Off-the-shelf handling equipment works well for standard loads, but the moment your products are an awkward size, unusually heavy, fragile, or need to be lifted, stacked and shipped in a specific way, a bespoke design almost always pays for itself. A stillage built around your load protects your goods, speeds up handling and keeps your operation compliant with UK workplace regulations.
At Lowe Stillages & Cages we design and manufacture custom-built stillages, post pallets and weld-mesh containers in our UK factory. Below are the ten factors we work through with every customer before we cut a single length of steel. Getting these right at the design stage is far cheaper than reworking a fleet of containers after they are built.
1. Load capacity, SWL and lifting
The single most important figure is the maximum weight the container must carry. This drives everything else: steel section sizes, base construction, bracing and welding. We work to the Safe Working Load (SWL) and Working Load Limit (WLL) of the finished product, not just a rough guess at the load.
If a container will be lifted by crane, forklift lifting attachment or overhead gantry, it falls under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). That means it should be designed, marked with its SWL and, where appropriate, proof-load tested and certified as a lifting accessory. Our certified lifting stillages are built and tested for exactly this purpose. Never assume a general-purpose stillage is safe to lift — tell us up front if lifting is involved.
2. Size and internal dimensions
We design around the items you actually store, not a generic footprint. Tell us the size, shape and orientation of your products, how many you need to fit per container, and any constraints on the outside dimensions — pallet racking apertures, vehicle bed widths, doorways and lift capacities all set hard limits. Getting the internal clear dimensions right avoids wasted cube on every journey.
3. Material selection
Most of our fabrication uses structural mild steel, typically in grades S235, S275 or S355 depending on the strength required. Material choice is a balance of load, durability and environment:
- Finish for corrosion resistance — powder coating for indoor and general use, or hot-dip galvanising for outdoor storage, washdown areas and harsh or marine environments.
- Mesh, sheet or a combination — mesh stillages give visibility, ventilation and lighter weight; sheeted stillages contain small parts and protect against contamination.
- Section sizes — heavier gauge and larger sections where the load or handling demands it.
4. Structural integrity and stability
A container has to survive not just its rated load but the knocks of real-world handling — forklift tines, rough ground and being stacked several high. We specify reinforcements, bracing and fully welded joints so the unit stays square and stable in service. If containers will be stacked, stability is critical; our guide to safe stacking and collapse prevention is worth reading before you settle on a stacking height.
5. Accessibility for loading and unloading
How your team gets goods in and out determines throughput and, often, the number of manual-handling injuries. Depending on your process we can add:
- Drop-down or half-drop front gates for easy front access
- Removable or hinged sides
- Open-fronted designs for pick-face use
- Fork pockets, runners or feet for forklift and pallet-truck handling
6. Nesting, stacking and empty-return efficiency
Empty containers cost money to store and ship. Where you run a returnable loop, collapsible and nesting designs dramatically cut the volume of empties. Removable and collapsible post pallets and collapsible metal pallets (CMPs) fold flat or knock down, so you get far more empties on a return trailer. We design the stacking geometry so full units interlock safely and empties pack down as tightly as possible.
7. Mobility
If the container needs to move around a site by hand, we can build in wheels or castors matched to the load, the floor surface and the operating conditions — braked castors, heavier-duty wheels for rough yards, and directional locks where needed. For dedicated mobile handling we also offer a full range of industrial trolleys. Under-specified castors are a common cause of failure, so it is worth telling us the total rolling weight and how far it will travel.
8. Customisation, identification and integration
Beyond the basic structure, small details make a bespoke unit genuinely fit your workflow:
- Colour coding by product line, customer or process stage
- Card holders, label plates and document pouches
- Barcode or RFID tag mounts for stock tracking
- Dividers, shelves or cradles to protect and separate parts
- Features to suit automation, such as AMR and AGV integration
9. Safety features and PUWER compliance
Any work equipment provided for use at work must be suitable, safe and properly maintained under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). We design in features that reduce risk during handling and transport — rounded or capped edges, non-slip surfaces where operators load by hand, secure gate latches and load-retention mechanisms. For a wider view of safe use, training and incident reporting, see our stillage safety guide.
10. Cost, longevity and whole-life value
The cheapest container is rarely the most economical over its life. We balance the initial build cost against durability, maintenance and how many trips the unit will make. A slightly heavier, better-protected design that survives years of hard use and stacks efficiently usually costs less per journey than a lightweight unit that needs replacing or repairing. Where UKCA certification applies — for lifting accessories or regulated sectors such as defence or nuclear — we build and document accordingly from the start.
How we work with you
Bespoke design is a conversation, not a catalogue order. We start from your load, your process and your constraints, then produce concept drawings for your approval before manufacture. In-house CAD and 3D modelling means you can see and sign off the design before we commit it to steel, so there are no surprises when the first unit arrives.
The more detail you can give us at the enquiry stage — loads, dimensions, handling method, environment, quantities and whether lifting is involved — the faster and more accurate your quote will be. Our guide to getting an accurate stillage quote and our buyer’s and design guide walk through exactly what to include.
Get a bespoke design and quote
If you have a handling challenge that standard equipment does not solve, we would like to hear about it. Request a free quote or contact the Lowe team and we will help you design a stillage, post pallet or weld-mesh container that fits your load, your process and your budget.