MetroMax Polymer Shelving for Labs, Cold Rooms & SPD

Why Polymer Shelving Belongs in Wet and Cold Lab Spaces

Chrome wire shelving is fine in a dry stockroom, but labs and hospitals have plenty of rooms that are not dry. Walk-in cold rooms condense moisture every time the door opens. Vivarium cage-wash and storage areas are washed down with water and disinfectants. Sterile processing departments run hot, humid and chemical. In those rooms plated steel rusts, and rust flakes are the last thing you want near sterile packs, reagents or animal feed.

MetroMax is Metro’s family of polymer shelving built for exactly these conditions. The shelves use removable polymer mats that lift out for washing, and the posts are polymer or coated steel depending on the series. According to Metro, MetroMax shelving is backed by the Metro Never Collapse Money-Back Guarantee, and MetroMax i shelves and polymer posts carry a lifetime warranty against corrosion. Confirm current warranty terms with your quote.

Labs USA supplies MetroMax shelving to research labs, hospitals, vivaria and pharmacies from Salt Lake City. When you know the room and sizes, the Metro Polymer Shelving configurator builds valid units, totals the bill of materials and rates freight to your dock.

MetroMax i vs MetroMax Q vs MetroMax 4

MetroMax comes in three main series. They look similar but differ in construction, strength and price, and the right one depends on how hard the room is on shelving.

Ratings and warranties above are taken from Metro’s product data for representative models and vary by size and configuration; confirm the current spec sheet for the exact units you order. As a rule of thumb, choose MetroMax i where shelving will be washed often or exposed to chemicals, and MetroMax Q where the main problem is condensation and cost matters.

Both series are built as starter and add-on units. A starter unit has four posts; an add-on shares two posts with the unit beside it, which reduces the number of posts in a long run and creates a continuous row. Shelves adjust in one-inch increments on most models, so spacing can be set to the containers you store rather than to a fixed pitch.

Cold Rooms and Walk-In Refrigerators

Walk-in cold rooms for reagents, media and samples are one of the most common places we install MetroMax. Each time the door opens, warm humid air meets cold surfaces and condenses, so shelving spends its life damp. Polymer mats and posts do not rust in those conditions, and open-grid mats let cold air circulate around stored items so the room holds temperature evenly.

Plan the layout before you order. Measure the room, the door opening and any evaporator coil, and keep shelving clear of the coil and fans so air can move. Leave a gap behind units for airflow and cleaning, and choose open-grid mats rather than solid ones unless you need spill containment on a particular shelf.

Vivaria and Animal Research Facilities

Vivaria combine heavy wash-down, disinfectants and strict cleanliness. Shelving stores feed, bedding, cages and supplies, and much of it is washed or moved for cleaning. MetroMax i is the usual choice here because its lift-out mats can go through a cage or rack washer and its polymer posts and stainless corner reinforcement resist corrosion.

• Use mobile units so shelving can be rolled out for floor cleaning and into rack washers where size allows
• Choose solid mats under bedding and feed to catch spills, open grid elsewhere for drying
• Check unit height and width against the rack washer door before ordering
• Label shelves so clean and dirty supplies are never mixed

Your facility’s veterinary and EHS staff set the cleaning and sanitation rules. Confirm the cleaning agents and wash temperatures you use against Metro’s care guidance for the series you choose.

Sterile Processing and Central Supply

Sterile processing departments need shelving that will not snag or tear wrapped packs, can be cleaned, and keeps instruments organized. Metro makes MetroMax i sterile processing units such as the nine-shelf MX-243680H-MP-9, which Metro describes with tightly spaced shelves that eliminate stacking and smooth polymer surfaces that protect packaged items.

In central supply and nursing units, MetroMax i par level carts on stem casters provide moveable storage with a small footprint, and transport and exchange carts on a dolly base move supplies or linen from central supply to departments. Metro notes the smooth polymer surfaces will not snag sterile packs or sealed supplies.

Par level cart

Stem casters keep the footprint small.

Exchange cart

Dolly base for daily distribution.

Security shelving

Lockable storage for controlled supplies.

