Putting warehouse cages on racking isn't just dropping them on. The clear vertical gap, beam load rating and cage dimensions must be matched first, otherwise a layer collapse is likely. Applying plain stacking thinking to racking is a common source of warehouse accidents.
First check the clear vertical gap: cage external height + goods height + 100 mm pick-and-place clearance = the net shelf height for that layer. A common 1200×1000×890mm cage filled to capacity is about 1000 mm tall overall, so leave at least 1100 mm between layers, or the forklift will scrape the upper beam when picking and placing.
Next check beam matching: a cage bottom usually has only a perimeter frame and four forklift pockets, so sitting it on rack beams is 'four-point or four-point-plus-line' contact — not a full deck like a pallet. The beam span must fall within the cage's bottom perimeter frame; the beam inner width should be 50–100 mm narrower than the cage external width, to stop the cage being left cantilevered.
On load: each shelf layer's rated beam load must exceed 'cage self-weight + goods weight + the stacking weight of cages above'. Heavy cages need heavy-duty beam racks; light and medium cages can use medium racks. Never put a light cage on the very top level of a heavy-duty rack — a fall from height has serious consequences.
Practical tip: before batch loading, place one test cage and confirm the forks enter and exit smoothly, the cage doesn't wobble, and layers don't scrape — then load in bulk. Nanjing Tongnuo Warehouse Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. can tailor the bottom perimeter frame and forklift-pocket positions to the rack dimensions, matching the customer's beam layout.