A hollow-board warehouse cage adds hollow plastic boards to the inner walls of the metal mesh body; a wire-mesh warehouse cage leaves the steel mesh exposed. Their load-bearing frames are similar; the difference is mainly in side-wall closure, visibility and spill control, so selection depends on the material form.
The hollow-board version's edge is spill-proof, dust-proof and scratch protection for small parts, suiting loose small components, powder and granules, and dust-sensitive semi-finished goods. The downside is that it blocks the view: contents must be accessed by opening a door or lifting a board to count, and the plastic ages and embrittles over time — more so in low temperatures.
The wire-mesh version is open, visible and ventilated, suiting cast blanks, stamping parts, packaged goods and materials that need air circulation and heat dissipation. The mesh lets you see the internal load directly, so a forklift operator at a distance can judge whether it is full. A mesh opening too large leaks small parts — its main shortcoming.
On cost, the hollow-board version runs about 15%–30% higher than the bare mesh; the gap comes from hollow-board material and installation labor. If spill protection is only needed occasionally, the more economical route is a standard mesh cage with a bottom liner, or regionally fitted removable hollow boards. Tongnuo supports both full-cage hollow-board liners and partial liners.
Decision: bulk material, fine material and dust-sensitive parts choose the hollow-board version; large parts, heavy parts, and items needing ventilation and visual management choose the wire-mesh version; for something in between, compromise with a partial liner — no need to board the whole cage.