Cleanroom Material Storage Racks
In a controlled environment, how you store raw materials, in-process components, and finished products directly impacts your facility’s airflow dynamics and particulate count. Metrolabs cleanroom material storage racks are precision-engineered to provide maximum storage density while actively supporting your HVAC system — perforated and wire-frame shelves that allow the laminar piston to sweep through the rack structure, preventing stagnant air zones that accumulate particles on stored materials.
Why Cleanroom Racking Must Work With Your HVAC System — Not Against It
Standard industrial shelving creates dead air zones — stagnant air pockets beneath and within each shelf tier where particles accumulate on stored materials even in a well-designed cleanroom. Metrolabs racks are designed to eliminate every dead air zone.
Air-Permeable Shelving — Laminar Piston Uninterrupted Through the Rack
In a laminar flow cleanroom, the HEPA-filtered air descends as a continuous piston from ceiling to floor — sweeping particles toward the floor-level return air risers before they can settle on surfaces or be breathed by personnel. A solid shelf interrupts this piston, creating a stagnant air zone directly below the shelf where particles accumulate on stored materials — items retrieved from the shelf carry particle contamination even in an otherwise compliant cleanroom. Metrolabs perforated shelves (∅25mm holes on 45mm pitch — approximately 30% open area) allow the laminar piston to continue downward through the shelf, maintaining particle counts at the same level as the open room air throughout all shelf tiers simultaneously. Wire-grating shelves (∅6mm rod on 50mm grid) provide the maximum open area for the highest airflow-sensitive applications — garment storage, wire harness drying, and lightweight component trays.
100mm Wall Clearance — The Critical Gap That Prevents Dead Air Pockets
A rack positioned directly against the cleanroom panel wall creates a sealed dead zone in the narrow gap between the rack frame and the wall surface — air cannot circulate in the gap, particles settle on the wall surface and rack frame, and the wall surface behind the rack cannot be effectively wiped during routine cleaning. Metrolabs designs all racks with a 100mm clearance from the cleanroom panel wall — a gap wide enough for the HVAC airflow to circulate behind the rack at sufficient velocity to prevent particle settlement, and for a standard cleaning wipe to be passed behind the rack along the wall surface without removing the rack from its position. The 100mm clearance is confirmed during the rack installation commissioning visit and documented in the facility IQ records.
Full TIG Weld — No Bolted Modular Frame Connections
Standard industrial racking uses a bolt-in-slot modular connection system — vertical column uprights with horizontal slots, and shelf brackets that hook into the slots and are secured by a bolt or clip. This construction creates particle contamination in three ways: the bolt thread space accumulates particles and is impossible to clean; the hook-in-slot connection creates a metal-to-metal crevice that accumulates particles and moisture; and vibration from HVAC systems and foot traffic progressively loosens the connections, causing metallic particle shedding from fretting of the contact surfaces. Metrolabs cleanroom racks are fully TIG welded — every frame joint, cross-brace connection, and shelf support is a continuous weld — eliminating all three contamination pathways at the cost of fixed shelf positions. Shelf height adjustment is provided through a separate peg-and-slot system within the welded uprights — the shelf itself hooks onto smooth-bore SS pegs (no threads) that can be repositioned without disturbing the welded structural frame.
Medical-Grade Non-Marking Casters — Zone Transit Without Floor Damage
Mobile cleanroom racks must be able to transit through different ISO-class zones — typically from a lower-grade material receipt area through an airlock into a higher-grade cleanroom — without introducing floor marking, vibration, or particle load from the caster wheels. Metrolabs specifies medical-grade non-marking polyurethane casters with a 150mm diameter — the large diameter reduces floor pressure and smooths out floor joint transitions; the polyurethane compound is non-marking (no black rubber marks on cleanroom vinyl or epoxy flooring); and the precision ball-bearing swivel mechanism operates smoothly without the metallic grinding noise and particle generation that worn-out standard casters produce. Each caster has an individual braking mechanism — all four brakes engaged simultaneously for parked positions, individual brakes for controlled manoeuvring.
Four Specialised Racking Configurations — Workflow-Specific Design
Metrolabs customises storage racks for the specific workflows and inventory types of high-stakes sectors — four specialised configurations designed for defined cleanroom functions:
Quarantine Racks — Integrated Labelling & QC Status System
Dedicated racking systems for incoming raw materials, components, and packaging items awaiting QC clearance before release for use in the cleanroom process — a critical GMP requirement in pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing where undocumented material can contaminate an entire production batch. Quarantine racks are designed with an integrated labelling and QC status display system — each shelf position has a recessed SS 316L label holder that accommodates a colour-coded QC status card (Red = Quarantine / Awaiting QC, Yellow = QC In Progress, Green = Released / Approved). The rack structure is identical in construction to the standard cleanroom storage rack — perforated shelves, TIG-welded frame, 100mm clearance positioning — with the addition of the label system, a dedicated quarantine zone tape marking on the floor footprint, and a serial number plate on the rack body for audit trail identification. Lockable cross-frame bar option prevents material removal from quarantine positions without QC supervisor authorisation.
Drying Racks — Tilted Shelves & Drainage for Wet-Sterilised Equipment
Specialised storage racks for equipment that has undergone wet sterilisation — autoclaving, IPA immersion, or validated wet disinfection — and must be dried in a clean, organised, and airflow-supported manner before return to service. The drying rack addresses the standard cleanroom storage rack’s limitation for wet items — a horizontal perforated shelf allows liquid to pool in the perforations rather than draining away. Metrolabs drying racks use tilted shelves — each shelf is angled at 10–15° forward tilt — so that residual liquid on equipment placed on the shelf drains forward under gravity through the perforations and falls into the collection tray below. A continuous SS 316L drip tray below each tilted shelf collects the drained liquid and channels it to a drain point at the front of the rack, from where it can be collected in a waste container or connected to the room drainage system. An overhead connection point for compressed HEPA-filtered dry air (optional) accelerates drying in critical applications.
Mobile Buffer Racks — Zone-Transit Material Transfer
Freestanding, fully mobile storage racks designed for the safe transit of materials between cleanroom zones of different ISO classes — the “buffer rack” that holds work-in-progress or raw materials in the corridor or ante-room between the material receipt area and the cleanroom airlock, and can be moved through the pass-through window system or airlock during controlled material transfer events. The mobile buffer rack is designed with the full structural specification of the fixed cleanroom rack — perforated or wire-grating shelves, TIG-welded SS 316L frame — mounted on four 150mm medical-grade polyurethane casters with swivel-and-lock mechanism. The frame includes corner bumpers (SS 316L dome-head protectors on each frame corner) that prevent damage to cleanroom panel walls during manoeuvring. The full rack height is designed to pass through standard 2.1m cleanroom doorways and pass-through window openings. An IPA wipe-down is performed on all external surfaces before zone transit.
Sterile Garment Racks — Rails, Compartments & HEPA Option
Dedicated open-frame racks for storage of cleanroom garments — coveralls, hoods, boot covers, and overshoes — in gowning rooms and anterooms adjacent to pharmaceutical aseptic suites, hospital OTs, and semiconductor cleanrooms. Unlike garment cupboards (which are closed and rely on internal HEPA pressure), garment racks expose stored garments to the gowning room’s HVAC supply — making them appropriate for gowning rooms with a dedicated HEPA supply and a controlled particle count. Horizontal SS 316L rails with coved end welds provide a smooth, non-snagging hanging surface for full-body coveralls; lower wire-grating shelves provide compartmented storage for folded PPE items — hoods, overshoes, beard covers, and gloves. Individual compartment dividers are removable SS 316L wire panels, allowing the compartment layout to be reconfigured for different PPE item sizes. Optional HEPA fan-filter unit mounted above the garment rail zone provides a supplementary clean air supply to the stored garments.
