved by Shelfbot.

4.3 Beams

  • Box or drop (step) beams are acceptable
  • Beam face heights: 40 mm to 100 mm (50 mm recommended)
  • Open or closed section beams permitted
  • All beams within a row must be the same height, tolerance ±1 mm
  • Each pair of beams (one shelf level) shall be load-rated and certified by the racking supplier for a minimum of 500 kg UDL in accordance with AS4084.

4.4 Clearances

Two heights are set by the robot: the lowest shelf its platform can pick from, and the room the platform needs above the top shelf.

  • Bottom beam. The bottom beam should be installed as low as practical to maximise grid density. The underside of the bottom beam shall be no lower than 400 mm above floor level: the robot's platform cannot pick a tote from a shelf lower than this.
  • Top shelf. The deck of the top shelf shall be no higher than 800 mm below the top of the upright.
Clearances
Figure 2. Bottom beam underside 400 mm minimum above the floor, the top shelf's deck 800 mm minimum below the top of the upright

4.5 Vertical Pitch

Shelfbot operates only with Shelfbot-supplied totes. The tote is 850 mm long × 450 mm wide and comes in three heights: 200 mm, 275 mm and 350 mm.

Vertical pitch must provide a minimum 38 mm clearance between the top of the tote and the underside of the beam above, unless previously agreed with Shelfbot.

4.6 Tote Layout on the Shelf

  • Five totes per bay, on a 2591 mm beam
  • Totes at a 505 mm pitch, 66 mm from each upright
  • 55 mm between tote rims at the top, widening to 93 mm at the floor
Tote layout on the shelf
Figure 3. One shelf level from the aisle: five totes at the 505 mm pitch, the 38 mm minimum clearance to the beam above

4.7 Mesh Decks

  • Standard waterfall wire mesh decking
  • Typical size: 1250 mm × 838 mm, 2 mesh decks per shelf
  • Three or four support channels. Two-channel decks are not supported.
  • The deck and its support channels must not intrude into the transverse flue spaces between the totes (a fire protection requirement).
  • Maximum depth: 860 mm
  • Minimum rated UDL: 500 kg per deck

Note

The mesh must have a uniformly open area of not less than 70%. This is a fire protection requirement: solid shelves or decking with less than 70% open area must not be substituted. Refer to the Shelfbot Fire Protection document.

4.8 Aisle Width & Row Spacing

  • Aisle width: 1200 mm between the upright faces.
  • No bracing, plates, guarding or services may project into the aisle beyond the upright faces.
  • A minimum 3 m clear zone must be maintained at the front of the grid and a minimum 300 mm at the rear, unless fire egress or fire services require more.
  • Bollard requirements (locations, type, supply, and installation) are to be discussed and agreed between the racking supplier and the customer.
  • Double-row layouts: a minimum 150 mm clear longitudinal flue space must be maintained between back-to-back rows, kept free of obstructions for the full height of the racking (a fire protection requirement, see the Shelfbot Fire Protection document).
Figure 4. Aisle section from the operator station: upright faces 1200 apart, frame depth 838, bottom rails 980 clear, bottom beam underside 400 minimum

4.9 Bottom Rails and Cable Channel

  • Shelfbot supplies and installs the bottom rails: a 95 × 95 × 3 mm galvanised steel angle each side of the aisle, anchored to the concrete slab through slots in its floor leg.
  • The rails are installed at 980 mm clear between their vertical legs (986 mm outside to outside). The spacing fits a narrow-aisle scissor lift up to 810 mm wide, allowing it to drive down the aisle between the rails for installation and maintenance access.
  • A cable channel runs along the outside of the left-hand rail (looking in from the operator station). The floor between that rail and the upright is kept clear.

4.10 Top Rails and Upright Caps

  • Shelfbot supplies a roll-formed top rail that sits flush with the top of the upright and acts as a rail for the robots.
  • Each top rail is fitted with a rack upright cap mounted to the top of the racking uprights. Cap dimensions: 250 mm long × 99 mm deep × 200 mm high. Rack upright caps are fabricated and supplied by Shelfbot.
  • Each upright-top assembly requires six bolts with mudguard washers, all to the same specification as the base-plate fixings, supplied and fitted by the racking company during installation (the same bolts it already uses for the base plates): two securing the rack upright cap to the upright, and four securing the top rail to the cap.
  • The pair of parallel bolt holes (coffin slots) in the upright face must be unobstructed between 95 mm and 180 mm below the top of the upright, one cap fixing through each.
  • Rails and caps will be shipped directly to the racking company or client installation site.
  • The preferred arrangement is for the racking company to install the top rails and caps, subject to capability and written agreement between the client, the racking company, and Shelfbot; otherwise Shelfbot will perform the installation (see Notes & Responsibilities).
  • Shelfbot will provide installation instructions for these rails.
Upright cap and top rail
Figure 5. Upright cap and top rail on the upright

4.11 Front Frame Requirement

The front of each row is the end where the Operator Station is located, the point at which operators access presented totes through the Roller Door.

For the first frame in each row:

  • Two horizontal braces must be installed at the bottom of the front frame, 100 mm maximum centre to centre.
  • The upper horizontal brace must be a maximum of 350 mm above ground level.

This configuration allows for installation of industrial electrical outlets mounted on the two horizontal braces, centred on the inside of the frame.

Figure 6. Front frame with the two bottom braces and the electrical outlets behind them

Note

The two horizontal braces at the bottom of the first frame no higher than 350 mm. Failure to do so will prevent fitment of the electrical outlets.

4.12 Back-of-Rack Guarding (Outer Rows)

Outer racking rows must be fitted with a wire mesh backing system (e.g. MantaMESH) to the full height of the installed racking, on stand-off brackets holding the mesh a minimum of 25 mm behind the rear face of the uprights.

5. Notes & Responsibilities

5.1 Responsibility Matrix

The table below records who supplies and who installs each element of the racking scope. Where an item shows Racking supplier*, the preferred arrangement is for the racking supplier to perform the work where they have the capability, subject to written agreement between the Customer, the racking supplier, and Shelfbot; in the absence of such agreement, Shelfbot performs the work. The agreed party for each site is recorded in writing.

# Item Supplied by Installed by
1 Pallet racking (frames, beams, bracing) Racking supplier Racking supplier
2 Structural certification to AS4084 Racking supplier Not applicable
3 Load signage (aisle entry points, per AS4084) Racking supplier Racking supplier
4 Mesh decks (Mesh Decks) Racking supplier Racking supplier
5 Base plates and anchors, selection and installation (Base Plates) Racking supplier Racking supplier
6 Back-of-rack guarding, outer rows (Back-of-Rack Guarding (Outer Rows)) Racking supplier Racking supplier*
7 Top rails (Top Rails and Upright Caps) Shelfbot Racking supplier*
8 Rack upright caps (Top Rails and Upright Caps) Shelfbot Racking supplier*
9 Bottom rails, anchored to the slab (Bottom Rails and Cable Channel) Shelfbot Shelfbot
10 Drag chain and its cable channel (Bottom Rails and Cable Channel) Shelfbot Shelfbot
11 Bollards (Aisle Width & Row Spacing) As agreed between racking supplier and Customer As agreed between racking supplier and Customer
12 Electrical outlets on front frame (Front Frame Requirement, per Electrical Specification) Customer (licensed electrician) Customer (licensed electrician)
13 Robots, robot installation and commissioning Shelfbot Shelfbot
14 Racking shop drawings (manufacturing detail), checked against the Shelfbot Customer Site Drawings and issued for three-party sign-off before manufacture. The Customer Site Drawings are the single authoritative drawing set, owned by Shelfbot. The supplier does not issue layout drawings Racking supplier Not applicable

* Racking supplier preferred where capable, subject to written three-party agreement; otherwise Shelfbot.

Any deviation from this specification must be approved in writing by Shelfbot prior to manufacture or installation.

Per-site agreed values (layout, dimensions, installation parties, bollard arrangements) are recorded per project, not in this specification.

6. Revision History

Version Date Change
3.1 19/08/2026 Published to Web Site
3.2 21/10/2026 Requirements in one section; bottom beam, totes, rails, caps, bracing and decks updated
3.3 22/10/2026 Tote layout section added; clear zones 3 m front and 300 mm rear; mesh decks: three or four support channels, rated 500 kg or more, two-channel decks excluded, wire and aperture lines removed
3.4 28/10/2026 Clearances section (4.4): bottom beam underside 400 mm minimum above the floor, the top shelf's deck 800 mm minimum below the top of the upright, with a figure; later sections renumbered
3.5 03/11/2026 Tote-to-beam minimum clearance 38 mm, was 40 (section 4.5 and the tote layout figure)