Straight answers about stillages, cages and how we build them.

Send us the dimensions and weight of the load, how many parts each unit needs to hold, and how it will be handled — forklift, crane, castors or an automated system. For standard ranges we can usually price from that alone; for bespoke work an engineer will come back with questions before quoting. Call 01889 563 244 or email [email protected] to start.

Standard builds typically ship in 3–4 weeks; bespoke units are confirmed on your quote, because timing depends on design sign-off, finish and batch size. Manufacturing in-house in Uttoxeter means we control the production schedule rather than waiting on an importer. If you are working to a fixed installation or shutdown date, say so at enquiry stage and we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable.

There is no minimum quantity, and we build genuine one-offs alongside production batches. A single bespoke unit carries the same design effort as the first of a hundred, so the unit price is higher on a one-off, but the route is exactly the same. Many customers order one prototype, run it in service, then release a larger batch once it has proved itself.

Yes. Every build is recorded against a drawing number, so a batch made a year later matches the units already in service — same dimensions, same welds, same finish. Quote the drawing or serial number from the identification plate and we can put an identical batch into production. This is how customers standardise a stillage fleet across multiple facilities.

You speak to the people who design and weld the product, so a specification question gets a technical answer rather than a catalogue page. There is no distributor margin, we price-match like-for-like, and a change to size, finish or fittings is a manufacturing decision rather than a special order. It also means documentation and any future repeat batches come from the original source.

Load dimensions and weight, how many items each unit must carry, how it will be handled, and where it will live — indoors, outdoors, wash-down or coastal. A photograph, sketch or CAD file of the part helps enormously. We also ask about stack height, vehicle bed size and access constraints, because those usually set the outer dimensions before anything else does.

Yes. Plenty of projects start with a hand sketch or a photograph of the current, unsatisfactory method. Our engineering team develops it into full CAD drawings and typically presents a design concept for approval within one to two weeks, with safe working loads, lifting method and ergonomic access built in. Nothing is cut until you have approved the drawing.

Yes, and for anything complex we recommend it. A single unit lets you trial the fit, loading ergonomics and vehicle interface in your real process, and any changes are folded into the drawing before the batch runs. Where the loading case is unusual, the design can also be validated by engineering analysis, including finite element analysis where required.

Self-colour, any RAL or BS paint colour, powder coating for added corrosion protection or high visibility, or full galvanising for outdoor and corrosive environments. Colour-coding by product line or by site is common, and branding or identification plates can be applied at the same time. Tell us the environment and duty and we will recommend the finish rather than the other way round.

Yes. We design and cast bespoke polyurethane dunnage in-house for use inside our stillages, using 3D CAD and 3D-printed mould tooling so each insert matches the component exactly. PU absorbs shock and vibration, protects painted and machined surfaces, and performs in heat, cold, moisture and exposure to oils or chemicals. On returnable-packaging loops it usually pays for itself in damage avoided.

Capacity is a function of the design, not the product name, so units are engineered and load-tested to the working load you specify rather than sold against a single fixed rating. Tell us the weight, the centre of gravity and how the load sits inside the unit, and we will confirm the specification and rate it accordingly. When comparing suppliers, compare the rated safe working load — not the weight of steel.

Units are proof load tested against the specified working load and the result is documented. On regulated or safety-critical work that extends to batch testing, weld inspection and, where required, dye penetrant testing, all recorded against the serial number. The documented load assumptions are supplied with the unit so your own engineers can review exactly what it was rated against.

Units are supplied with a permanent plate showing the serial number, drawing reference, tare weight and working load limit. That is the information an operator or inspector needs at the point of use, and it is what you quote back to us for a repeat order or a technical query. Do not put a unit into service if its plate is missing or unreadable — send us what markings remain and we can usually identify it.

Many designs stack loaded, but stacking is a separate load case from carrying, because the bottom unit takes everything above it. We design to a stated stack height, so tell us how many high you intend to go and whether units will be stacked full or empty. Do not exceed the designed stack height even if the frames physically sit together above it.

The rating assumes the load is distributed as described in the design brief. A concentrated point load, an off-centre load or one that moves in transit behaves very differently from an evenly spread one, which is why we ask about centre of gravity early. If what you put in the unit has changed since it was built, come back to us before continuing to use it at the original rating.

No — and this is the single most important thing to get right. Most stillages are forklift-handled work equipment, designed to be supported from underneath by fork pockets or feet, not slung from above. Only units specifically designed, built and certified for lifting should be craned or hoisted, which is what our certified lifting stillages range exists for.

PUWER covers work equipment generally — its suitability, maintenance and safe use — and applies to a standard forklift-handled stillage. LOLER applies in addition to equipment used for lifting loads, which is where certified lifting stillages, lifting frames and their rated lifting points sit. In practice a standard stillage is a PUWER item; a certified lifting stillage is both. If you are unsure which you have, check the plate and the certification supplied with it.

It is designed from the outset around the lifting case — load path, rated lifting points, safety factor and how the unit behaves suspended — rather than adapted afterwards. The lifting points are integral to the structure, the unit is load-tested, and it is supplied with certification and identification confirming the working load limit. Welding an eye or a shackle onto a standard stillage does not produce the same thing.

