Super Erecta wire shelving unit by Metro in chrome with adjustable shelves

Super Erecta by Metro: 363 kilograms held by heavy-gauge steel wire, and the sheet that proves it

Metro
Metro
Metro Most chosen configuration
£ 2,925

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Bespoke: size, colour, finish

A shelf made of wire looks like it should hold a coat and a few files. The specification sheet says otherwise: Super Erecta is rated at 363 kg (800 lb) per shelf, evenly distributed, on lengths up to 1219 mm (48 in), and a stationary unit carries 907 kg (2,000 lb) in total. The figures come from heavy-gauge carbon steel drawn into ribs that run front to back, so boxes slide on and off without catching, and from a post with grooves every 25 mm (1 in) that lets a plastic split sleeve lock each corner under load. Metro has built it this way in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, since the 1950s.

What changes is the finish and the base. Chrome and Super Erecta Brite for dry rooms, the Metroseal epoxy with Microban for damp ones, Type 304 stainless where things get washed. Put the posts on stem casters and the same shelves become a cart, with its own rule of three times the caster rating. The family runs on from there: Super Wide shelves at 760 and 914 mm (30 and 36 in) deep, security units with a SlideSecure sliding door, ESD-safe versions for electronics, the Erecta line for homes and libraries, a black semi-matte finish and the JOINT accessories that turn a bay into a workstation. In UK collaborative offices La Mercanti puts it where storage has to change rooms, not just floors.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Super Erecta, wire shelving
Manufacturer: Metro (InterMetro Industries), Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania — made in USA
Material: heavy-gauge carbon steel or Type 304 stainless steel; wire shelves with front-to-back ribs, loadable from all sides
Finishes declared: Super Erecta Brite and chrome for dry storage; Metroseal green or grey epoxy with Microban antimicrobial protection for corrosive environments; Type 304 stainless; epoxy colours for merchandising; black semi-matte (Super Erecta Black)
Shelves: depths 355, 457, 610, 760 and 914 mm (14, 18, 24, 30 and 36 in); lengths from 457 to 1829 mm (18 to 72 in); actual length 3.2 mm (1/8 in) shorter than nominal, actual depth 3.2 mm (1/8 in) greater
Load per shelf (evenly distributed): 363 kg (800 lb) on lengths up to 1219 mm (48 in); 272 kg (600 lb) from 1370 mm (54 in)
Load per unit: 907 kg (2,000 lb) stationary; mobile units three times the caster rating, up to 453 kg (1,000 lb)
SiteSelect posts: circular grooves every 25 mm (1 in), numbered every 50 mm (2 in), double groove every 203 mm (8 in); stationary heights from 187 to 2450 mm (7.4 to 96.5 in); posts for stem casters from 349 to 2181 mm (13.8 to 85.9 in); staked posts for truck dollies; swaged posts for cart-wash; cut lengths on request
Adjustment: 25 mm (1 in) increments along the full post
Split sleeves: plastic, supplied with every shelf; aluminium for abusive mobile use; with stainless C-rings for cart-wash above 93 °C (200 °F) and autoclave
Feet: levelling bolt with 13 mm (0.5 in) of travel; zinc or stainless foot plates for bolting to the floor, adding 3 mm (1/8 in)
Add-on: S hook to join a further unit with two posts only, two per shelf level
Other versions in the family: carts and shelving on casters; Erecta for homes and libraries; Super Wide 760 and 914 mm (30 and 36 in) deep; SlideSecure security units; ESD-safe shelving and carts; JOINT accessories (hanging basket, keyboard tray, laminated wood top, stackable drawers, glass-door containers) and the Smart Wall system
Packed weights, examples: 457×914 mm (18×36 in) shelf 3.7 kg (8.2 lb); 910×1829 mm (36×72 in) shelf 14.3 kg (31.6 lb); 1892 mm (74.5 in) post 1.8 kg (4 lb)
Warranty: 12-year limited warranty against rust and corrosion on Metroseal finishes, declared by Metro

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FAQ

Is the unit assembled with tools?
No. Each shelf comes with plastic split sleeves that snap around the post at the chosen groove; the tapered corner of the shelf slides down over the sleeve and locks under its own weight. Metro states that a unit is assembled in minutes without special tools, and it comes apart the same way when the layout changes.
What does the Metroseal finish add over chrome?
Rust resistance for damp or corrosive rooms: Metroseal is an epoxy coating over a zinc substrate, in green or grey, with Microban antimicrobial protection that fights the growth of bacteria, mould and mildew. Metro covers it with a 12-year limited warranty against rust and corrosion; chrome is the finish for dry storage.
Which sizes are available?
Depths of 355, 457, 610, 760 and 914 mm (14 to 36 in) and lengths from 457 to 1829 mm (18 to 72 in), on posts from 187 to 2450 mm (7.4 to 96.5 in). Metro notes that the tallest post should not be used on units less than 610 mm (24 in) deep, and that actual shelf length runs 3.2 mm (1/8 in) under nominal.
Can it be used as a workstation rather than storage?
Yes, with the JOINT accessories: a laminated wood top laid on a wire shelf, a pull-out ABS keyboard tray with a mouse recess, stackable drawers, a hanging basket and glass-door containers with aluminium frames. The bay keeps the open grid where air matters and gains a solid surface where a desk is needed.
Are there versions for sensitive or valuable stock?
Two, on the same posts and shelves: security units with a SlideSecure sliding door, stationary or mobile, in chrome, Metroseal or stainless, and ESD-safe shelving and carts for electronics manufacturing and cleanrooms, where static-sensitive components have to be stored and moved.

How to move a Super Erecta unit to a new office without losing a shelf level

Five steps to take a Super Erecta bay apart, carry it and rebuild it exactly as it stood, using the numbering Metro puts on every post.

Write down the groove numbers
Before anything comes off, note the number stamped on the post at each shelf: the grooves are numbered every 50 mm (2 in). Five numbers on a card rebuild the unit without a tape measure.
Unload from the top down
Clear the highest level first, so nothing is carried above an empty one. A loaded 1219 mm (48 in) level can be holding its full rated weight: it is never lifted with contents on it.
Lift each shelf straight up
The tapered corner releases when the shelf rises off the split sleeve; there is nothing to unscrew. Keep the sleeves with their shelf, or use the spare bags of four Metro sells as replacements.
Carry posts and shelves flat
Posts travel bundled, shelves stacked rib to rib. A 1892 mm (74.5 in) post weighs 1.8 kg (4 lb) and a 457×914 mm (18×36 in) shelf 3.7 kg (8.2 lb): two people move a whole bay in one trip.
Rebuild from the card, then level
Snap the sleeves at the noted numbers, drop the shelves, then turn the levelling bolts: 13 mm (0.5 in) of travel takes up the new floor. La Mercanti can supply foot plates if the new room needs the unit bolted down.