Two- and three-tier bathroom racks: shared posts

What this page covers

This is a configuration note, not a client story. It sets out which parts can be shared when a range grows from two tiers to three. Client identities and commercial figures are not published; the dimensions below come from the product pages.

The range falls into two families, square and fan:

Model	Tiers	Footprint
WH-1327	two-tier square	330155360 mm
WH-1329	three-tier square	330155570 mm
WH-1337	two-tier fan	278278350 mm
WH-1341	three-tier fan	278278570 mm

Within a family the footprint is the same and the height differs by 210 mm or 220 mm. Sharing decisions hang on that difference.

Where two and three tiers actually differ

Part	Two-tier	Three-tier	Shareable
Posts	four, short	four, long	section shared, length differs
Shelves	two	three	punchings shared, count differs
Rails and guards	one set	one set	shared
Fixings	one set	one set	shared
Carton	low	tall, or dismantled	two versions
Instructions	two pages	three pages	shared design

What is shared is the section and the punching pattern. What is not shared is length and count. The reverse also holds: as long as the section and punchings stay put, fixtures do not need rebuilding, but packaging and instructions have to be recalculated.

Three things loosen once parts are shared

A first article on the three-tier alone misses two-tier problems. The longer posts give punching error more room during assembly. On the short posts, the same deviation is visible in the finished product. Take one first article per tier and check shelf level and post squareness on both.

Carton height is the first thing sacrificed. Shipped upright, a 570 mm three-tier carton is roughly 210 mm taller than the two-tier carton. With a 0.05 m² base (example), that extra height adds about 0.01 m³ per carton; a 40HQ nominally holds 76 m³, so the gap lands in the hundreds of pieces. Run the numbers on your own carton. The point here is direction, not a figure.

A shared instruction design needs paging that can skip. A two-tier user who turns to page three and finds three-tier steps will call someone. Build the tier count as its own block, share the rest, and select pages at print.

Cartons: same footprint, different height

The square family shares a 330*155 footprint, so length and width can be shared and only the height changes. The three-tier tall carton needs a divider inside; shelves otherwise slide in transit.

The fan family has a 278*278 footprint, larger than the square one, and does not share cartons easily. The call here is not to dismantle: flattening a fan shelf enlarges the insert area, and the saved height is eaten by the insert.

Family	Dismantled	Carton	Cost
Square 330*155	three-tier flat-packed	two heights, or one tall	extra insert and bagging time
Fan 278*278	no, ships upright	one tall carton	volume loss, simpler packing

Neither route is the answer for every case. If volume matters more, dismantle. If packing simplicity matters more, ship upright.

When not to share

• Different mounting. Door-hung and wall-mounted racks load the frame differently. Forcing them into one range turns the fixings into bespoke parts, and the sharing exists only on the drawing.
• A shelf depth one step apart. With 290250 and 290129, the posts can be shared but the trays cannot. Sharing then saves posts only, and both trays still need their own tooling.
• Different pieces per carton by market. If one market wants three to a carton and another four, a shared carton gives up volume on one side.

Next steps

• Mounting and size options in this category: bathroom and shower racks.
• How far a small batch can change a shared frame: limits of small-batch customisation.
• Compare packings on an existing range: KD versus welded wire racks.
• Have shelf dimensions and a target carton: contact us to check feasibility.