Industrial Storage Bins Guide: Parts Bins & Louvre Panels

What Are Storage Bins — and Why the Term Means Different Things to Different Buyers

"Storage bins" is one of the most-searched terms in Australian e-commerce, but it spans completely different products depending on who's typing the search. A homeowner Googling "storage bins" expects to see Kmart 70-litre tubs with clip-on lids for the spare bedroom. A workshop owner expects Fischer Stor-Pak open-front parts bins on louvre panels. A warehouse manager expects stackable plastic crates rated for forklift handling. A horse owner expects sealed grain feed containers. The single search term covers four completely separate buying decisions.

This guide is written for the industrial buyer — the workshop owner, maintenance technician, fitter, mechanic, manufacturing engineer, and trade-grade DIYer who needs industrial parts storage, not consumer storage tubs. Industrial parts storage means open-front bins for fast access, louvre panel systems for vertical wall mounting, stackable polypropylene bins, perforated mesh containers, and compartment boxes for small fasteners and components. The product range, the brands, the materials, the price points, and the durability requirements are all different from the consumer storage market.

If you're sorting out the kitchen pantry, the kids' toy room, or under-the-bed clothing storage — Kmart, IKEA, Howards Storage World, and Officeworks have what you need. If you're organising 5,000 fasteners across a workshop bench, fitting a fleet of service vans with parts kits, or building a warehouse pick-and-pack station for industrial spares — keep reading. The right industrial storage bin saves hours of searching every week, prevents lost components, and stays serviceable for decades of workshop abuse.

A well-organised workshop pairs good parts storage with the right work-holding. If bench-mounted metalwork is part of your operation, see our bench vice guide covering engineer's, swivel-base, and machine vice types — the anchor tool on any metal-working bench.

The full AIMS Industrial storage bin range — Fischer Stor-Pak and Mesh-Pak open-front bins, Ezylok semi-open parts bins, louvre panels, Ezi-Pak compartment carry cases — is in the Small Parts Storage Containers collection and the broader Storage Solutions collection.

The Buyer Decision — Industrial Parts Storage vs Consumer Storage Tubs

Before choosing a specific storage bin product, work out which side of the industrial-vs-consumer divide your application sits on. Getting this wrong is the most common cause of buyer regret on storage bins — paying industrial prices for consumer-grade product, or paying consumer prices for product that fails under workshop use.

The price gap looks large until you compare the cost per year of service. A Kmart consumer bin used for parts storage in a workshop typically lasts 1–3 years before the front cracks or the lid tabs break. A Fischer Stor-Pak in the same application lasts 10+ years. Per-year cost is roughly equivalent — and the consumer bin's failure mode tends to be sudden and inconvenient (parts spilled across the workshop floor on a Friday afternoon).

Open-Front Parts Bins — Stor-Pak, Mesh-Pak, and the Pak Series

Open-front bins are the most common industrial parts storage product. The bin has a front opening (no lid) so the contents are visible at a glance and accessible without lifting or sliding anything. The angled or stepped front lets parts be tipped slightly forward when stored on a vertical wall panel — keeping contents visible without falling out.

Fischer Stor-Pak — the AU workshop standard

The Fischer Stor-Pak is the dominant open-front parts bin in Australian industrial supply. Manufactured in Australia by Fischer Plastic Products from high-density polypropylene, the Stor-Pak comes in graduated sizes designated by number — Size 5, Size 10, Size 25, and beyond. Each size doubles or triples the previous capacity, so a parts wall using a mix of Stor-Pak sizes covers everything from individual fasteners (Size 5) up to medium hand tools and bulk components (Size 25 and larger).

The Stor-Pak's signature features:

• Stepped front opening — angled so contents tip toward the operator when wall-mounted; visible at eye-line without removing the bin
• Integrated louvre-panel hooks — moulded into the back of every bin, hooks straight onto Fischer or compatible louvre panels without separate clips
• Stackable on bench — interlocking nubs on top and bottom let bins stack stable on flat surfaces when not wall-mounted
• Label slot on the front face for paper or printed labels
• Optional dividers — Fischer Stor-Pak Bin Dividers split a single bin into 2 or 3 compartments for small mixed-size parts

Browse the AIMS range:

• Fischer Stor-Pak Bin 5 — small fasteners, washers, individual electronic components
• Fischer Stor-Pak Bin 10 — medium components, bearings, common bolts
• Fischer Stor-Pak Bin — full range
• Larger Stor-Pak (size 25 etc.) — bulk parts, hand tools, sub-assemblies

Fischer Mesh-Pak — perforated bins for wash-down and food-grade applications

The Fischer Mesh-Pak is a perforated variant of the Stor-Pak — same external dimensions and louvre-panel-compatible hooks, but the bin walls are mesh-perforated polypropylene. The perforations make the Mesh-Pak the right answer for:

• Wash-down environments — water and cleaning solution drains freely; bins can be hosed clean
• Food-grade applications — Fischer's medical-blue Mesh-Pak is rated for food contact in commercial kitchens, food processing, and pharmaceutical work
• Wet-component storage — parts coming off oil baths or wet cleaning, where solid-walled bins would pool fluid
• Visibility-critical applications — see-through walls let operators identify contents from any angle

The Mesh-Pak 60 (smaller, sold in box of 6) and Mesh-Pak 120 (larger) are the two main sizes. Browse the Fischer Mesh-Pak 60 at AIMS, or the broader Fischer collection.

Ezi-Pak Carry Case — small parts compartment box

The Fischer Ezi-Pak Carry Case is a different product class — a portable carry box with a clear-lid compartment tray. The interior is divided into rows of compartments for small parts (fasteners, electronic components, small drill bits, fishing tackle), and the clear lid lets you see contents without opening. Common applications: service van small-parts kits, portable repair kits, fishing/outdoor compartment boxes.

Bin Size Standards — Choosing the Right Bin Size for Your Parts

Sizing storage bins is straightforward once you know the parts you're storing. The standard AU workshop sizing matrix:

Practical sizing approach

Don't try to perfect size every parts category to a specific bin. Use a small mix:

1. Pick three bin sizes covering the spread of your parts — typically Stor-Pak 5 (small), Stor-Pak 10 (medium), Stor-Pak 25 (large)
2. Buy enough of each to populate the wall + 30 percent reserve for growth
3. Group identical bins in horizontal rows — same size on each row, so the wall reads "small fasteners across the top, medium components in the middle, hand tools across the bottom"
4. Label every bin immediately on installation — don't put it off; an unlabelled bin becomes a black hole

Louvre Panel Systems — Wall-Mounted Bin Storage

The louvre panel is the platform that makes industrial parts storage actually work as a workshop system. A louvre panel is a flat wall panel pressed with horizontal slots; storage bins with matching hooks engage the slots and hang firmly. The result: any size of bin can be hung anywhere on the panel, repositioned in seconds, and the wall surface is fully utilised vertically.

Why louvre panels beat shelving for parts storage

• Bin position is fully customisable — slide a bin up or down without re-shelving; no fixed shelf heights to design around
• Wall surface fully used — the entire panel is engageable; no wasted space between fixed shelf levels
• Bin extraction in one motion — lift bin off hook, no sliding past adjacent bins
• Modular as your parts evolve — add bins as you accumulate parts; no shelf-rebuilding
• Visually clean — the consistent panel grid plus uniform bin sizes reads as organised at a glance

Fischer Louvre Panels — Metal vs Plastic

AIMS stocks two Fischer louvre panels with different load characteristics:

• Fischer Louvre Panel Metal — pressed steel panel (1.25 mm) with quality paint finish. The traditional industrial panel; rugged, fire-rated, suits heavy-load applications.
• Fischer Louvre Panel Plastic — engineered ABS panel; surprisingly Fischer rates the plastic panel for higher load bearing than the equivalent steel panel due to ABS's flex characteristics. Suits applications where weight matters (mobile workstations, vehicle-mounted parts walls) and where fire-rating isn't required.

Mounting principles

Louvre panels mount with screws into wall framing (timber stud or steel) or wall plugs into masonry. Standard practice:

• Mount panels at standing-eye-line — typically 1.4 m to 1.8 m off the floor for a row of medium bins
• Stack two panels vertically for full-wall coverage — small bins top, larger bins bottom
• Allow clearance for bin extraction — bins below need clearance below them, so don't mount panels against benches without gap
• Use heavy-duty wall fixings — a fully-loaded panel weighs significantly more than the panel alone

Stackable Storage Bins — Floor and Bench Configurations

Not every parts storage application needs wall mounting. Stackable storage bins sit on the floor, on benches, or on shelving units, and lock together vertically via interlocking nubs or stacking lugs. The right answer for:

• Workshops with limited wall space — internal walls already used, brick walls without louvre panels
• Large-volume bulk storage — sub-assemblies, finished products, components in lots of 100+
• Mobile parts kits — bins that need to move with vehicles or between work cells
• Picking systems — warehouse pick lines where bins need to be at picking height on benches or rolling carts

Ezylok Plastic Bin range

Ezylok is a competing AU brand that makes high-density polypropylene plastic bins in the standard industrial sizes. The range is colour-coded for fast visual sorting:

• Ezylok Plastic Bin Size 2 (Red) — 500×310×200 mm; large stackable bin for hand tools and bulk components
• Ezylok Plastic Bin Size 4 (Yellow) — 230×150×125 mm; sold in boxes of 10 for fasteners and small components
• Ezylok RK321 Bin Divider — splits a Size 2 bin into two compartments for mixed-size storage

Colour coding lets a workshop assign colours to part categories — yellow for fasteners, red for tools, blue for plumbing components — and pick by colour from across the room.

Compartment Boxes — Small Parts Trays, Cases & Carry Boxes

Compartment boxes are a different product class from open-front bins. A compartment box is a closed container with internal dividers creating a grid of compartments — typically 12 to 24 compartments per box. Common forms:

• Carry case style — rigid plastic case with a clear hinged lid showing compartments; portable, fits in a service van or tool kit
• Bench tray style — open-top tray with internal compartments, sits on a bench for high-frequency picking
• Drawer organiser style — fits inside a tool drawer, organising components by compartment

Fischer Ezi-Pak Carry Case — service van standard

The Fischer Ezi-Pak Carry Case (red with clear lid) is the AU service van standard for small parts. Sold in box of 4 (so a single purchase fits out a fleet of vans), the Ezi-Pak combines a clear-lid compartment tray (rapid visual identification) with a rigid red case (rugged transport, identifiable by colour). Standard fit-out: one Ezi-Pak per service van per category — fasteners in one, electrical terminals in another, plumbing fittings in a third. The driver pulls the right Ezi-Pak from the van for the job, replenishes from the workshop louvre panel wall on return.

Heavy-Duty Industrial Storage Bins

For applications where the bin contents are dense, sharp, or heavy — bulk fasteners by the kilogram, brake pads, machined components, vehicle wheel hubs — standard polypropylene parts bins reach their limit. Heavy-duty industrial storage bins use thicker-wall construction, higher-grade plastic, or steel construction to handle 20+ kg per bin.

Selection criteria for heavy-duty:

• Load rating — confirm the manufacturer's stated working load and use 50 percent of it as your real-world planning load (allowing for shock and dynamic loading)
• Stacking strength — bins at the bottom of a stack carry the weight of all bins above. Heavy-duty stacking strength matters for tall stacks
• Wall thickness — typically 4–6 mm for heavy-duty polypropylene vs 2–3 mm for standard
• Reinforced rim — stress concentrates at the bin rim; reinforcement here multiplies bin life

For genuinely heavy industrial bins (forklift-handled bulk crates, 50+ kg capacity), specify polyethylene rotomoulded crates or steel parts trays — beyond the general parts bin range. AIMS technical team can advise on application-specific heavy-duty selection — contact us for sourcing and capacity confirmation.

When Plastic Storage Bins Aren't the Right Answer

An honest specification guide should call out where plastic parts bins are the wrong choice. Six situations where steel parts trays, lockable cabinets, or other storage are the right answer:

• Heavy machined parts (above 20 kg per bin). Polypropylene parts bins flex and creep under sustained heavy loads. For mid-size machined components, vehicle wheel hubs, or bulk fasteners by the kilogram, specify steel parts trays or rotomoulded polyethylene crates rated to 50+ kg.
• Sharp-edged tools without protective inserts. Drill bits, end mills, lathe tooling, and unground cutting edges puncture polypropylene bins over time and damage the contents. Use compartment trays with foam inserts, dedicated tool drawers, or steel parts trays.
• Hot parts straight off the machine. Polypropylene softens around 80 °C and melts at ~165 °C. Parts coming straight off welding, machining, or oven processes need a steel cooling tray first.
• Cleanroom, ESD-sensitive, or pharmaceutical applications. Standard polypropylene generates static during handling and sheds particulates. Specify ESD-safe conductive plastic bins or stainless steel trays for cleanroom work, electronics handling, and pharmaceutical assembly.
• Hazardous chemicals, flammable storage. Plastic bins are not chemically rated for caustic, acidic, or solvent storage and offer no fire containment. Specify dedicated chemical storage cabinets (steel, vented, bunded) for hazardous substance compliance.
• Lockable / theft-deterrent storage. Open-front parts bins are designed for fast access — that's their feature, not a flaw. For high-value tools, calibrated instruments, controlled-substance keys, or theft-prone items, specify lockable cabinets or secure tool drawers instead.

Match the storage to the application. Plastic parts bins solve the high-frequency-access workshop problem brilliantly; they aren't the universal solution for every storage need.

Bin Material — Polypropylene, ABS, and Steel

Polypropylene (PP)

The dominant material for industrial storage bins. Properties: chemically inert (resists most workshop solvents and oils), flexible (absorbs impact without cracking), light, low-cost. Trade-offs: melts at relatively low temperature (~165°C), so unsuitable for hot-component storage; UV-degrades over years if used in direct sunlight; not as rigid as ABS so larger bins can flex under heavy loads. Fischer Stor-Pak, Mesh-Pak, and Ezylok bins are all polypropylene.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

Used for premium engineered bins and louvre panels. Properties: more rigid than polypropylene (so larger bins or panels don't flex under load), better impact resistance at low temperature, better surface finish, accepts paint and printing better. Trade-offs: higher cost; less chemically resistant than polypropylene (some solvents attack ABS); UV degradation similar to polypropylene. Fischer's Plastic Louvre Panel uses ABS for higher load bearing than the steel equivalent.

Steel

Used for louvre panels, parts cabinets, and very-heavy-duty bins. Properties: rigid, fire-rated, magnetic (useful for posting paper labels and small magnetic tools), highest load bearing for given thickness. Trade-offs: heavy; corrodes in wet environments unless painted or galvanised; cost; sharp edges if cut or modified. Steel louvre panels (Fischer's metal panel range) are the traditional industrial standard.

Storage Bin Selection — Workshop, Warehouse, Service Vehicle

Workshop application — bench-and-wall

The standard AU workshop storage system: louvre panels on the wall behind the bench, populated with a graduated mix of Stor-Pak Size 5 / 10 / 25. Bins grouped by size in horizontal rows. Each bin labelled. Compartment boxes (Ezi-Pak) on the bench surface for high-frequency small parts. Stackable Ezylok bins on the bench shelf or in tool cabinets for bulk overflow.

Warehouse application — pick-line and bulk

Warehouse storage uses larger bins on shelving units. Stackable Ezylok Size 2 bins or larger Stor-Pak units on adjustable shelving. Picking workflow: warehouse staff walk the line, picking from labelled bins by part number. Heavy-duty bins for bulk inventory (5,000+ fasteners per bin); smaller pick-face bins for picking quantity.

Service vehicle application — portable kits

Service vans need portable parts kits. Standard fit-out: 4–8 Fischer Ezi-Pak Carry Cases — one each for fasteners, electrical terminals, plumbing fittings, brake/automotive parts, fuses/relays. Plus stackable Ezylok bins for bulk/refill stock under the van load floor. Drivers pull the appropriate carry case for the job at hand; replenishment happens from the workshop's louvre panel wall.

Trade-shop application — counter-and-display

Trade shops (electrical, plumbing, automotive parts counter) use storage bins as both display and picking — customer sees the parts wall, staff picks the same bin. Open-front Stor-Pak with clear product display; bin label includes part number and price. Often combined with parts catalogue for cross-reference.

Specifying a Workshop Storage System for Procurement

Facilities managers, engineering buyers, and procurement specifying parts storage at scale need more than "buy some bins" — they need a defendable specification that estimates correctly, sources consistently, and integrates into commissioning. The structured approach:

Step 1 — Zone the workshop

Walk the workshop and identify discrete work zones — assembly bench, welding bay, machine shop, electrical workshop, service-vehicle prep, parts office. Each zone has its own access pattern (frequent vs occasional), its own parts categories, and its own optimal storage approach.

Step 2 — Calculate panel area per zone

For each zone, count distinct parts categories the operator regularly accesses. Common rule of thumb: 1 m² of louvre panel per 60-100 distinct parts categories at typical bin sizing. A small one-bench workshop with ~50 parts categories needs 0.5-1 m² of panel; a medium production workshop with 300+ categories needs 4-6 m². Add 30 percent reserve for growth.

Step 3 — Specify the bin mix

Standard bin mix ratio for general industrial: 60 percent small (Stor-Pak 5 / Ezylok Size 4), 30 percent medium (Stor-Pak 10), 10 percent large (Stor-Pak 25 / Ezylok Size 2). Adjust based on actual parts inventory — workshops with mostly fasteners weight toward small; workshops with mostly hand tools weight toward large.

Step 4 — Specify louvre panels and accessories

Match panel material to load and environment: steel for heavy-load and fire-rated; ABS plastic for mobile workstations and weight-sensitive installations. Calculate fixings, end-caps, and any extension brackets per panel.

Sample BOM line format

For procurement-friendly specification:

"Item 12 — Workshop parts storage system: Fischer Louvre Panel Metal (1.25 mm steel, painted, fire-rated) ×6 panels, mounted on rear wall behind workbench in zone B; populated with Fischer Stor-Pak Size 5 ×80 (small fasteners, electronic components), Stor-Pak Size 10 ×40 (medium fasteners, bearings, plumbing fittings), Stor-Pak Size 25 ×12 (hand tools, sub-assemblies). All bins to include label slot inserts. Heavy-duty wall fixings (manufacturer recommendation). Installer to mount panels at 1.4 m to 2.1 m above finished floor level."

Step 5 — Plan the labelling and inventory system

Specify the labelling approach as part of the procurement: paper labels in moulded slots (cheapest), printed adhesive labels (mid-tier), or laminated cards behind clear windows (heavy-industrial, durable). Reserve budget for the labelling — a freshly-installed bin wall without labels is a wall of plastic boxes; with labels it's a working system. For inventory tracking, decide upfront whether bin contents are managed by spreadsheet, by manual reorder cards, or by a barcoded/RFID inventory system — the choice affects both bin selection (label window size) and operating procedure.

Lead times and supply considerations

Industrial-grade bins (Fischer, Ezylok) are stocked across the AU industrial supply chain in standard sizes — typical lead time on stocked items is 1-3 days. Larger panels and bin volumes (above 100 bins of one size) may require 1-2 week lead time depending on supplier inventory. For project commissioning, order 4-6 weeks ahead of fit-out date to allow for labelling preparation and bin pre-population.

AU Brand Landscape — Fischer, Ezylok, and the Consumer Tier

Fischer Plastic Products is an Australian manufacturer based in Melbourne, manufacturing the Stor-Pak / Mesh-Pak / Ezi-Pak / Louvre Panel range domestically. Most other "industrial-grade" plastic storage on the AU market is imported; Fischer's Australian manufacture means short supply chains, custom-batch availability, and material specifications meeting AU industrial standards. The premium positioning is real and reflected in the price; for daily-use workshop applications, the Fischer range typically outlasts imported equivalents by 2–3× in service life.

Ezylok sits in the mid-range industrial tier — full polypropylene engineering and stackable design but at lower price than Fischer. Suits bulk applications where a Fischer-spec bin would over-spec the use case. Common AU industrial workshops use Ezylok for bulk storage and Fischer for the primary parts wall.

AIMS Industrial Storage Bin Range

Fischer parts bins and louvre system

• Fischer Stor-Pak Bin 5 — small fasteners, individual electronic components
• Fischer Stor-Pak Bin 10 — medium components, bearings, common shop screws
• Fischer Stor-Pak Bin — full Stor-Pak range listing
• Fischer Mesh-Pak 60 — perforated bin for wash-down and food-grade, blue medical-grade
• Mesh-Pak 120 — larger perforated variant
• Fischer Ezi-Pak Carry Case — service van compartment box, red with clear lid, sold in box of 4
• Fischer Louvre Panel Metal — 1.25 mm steel, fire-rated, traditional industrial
• Fischer Louvre Panel Plastic — ABS, higher load bearing than steel for weight-sensitive applications
• Browse: Fischer Plastic Products collection

Ezylok plastic bin range

• Ezylok Plastic Bin Size 2 Red (500×310×200 mm) — large stackable
• Ezylok Plastic Bin Size 4 Yellow (230×150×125 mm, box of 10) — fasteners and small components
• Ezylok RK321 Bin Divider (box of 10) — split Size 2 bins into two compartments

Browse the full range

• Small Parts Storage Containers collection — full open-front parts bin range
• Storage Solutions collection — broader storage including racks, cabinets, shelving
• Tool Storage Cabinets collection — companion drawer storage

Companion product guides

• Tool Box Guide — portable tool storage; complements parts bins for mobile applications

Common Workshop Organisation Approaches

The visibility-first approach

Bin contents must be visible at a glance. Open-front parts bins, clear-lid compartment boxes, mesh-walled containers (Mesh-Pak), and bin label position are all chosen to maximise visual identification speed. The premise: the time saved over thousands of pick events per year more than pays for the marginal cost of premium clear-front bins. Suits high-frequency picking workshops (workshop production, auto repair, service technicians).

The locator-system approach

Every bin is assigned a coordinate (Cabinet A, Drawer 3, Bin 2 → "A-3-2"). Parts inventory in a spreadsheet or simple database lists every part number and its location. Operator searches the spreadsheet first, then walks directly to the bin. Suits very-large-inventory workshops (10,000+ part numbers) where visual-only systems break down.

The colour-coded approach

Bin colour (Ezylok ranges in red, yellow, blue) signals part category — yellow for fasteners, red for tools, blue for plumbing. Visual recognition from across the room, before the operator even reads labels. Suits workshops with distinct part categories and crew who memorise the colour assignment.

The kitting approach

Parts are pre-grouped into job-kits in carry cases (Ezi-Pak) — each kit has the parts for one common job (a service kit, a repair kit, a brand-X overhaul kit). Operator grabs the kit for the job rather than picking individual parts. Suits service-vehicle work and repeatable-task production lines.

Most AU workshops use a hybrid of these — visibility-first on the primary parts wall, locator-system in the parts office for inventory tracking, kitting for service vehicles. The right system matches the access pattern, not the other way around.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are storage bins?

Storage bins are containers used to organise, store, and access parts, components, tools, or other small items. The term covers two completely different markets: industrial parts storage (open-front bins on louvre panels, stackable plastic bins, compartment boxes — used in workshops, warehouses, service vehicles) and consumer/domestic storage (closed-lid tubs and crates for household goods — used in homes for kitchens, bedrooms, and garages). The product specifications, brands, materials, and price points are different between the two markets. This guide focuses on industrial storage bins for workshop and warehouse use.

What is the difference between Stor-Pak and Mesh-Pak?

Both are Fischer Plastic Products parts bins with the same external dimensions and louvre-panel hooks. The Stor-Pak has solid polypropylene walls — the standard industrial parts bin for general workshop use. The Mesh-Pak has perforated polypropylene walls — used for wash-down environments (water drains freely), food-grade applications (Fischer's blue medical-grade Mesh-Pak is rated for food contact), and visibility-critical applications (see-through walls). Choose Stor-Pak as the workshop default; choose Mesh-Pak for wet, food-processing, or pharmaceutical environments.

What size storage bin do I need?

Three-size approach works for most workshops: small (Stor-Pak 5 or Ezylok Size 4 — for M3-M6 fasteners, small electronic components, individual washers), medium (Stor-Pak 10 — for M8-M12 fasteners, small bearings, common shop screws), and large (Stor-Pak 25 or Ezylok Size 2 — for hand tools, sub-assemblies, larger components). Buy enough of each to fully populate your wall plus 30 percent reserve for growth. Group identical sizes in horizontal rows on the louvre panel for visual consistency. Don't try to perfect-size each parts category to a specific bin — three sizes covers the practical range.

What is a louvre panel?

A louvre panel is a wall-mounted flat panel pressed with horizontal slots that storage bins hang from. Each storage bin has matching hooks moulded into its back; the hooks engage the panel slots and the bin hangs firmly. Bins can be repositioned anywhere on the panel, in seconds, without unscrewing or rebuilding shelving. Louvre panels are the foundation of efficient industrial parts storage because they let bins of any size sit anywhere on the wall, fully utilising vertical space. AIMS stocks both Fischer Louvre Panel Metal (1.25 mm steel, fire-rated) and Fischer Louvre Panel Plastic (ABS, surprisingly higher load bearing than the steel equivalent for weight-sensitive applications).

How do I mount a louvre panel?

Louvre panels mount with screws into wall framing (timber stud or steel) or wall plugs into masonry. Standard practice: mount panels at standing-eye-line — typically 1.4 m to 1.8 m off the floor for a row of medium bins. Stack two panels vertically for full-wall coverage. Allow clearance below for bin extraction (don't mount directly above a bench). Use heavy-duty wall fixings — a fully-loaded panel can weigh 30+ kg, and the load is in shear on the fixings. Pre-drill into solid framing wherever possible; into masonry, use plastic plugs sized for the wall thickness.

Are Fischer Stor-Pak bins worth the price difference vs Bunnings storage?

For workshop applications — yes, by a wide margin. A Bunnings consumer-grade plastic storage tub used for parts storage typically lasts 1–3 years before the front cracks, the lid tabs break, or the polypropylene goes brittle from oil exposure. A Fischer Stor-Pak in the same application lasts 10+ years. Per-year cost is roughly equivalent — but the failure modes are different: the Bunnings bin fails suddenly (parts on the workshop floor on a Friday afternoon) while the Stor-Pak ages gradually and stays serviceable. For domestic storage where the bin opens twice a year, consumer-grade is fine. For workshop storage where the bin opens hundreds of times per week, industrial-grade pays back.

What is the best storage system for a workshop?

Standard AU workshop system: louvre panels mounted on the wall behind the bench, populated with a graduated mix of Fischer Stor-Pak Size 5 / 10 / 25 (small fasteners up through hand tools). Bins grouped by size in horizontal rows. