A warehouse cage usually consists of four parts: the bottom plate and base frame, the four side mesh bodies, four corner posts (or the door frame on the door side), and the forklift slots and stacking feet at the bottom. The bottom plate carries the cargo weight; the mesh body confines the cargo while staying open; the posts bear the vertical forces during multi-level stacking; and the door frame works with the latch to open and close for access.
Posts are the key to bearing stacking loads. When stacked in multiple layers, the entire weight of the cages above is transferred through the posts and stacking feet; the post tube diameter, wall thickness and weld quality directly determine the stacking layers and safety, so confirm the manufacturer's stacking load parameters before purchasing.
The door frame and latch mainly affect picking efficiency. A door-equipped cage suits piece-by-piece access and prevents small parts from scattering; the latch should open and close smoothly and latch fully, so it does not spring open unexpectedly during handling and stacking.
The mesh body is determined by wire diameter and mesh opening. The thicker the wire and the denser the mesh, the higher the strength, suiting small parts or heavy loads; larger mesh openings give better visibility for visual counting and suit large materials turned over at high frequency.
The base structure determines the handling method: the forklift slots must align with the fork width, and the stacking feet must mate with the upper cage's bottom socket; poor matching causes slipping during handling or unstable stacking. When defining the structure, report both the handling equipment and the stacking layers to the manufacturer for a more reliable solution.