IV Basket Carts and Drying Racks

For IV bags and odd-shaped supplies, MetroMax i IV transport and storage carts use sloped baskets that can mount flat or at a 10 degree angle for stock rotation. According to Metro, each basket includes two adjustable dividers and a label holder, and the semi-open front makes picking easy. A top shelf on some models adds bulk storage.

Glass wash and media prep rooms benefit from MetroMax i drying racks, which hold trays and equipment on edge for air drying. Models with a drip tray collect water and funnel it to a removable pan to reduce wet floors.

24 x 60 IV basket cart

Sloped baskets for rotation.

Mobile drying rack

Tray racks with drip tray.

Accessories That Make MetroMax Work Harder

Accessories turn plain shelving into organized storage. Wire baskets hold small items and lift out by built-in handles; Metro lists a 24 x 16 inch basket at 9 inches deep with a 50 lb capacity that mounts to a 24-inch-wide MetroMax i storage level frame. Color shelf markers clip onto shelves to code zones, which helps separate clean and dirty, or one research group’s stock from another’s. Stackable ledges keep containers from sliding off mobile units, and dividers organize shelves into lanes.

Caster choice matters on mobile units. Polyurethane casters roll quietly, and Metro offers cart-washable caster versions for units that go through washers. Use brake casters on any unit that must stay put.

Planning MetroMax for Your Lab

• Measure the room, doors and any washer or elevator openings
• Note chemicals, disinfectants and wash temperatures
• List what each shelf stores and its weight
• Decide which units must be mobile
• Plan aisle widths for carts and people

Where shelving stays dry, Metro wire shelving may be the lower-cost choice; see our Metro wire shelving for cleanrooms and hospitals guide. For carts built from the same MetroMax i parts, see Metro lab and HPLC carts.

Mobile or Stationary MetroMax

Every MetroMax series is offered as stationary units on adjustable feet and as mobile units on casters. Stationary units hold the most weight and suit long runs against cold-room and storeroom walls. Mobile units can be rolled out for floor cleaning, moved into a washer, or used to stage supplies at the point of use. In many labs the best answer is both: stationary perimeter shelving for bulk stock, plus a few mobile units that carry the day’s supplies to where they are used.

Mobile units use mobile posts and stem casters, so their overall height is greater than the nominal post size and their load ratings are lower than a stationary rack of the same size. Check overall height against doors, sprinkler clearance and washer openings, and use at least two brake casters on each unit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Putting chrome wire shelving in a cold room. Condensation rusts it quickly; polymer avoids the problem.
• Blocking the evaporator. Shelving pushed against the coil or fans starves the room of airflow.
• Ordering solid mats everywhere. Solid mats trap moisture; use them only where spills must be contained.
• Forgetting washer clearances. A mobile unit that will not fit the rack washer has to be cleaned by hand.
• Overloading mobile units. Mobile ratings are lower than stationary; confirm the spec sheet before loading heavy stock.
• Skipping labels and zones. Color markers and labels keep shared cold rooms and supply rooms organized.

Cleaning and Long-Term Care

MetroMax mats lift out without tools, so they can be washed by hand, in a sink or in a cart or rack washer. Wash posts and frames in place, rinse after disinfectants that leave residue and let mats dry before reloading. Check casters periodically and clear hair and debris from the wheels. Lead times vary by series and configuration, so ask for current lead times with your quote. Call (800) 326-4403 if you want help laying out a room.

When a room is reorganized, MetroMax units can be taken apart and rebuilt in new sizes using the same posts and shelves, and add-on units can extend a run later. That reuse is one reason polymer shelving often costs less over its life than cheaper steel shelving that has to be replaced when it rusts. Keep a record of the series and sizes you install so future add-ons match.

Related Pages

• Metro Polymer Shelving configurator — design and price MetroMax online
• Metro configurator hub — all Metro online configurators
• Metro wire shelving for cleanrooms and hospitals — stainless and epoxy wire shelving
• Metro lab and HPLC carts — MetroMax i carts for labs
• Metro CaseVue case carts — SPD case carts and storage