Glass Stillages & A-Frames

Glass is heavy, fragile and awkward to handle, and the stillage it travels on decides whether it reaches site in one piece. We design and fabricate steel glass stillages, A-frames and L-frames for glass processors, glazing contractors, window and door manufacturers and distributors, built around your glass, your loads and the way you handle it.

There's no stock size. Every glass stillage we make is designed for the customer's own glass sizes, weights and handling, from a single frame to a batch run.

What we make

• A-frame glass stillages that carry glass on both sides, leaning against a central support, for storage and delivery.
• L-frame (single-sided) stillages for loading from one side, against a wall or in a rack.
• Transport and delivery stillages that go out on the lorry to site and come back empty, with secure tie-down points.
• Storage frames and racks for the factory floor, cutting and toughening areas, and the warehouse.
• Stillages for glazed units, windows and doors, with supports and dividers so each unit sits apart from the next.
• Collapsible or nesting designs so empty stillages take up less room on the return journey.

Designed around your glass

A glass stillage is more than a frame on a base. The details that matter are:

• The lean. Glass is carried on edge, leaning back against the frame, at an angle that keeps the load stable without putting stress on the bottom edge.
• Contact faces. Where the glass touches the steel, the base and back supports can be lined with rubber or felt so edges and faces aren't chipped or scratched.
• Securing the load. Straps, ratchet points or clamping bars hold the glass tight against the frame in transit, where most breakages happen.
• Handling. Fork pockets for forklift entry from the sides you need, and lifting points where the stillage is moved by crane. A stillage lifted by crane can count as lifting equipment, with inspection duties that come with it.
• Strength. The frame, base and joints are designed for the full weight of glass on one side or both, and for the knocks of daily loading.
• Marking. Each stillage carries its safe working load, and numbering if you track your fleet.

Finishes

Stillages that live outside or go out on deliveries are normally hot-dip galvanised, which stands up to weather and forklift wear. Indoor storage frames can be painted or powder coated, including in your company colours so your stillages come back from site.

One-offs or batch runs

Some customers need a single frame for an unusual job; others need a fleet. Batch quantities are made to the same specification in our Peterlee workshop, so every stillage handles, loads and stacks the same way. We deliver across the UK.

How to order

Send us what you can: the glass sizes and weights you handle, how the stillage is loaded and lifted, whether it travels to site, and roughly how many you need. A photo of your current stillages, or of what's going wrong with them, helps. We'll design to suit and come back with a quote.

For more on stillage types and what to specify, see our guide what is a stillage?, or our main stillages and handling equipment page.

Frequently asked questions

Do you make glass stillages? Yes. We design and fabricate steel glass stillages, A-frames and L-frames for storage and transport, made to order in our Peterlee workshop.

Can you make glass stillages to our sizes? Yes. Every one is bespoke. We design each stillage around your glass sizes, weights and handling rather than selling a stock size.

Will the stillage damage the glass? Not if it's designed properly. The contact faces can be lined, the lean angle keeps the load stable, and straps or clamps stop it moving in transit.

Can glass stillages be lifted by crane? They can be designed with lifting points for crane handling. A stillage lifted by crane may be treated as lifting equipment, so it needs the right design, marking and inspection.

Do you deliver outside the North East? Yes. We make stillages in Peterlee and deliver across the UK.

Can you make a batch of glass stillages? Yes. Batches are made to one specification so every unit is identical. Tell us what you need for a quote.