Six Precision Engineering Features of Every Metrolabs Cleanroom Rack
Every Metrolabs cleanroom material storage rack is built to these standards — features that make it a structural component of the cleanroom air management system, not an industrial shelf placed inside a controlled environment:
SS 304 & SS 316L — Frame, Shelves, Pegs & Casters
Every component of the Metrolabs cleanroom storage rack — the frame uprights, cross-bracing, shelf panels, shelf support pegs, caster mounting plates, and any label holder fittings — is fabricated from the same SS 304 or SS 316L specification throughout. No plastic components (shelf support clips, end caps, or gaskets), no painted steel components (which shed paint particles under IPA exposure), and no zinc-plated hardware. SS 316L is specified for Grade A/B pharmaceutical applications and for racks stored in rooms with regular VHP decontamination — the SS 316L frame and perforated shelves are fully compatible with room-wide VHP at 1000 ppm concentration. Post-fabrication, all racks are degreased with IPA and citric acid passivated to ASTM A967 — the passivation certificate is supplied with every unit for inclusion in the facility IQ documentation.
Perforated or Wire-Grating Shelves — Application-Matched Airflow
Metrolabs offers two air-permeable shelf specifications matched to the specific storage application. Perforated SS shelves — ∅25mm / 45mm pitch laser-cut perforations providing approximately 30% open area — are the standard for bulk material, reagent bottle, and component box storage where a continuous, smooth load-bearing surface is required. Wire-grating shelves — SS 316L rod welded on a 50mm grid providing approximately 60% open area — provide maximum airflow for applications where the highest air permeability is required: garment storage, lightweight component trays, drying racks, and any application where the stored item benefits from the maximum HVAC airflow contact on all surfaces. Both shelf types are available at 250kg UDL load rating. Shelf selection is confirmed during the rack design phase based on the specific items to be stored and the ISO class of the room.
Tool-Free Shelf Adjustment — 25mm Pitch Peg System
Rack shelves are adjustable on a 25mm pitch peg system — smooth-bore SS 316L cylindrical pegs that engage in holes punched in the vertical uprights at 25mm intervals. The shelf locates on four pegs (two front, two rear) and sits stably under load without any additional fastening — the shelf weight holds it in position, and the peg geometry prevents lateral movement. Pegs are smooth-bore — no thread engagement, no screw cap, no clip — eliminating all particle accumulation pathways from the shelf adjustment system. To reposition a shelf, the operator lifts the shelf off the pegs and replaces at the new position without any tools, without generating any metallic particles from thread engagement, and without creating any crevice at the peg-upright interface. Peg holes in the uprights are countersunk and smooth on the upright face — no sharp hole edges that could snag cleanroom garments or cut gloves during shelf adjustment.
150mm Medical-Grade PU Casters — Non-Marking Zone Transit
Mobile rack casters are medical-grade polyurethane (PU) — the same compound used in hospital trolley wheels — on precision ball-bearing swivel mounts. The 150mm diameter provides low floor pressure (distributing the rack load over a larger contact area, preventing indentation of vinyl cleanroom flooring), smooth rolling over floor expansion joints and thresholds, and reduced rolling resistance that makes a fully loaded mobile rack manageable by a single operator. The PU compound is white or grey (not black rubber, which marks light-coloured cleanroom flooring), IPA-resistant, and non-outgassing. Each caster is a swivel type with an integral foot-operated brake mechanism — a stainless steel brake lever that clamps the wheel and prevents rotation when engaged. All four brakes are individually operated — engaging all four provides a stable parked position that resists rack movement during loading and unloading operations.
250kg UDL per Shelf — Heavy-Duty Bulk Storage
Metrolabs cleanroom racks are load-rated to 250kg uniformly distributed load (UDL) per shelf — sufficient to safely support bulk raw material containers (25kg reagent drums, 20-litre solvent bottles), heavy equipment (sterilisers, centrifuges, large analytical instruments), and dense component trays (semiconductor wafer carriers, moulded part trays). The 250kg shelf rating is achieved through the combination of the TIG-welded frame structure (vs bolted, which has lower joint strength), the shelf section thickness (3mm SS 316L plate for perforated shelves, 6mm rod for wire shelves), and the four-peg support system that distributes the shelf load across four contact points in the upright. The rack as a whole is rated to the combined load of all shelves — with additional structural bracing calculated from the total rack height and loaded weight to ensure stability against overturning for top-heavy loaded configurations.
