Tall shelving unit packed with small yellow shelf bins

A bin shelving system is a shelving unit and a bin layout specified together, so every shelf level is set at the height its bins need and nothing is left half empty. Buy the shelving first and the bins second and you usually end up with wasted clear opening on every level. This page covers the three ways we build them — shelf-mounted bins, bin rails on posts, and wall-mounted bin packages — with the sizes and bin counts the manufacturer publishes. It sits under medical bins and containers.

Steel shelving unit filled with rows of blue plastic shelf bins
12-24 inpublished shelving depths
24-72 inpublished shelving lengths
24-60 inbin rail holder widths
Freelayout, bin count and label planning

Start with the unit, then set the levels

The shelving decides how many bin levels are possible; the bins decide where those levels sit.

For bin work we normally quote the manufacturer’s heavy-duty wire shelving units. The published range covers 12, 14, 18 and 24 inch depths in lengths from 24 to 72 inches, on 74-inch posts, with matching add-on units that share an upright so a run can grow along a wall. The manufacturer publishes up to 800 lb per shelf evenly distributed on those heavy-duty units, and an optional mobile kit (model WR-00H) if the unit needs casters. Finishes published for the wire families are chrome, stainless steel and epoxy.

Shelf levels then get set to the bin, not to a habit. Take the bin height, add enough clearance to lift the bin out over the front lip, and set the pitch there. Because wire shelves adjust in small increments, mixing pitches inside one unit is normal: two tight levels of 4-inch bins at eye height, a taller level for cartons underneath. Our healthcare shelving page covers the shelving families in full, and medical shelf bins covers the bin sizes.

Three tier bench rack holding rows of yellow plastic bins

Accessories that make a bin unit behave

  • Side and back ledges — published 4 inches high, they stop bins and loose items walking off the shelf edge
  • Slanted shelves — published with a 25 degree slant, useful where you want bins presented to the picker rather than flat
  • Three-sided frames — published in chrome, stainless, Proform green epoxy and grey epoxy to add a perimeter to a shelf or dunnage unit
  • Dividers and label holders — the cheapest way to turn one wide bin position into several counted ones

Bin rails: bins on the posts, not on the shelves

Bin rail holders clamp to the shelving posts and carry a row of hanging bins between shelf levels, in the space that would otherwise be air. They adjust in 1-inch increments and the manufacturer publishes them in chrome in five widths — 24, 30, 36, 48 and 60 inches (models 24BH, 30BH, 36BH, 48BH and 60BH).

The reason to like them is that the bin count is published rather than guessed. The manufacturer’s table lists how many of each Ultra bin size fits each rail, so a 36-inch rail is published as holding 8 of the smallest bins or 6 of the QUS230 size, which itself is published at 10-7/8 by 5-1/2 by 5 inches. That makes a par-level layout something you can count on paper before anything is ordered.

Three bin rails on a 34-inch high wall-mounted cantilever frame is also sold as a complete package: the published range runs CAN-34-24BH-230 through CAN-34-60BH-230, 24 to 60 inches wide, holding 9, 12, 18, 24 or 30 QUS230 bins depending on width, in chrome, with bins included. Bin colours published for that package are blue, green, ivory, red, yellow, black and clear.

Post mounted three tier bin rail unit holding beige bins
Bin rail Published width QUS210 bins QUS230 bins
24BH 24 in 5 3
30BH 30 in 6 4
36BH 36 in 8 6
48BH 48 in 11 8
60BH 60 in 14 10
Bin counts and rail widths above are the manufacturer’s published figures from its current wire literature. Every model number, dimension and finish on this page comes from the manufacturer’s current published literature or a live product page loaded on 5 August 2026, and is quoted as the manufacturer’s own figure. Where a configuration is not published we say so rather than estimating it.

Three system shapes, three jobs

Wall mounted rails carrying three levels of beige hanging binsWall-mounted bin runsWhere floor space is gone: three rails of bins on a wall frame, at a working height that keeps the floor clear for cleaning.
Red divider containers held on wire shelf railsContainers held on shelf railsLarger divided containers can hang on the same rails, which suits kit components and anything picked by the handful.

Free-standing units are the default for a supply room: one or two runs of shelving with mixed bin levels and a labelled pick face. Bench racks put two or three bin levels above a work surface for assembly and kit make-up. Mobile units on the published mobile kit suit rooms that are re-arranged often or cleaned wall to wall. Where the room itself is the constraint, high-density storage and the space savings guide are the better starting point.

Specifying a bin shelving system

1Measure the wall and the aisleLength available, depth you can lose, and the clear aisle you must keep. Unit depth is usually decided by the aisle, not by the stock.
2List what goes on it, by sizeGroup items by the bin width they need. That list is what turns into bin quantities.
3Set the levels to the binsBin height plus lift-out clearance sets the pitch. Reserve one taller level for the item that always arrives in a carton.
4Decide shelf bins or bin railsBins on shelves are simplest and easiest to relabel. Bin rails add positions between levels and give a published bin count per rail.
5Add ledges, dividers and labelsThen check that every bin has a labelled home and every label matches the item’s real name, not the catalogue name.

Estimated figures only. Quantities, footprints and capacities we produce during planning are estimates for discussion. Final specifications and dimensions are confirmed on the quote and field-verified before installation.

Labs USA is a supplier and project partner, not the manufacturer. We supply Quantum Medical storage products, help size and configure them for the room and the workflow, and coordinate delivery and installation.

Build the unit before you buy it

The Shelving and Bin Configurator builds a unit family by family, sets shelf pitch, fills each level with the bin sizes you choose and shows the bin count, leftover shelf length and usable volume with the arithmetic visible. Send us the result and we will quote it as a parts list.

Resources

Bin shelving system FAQ

What sizes do bin shelving units come in?
The heavy-duty wire units we quote for bin work are published in 12, 14, 18 and 24 inch depths and 24 to 72 inch lengths on 74-inch posts, with add-on units that share an upright. The manufacturer publishes up to 800 lb per shelf evenly distributed on that family. We confirm the exact models on the quote.
How many bins fit on a shelf or rail?
For bin rails the manufacturer publishes it directly: a 24-inch rail holds 5 of the smallest Ultra bins or 3 of the QUS230 size, and a 60-inch rail holds 14 or 10. For bins sitting on a shelf, divide the shelf length by the bin width and keep the remainder honest — the configurator shows the leftover length so you can see whether a narrower bin gains you a position.
Should the bins sit on shelves or on bin rails?
Shelves are simpler, cheaper and easier to re-label. Bin rails use the space between shelf levels, come in published widths from 24 to 60 inches, adjust in 1-inch increments and give you a published bin count. Many rooms use both: shelves for cartons and larger bins, rails for small-item positions.
Can a bin unit be mobile?
Yes. The manufacturer publishes a mobile kit for the heavy-duty wire units. Casters add overall height, so check door and ceiling clearances and remember that a mobile unit needs a parking position that is not a corridor.
Do you supply complete wall-mounted bin packages?
Yes. The published cantilever bin packages are 34 inches high with three bin rails, in 24, 30, 36, 48 and 60 inch widths, holding 9 to 30 bins depending on width, in chrome and with the bins included.
Can we add to a system later?
That is what the add-on units are for — they share an upright with the unit next to them, so a run grows along a wall without buying a full unit each time. Bin rails, ledges and dividers can be added to an existing unit at any point.
Do you help plan the layout?
Yes, at no charge. Send the wall length, the aisle you have to keep and a list of what has to be stored. You get a unit and bin layout, quantities, a label plan and a quoted parts list.

Get a bin shelving system quote

Send the room dimensions and the stock list. We come back with unit sizes, shelf pitches, bin sizes and counts per level, and a quoted parts list, at no charge.