Yes. Equipment used for lifting falls under LOLER and requires periodic thorough examination by a competent person, either at the intervals the regulations set or in accordance with a written scheme of examination. We supply the initial certification and test documentation; ongoing examination is the duty holder’s responsibility. Standard non-lifting stillages are outside thorough examination, but still need inspection and maintenance under PUWER.

Take it out of service first, and do not repair a lifting unit with an unplanned site weld. Any repair or modification to a load-bearing or lifting element changes the structure the unit was certified against, so it must be assessed, carried out to a controlled procedure and re-tested before it goes back to work. Send us the serial and drawing number with photographs and we will advise on the correct route.

Where applicable, yes — UKCA compliance is applied to products and lifting equipment that fall within scope, with the declaration and marking supplied accordingly. Not every product sits in a UKCA-marked category, so if UKCA marking is a stated procurement requirement, raise it at enquiry stage and we will confirm precisely what applies to the unit you are buying rather than leaving it ambiguous.

As standard, units carry identification with serial number, drawing reference, tare weight and working load limit. On engineered and regulated work we supply a fuller pack: material certificates, weld inspection records, welder qualifications, load test reports and the documented load assumptions. Tell us what your QA function or end client requires at quotation stage, so records are generated during the build rather than reconstructed afterwards.

That is what the traceability is for. Materials, welders, inspections and drawings are recorded against the serialised batch, so a unit on the floor can be traced back to its build records. Customers in regulated sectors use this to support audit trails, inspection readiness and their own documented handling procedures.

We hold ISO 9001 for quality management and EN 1090-1 for structural steel fabrication, and our welders are qualified to ISO 9606 with welds inspected to ISO 5817. Products are UKCA marked where applicable — we do not CE mark, as UKCA superseded it for the GB market. For defence work, designs can conform to STANAG 2828 and products destined for NATO use can be assigned NATO Stock Numbers.

Yes. We operate an ISO 9001 certified quality management system, our welders are qualified to ISO 9606 and welds are inspected against ISO 5817 quality levels. Structural steel fabrication is covered by EN 1090-1. For safety-critical work that extends to non-destructive examination and proof load testing, with the reports supplied as part of the handover pack.

Yes, we deliver nationwide from our works in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Delivery is quoted with the order because cost depends on quantity, unit size and whether the design stacks or folds flat for transport — collapsible and nesting units move far more cheaply. Tell us about site access, since a tight yard or a restricted delivery window changes the vehicle we send.

Usually yes. Most orders arrive on a flatbed or curtainsider and are offloaded by the receiving site’s forklift, so check you have a truck with the reach and capacity for the unit’s tare weight. If offloading facilities are limited, tell us before despatch so the vehicle and loading pattern can be planned around it rather than discovered on the day.

Check quantity, identification plates and finish against your order, and confirm the drawing reference matches the design you signed off. Inspect welds, feet, hinges, latches and any lifting points for transit damage before the units go into use. Raise anything that does not look right with us straight away, quoting the serial number.

Under PUWER you need a regime proportionate to the duty: routine pre-use checks by operators for obvious damage, plus periodic inspection by a competent person. Look for deformed frames, cracked or damaged welds, worn feet and stacking lugs, seized latches, and corrosion at the base where units stand in standing water. Units used for lifting carry the additional LOLER thorough examination requirement.

We supply replacement consumables and fittings such as shoot bolts, nesting plugs and pallet feet, and routine wear items are straightforward to change out. Structural damage is a different question: on a load-bearing or lifting element, a repair needs assessing and controlling rather than patching, and sometimes replacement is the honest answer. Send photographs plus the drawing or serial number and we will tell you which it is.

Automotive, heavy manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, construction, marine and shipbuilding, oil and gas, nuclear, defence, rail, agriculture and events, among others. The common thread is not the sector but the problem: an awkward, heavy or high-value load that has to be stored and moved without damage. If a requirement is not shown on our site, it is almost certainly something we can design and build.

Yes. Where stillages form part of a controlled handling process rather than simple storage, we run an engineering-led route: documented load assumptions, traceable certified materials, controlled welding, testing and a documentation pack built to stand up to inspection and internal assurance review. That work is quoted and scheduled differently from a standard catalogue order, so raise the requirement at enquiry stage.

Yes. Automated handling is unforgiving about tolerance, so the unit must interface precisely with the robot or conveyor pick-up geometry and keep doing so after thousands of cycles. We design to the handling equipment’s specification and account for repeatable stacking and long-term dimensional stability. Send the interface drawing from your automation supplier and we will design to it.

Specify the finish for the environment and they will. Hot-dip galvanising is the usual choice for permanent outdoor and coastal exposure, while powder coating suits less aggressive conditions and gives you colour-coding as well as protection. Design detail matters as much as the coating: drainage, avoiding water traps and keeping the base clear of standing water all extend service life.

Yes. Lockable and tamper-resistant configurations are available where security of contents matters, and units can carry engraved or printed labels, identification plates, QR panels and colour-coding for inventory and traceability. This is commonly specified for high-value tooling, controlled stock and chain-of-custody requirements. Ask for it at design stage so fixings and label positions are designed in rather than added later.