Encapsulated Levelling Feet — Floor Protection & Non-Marking
Fixed (non-mobile) cleanroom racks use encapsulated SS 316L levelling feet — the same design as the workstation leg levellers — with a smooth-bore SS cylinder housing, a threaded adjustment bolt (concealed — no exposed thread), and a flat SS 316L base disc. The large-diameter base disc distributes the rack load across a 60mm contact area, preventing the indentation of vinyl cleanroom flooring that small contact-area industrial rack feet cause. A polyurethane pad bonded to the base disc face prevents metallic contact between the SS foot and the cleanroom floor — protecting both the flooring surface and the foot from galvanic corrosion. Levelling height is adjustable ±25mm from nominal — accommodating the typical floor gradient variation in a cleanroom installation without shim packing or wedging. Level is confirmed with a precision spirit level across both axes of the rack during commissioning.
Metrolabs Cleanroom Storage Rack — Technical Standards
Every Metrolabs cleanroom material storage rack is fabricated, finished, and documented to these technical parameters:
| Feature | Metrolabs Standard | Cleanroom Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A/B Material | SS 316L — ASTM A967 passivated | VHP compatible — corrosion-resistant |
| Grade C/D Material✓ Std | SS 304 passivated — IPA rated | Cost-effective — IPA / QAC / VHP exterior |
| Shelf Type | Perforated ∅25mm or wire 50mm grid | Laminar piston through all tiers — no dead air |
| Shelf Load | 250kg UDL per shelf | Heavy bulk reagent & component safe |
| Shelf Adjustment | 25mm pitch peg — tool-free | No tools, no thread particles, no crevice |
| Frame Welding | Full TIG — no bolt joints | No crevices — no metallic particle shedding |
| Wall Clearance | 100mm — designed & confirmed | No dead air behind rack — wall wipe accessible |
| Mobility Option | 150mm medical PU casters — non-marking | Zone transit — no floor marking — SW brake |
Material Storage Racks Across Every ISO & GMP Sector
Air-permeable, audit-ready storage for every cleanroom where organised, contamination-free material management is a GMP requirement:
Pharmaceutical GMP
SS 316L perforated racks for raw material quarantine, WIP staging, and finished goods storage in Grade C/D areas. Mobile buffer racks for airlock material transfer. VHP compatible throughout.
Aseptic Manufacturing
SS 316L racks in Grade B aseptic suites — wire-grating shelves for maximum laminar sweep. Garment racks with HEPA option in gowning rooms. 100mm clearance standard for all installations.
Biotech & ATMP
SS 316L cleanroom racks for biological raw materials, media, cell therapy components, and consumables in GMP-grade ATMP suites. Quarantine racks for incoming material QC management.
Electronics Cleanrooms
SS 304 racks for component boxes, wafer carriers, substrate trays, and tool storage in semiconductor and electronics cleanrooms. Wire-grating shelves for visibility and ESD-safe component tray access.
Hospital & Healthcare
SS 316L sterile supply racks for hospital CSSD, OT sterile stores, and pharmacy cleanrooms. Drying racks for post-autoclave equipment. NABH-compliant construction and documentation.
Food & Beverage
SS 316L racks for FSSAI high-care food production — packaging material storage, ingredient staging, and finished product buffer storage. Wire-grating for wet cleaning area drainage and airflow.
NABL Research Labs
SS 304 racks for reagent storage, reference standard organisation, and sample staging in NABL-accredited testing labs. Full material test certificate and passivation documentation for ISO/IEC 17025 records.
BSL Containment
SS 316L racks in BSL-2 and BSL-3 containment labs — autoclave-compatible shelves, mobile racks for inter-zone material transit. Garment racks for PPE in containment gowning rooms.
Custom Footprints, Floor-Friendly Bases & Audit-Ready Quality
Metrolabs focuses on high-accuracy fabrication that fits your specific space and workflow. We do not believe in one size fits all for sterile environments:
Custom Footprints — Exact Room Dimensions
Metrolabs designs racks to fit precisely within your room’s available wall length — maximising vertical storage space without blocking wall-mounted differential pressure sensors, return air risers, or electrical sockets. Custom rack widths, depths, and heights are fabricated from the room layout drawing, ensuring the 100mm wall clearance is maintained while maximising the storage density achievable within the available floor area.
Floor-Friendly Non-Marking Bases — No Scratches or Indentations
Metrolabs rack levelling feet include a polyurethane pad on the base disc face — preventing metallic contact between the SS foot and the cleanroom floor surface. This prevents the scratch marks and indentation dimples that standard industrial rack feet cause in vinyl and epoxy cleanroom flooring, which are expensive to repair and represent a GMP inspection finding. Non-marking casters on mobile racks use the same white or grey polyurethane compound.
Audit-Ready Quality — Degreased, Passivated & Documented
Every Metrolabs cleanroom storage rack is degreased with IPA and citric acid passivated to ASTM A967 before packaging and dispatch — ready for immediate installation in an ISO-classified zone without additional cleaning or surface treatment. Material test certificates (MTCs) confirming the SS 304/316L grade and ASTM A967 passivation certificates are supplied with every unit for inclusion in the facility IQ documentation — satisfying the stringent documentary requirements of GMP and ISO 14644-4 audits.
Coordinated with Full Cleanroom Furniture Suite
When Metrolabs supplies a complete cleanroom furniture package — workstations, storage cabinets, cupboards, sink units, and storage racks — the material specification, surface finish, and passivation standard are all coordinated across the full suite, ensuring a unified, consistent clean shell appearance and a single documentation package for the complete furniture installation. The racks integrate with the same 100mm clearance standard as all other Metrolabs wall-adjacent furniture.
Cleanroom Rack vs Standard Industrial Racking
From Room Survey to Commissioned & IQ-Documented Storage Rack
Metrolabs manages the complete supply and installation process — from space survey through custom fabrication, installation with confirmed 100mm clearance, and IQ documentation:
Room Survey & Design
Available wall lengths, differential pressure sensor positions, return air riser locations, and electrical socket positions measured. Rack type, dimensions, shelf type (perforated/wire), shelf pitch, load requirements, and mobility confirmed. Custom dimensions drawn and signed off. 100mm clearance positions marked on floor layout.
Fabrication & QC
Frame TIG welded. Shelves laser-cut / rod-welded. Peg holes punched and countersunk. Caster brackets welded (mobile racks). Electropolishing / passivation performed. Dimensional QC inspection. Load test at 250kg per shelf documented. MTCs and passivation certs issued.
Installation & Clearance Confirmation
Rack positioned at 100mm from wall — confirmed with measuring tool. Fixed racks: levelling feet adjusted, level confirmed across both axes. Mobile racks: casters and brakes function tested. Label holders fitted (quarantine racks). Shelf positions set per configuration plan.
Documentation & IQ
Rack dimensions, material certs, passivation certs, load test record, wall clearance measurement (100mm confirmation), levelling record, caster brake test (mobile), installation photos compiled as storage rack IQ documentation package for GMP facility validation submission.
Cleanroom Racks Compliant with Every Major GMP & ISO Standard
WHO & EU GMP
WHO GMP and EU Annex 1 require cleanroom storage to be smooth, non-porous, non-shedding, and compatible with cleaning and decontamination. SS 304/316L TIG-welded cleanroom racks with ASTM A967 passivation satisfy all material and surface requirements. MTC and passivation documentation supplied for GMP qualification records.
WHO GMP · EU Annex 1ISO 14644-4
ISO 14644-4 requires cleanroom equipment and storage to be compatible with the cleaning and decontamination methods and to not generate particles during normal use. Metrolabs fully TIG-welded, no-bolt, passivated racks satisfy these requirements, and the 100mm wall clearance recommendation is consistent with ISO 14644-4 airflow design guidance for equipment placement.
ISO 14644-4ASTM A967 & 21 CFR
ASTM A967 passivation and SS mill test certificates supplied with every rack satisfy US-FDA 21 CFR pharmaceutical equipment construction documentation requirements. The rack IQ documentation package is structured for direct inclusion in FDA equipment qualification submissions for pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
ASTM A967 · 21 CFRNABL & NABH
NABL ISO/IEC 17025 testing lab accreditation requires documented material specifications for laboratory storage equipment. Metrolabs MTC and passivation certificates directly satisfy this requirement. NABH hospital accreditation standards require non-porous, smooth, hygienic storage in hospital pharmacy and CSSD — Metrolabs SS 316L racks meet all NABH material requirements.
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Ready to Install GMP-Compliant Storage Racks in Your Cleanroom?
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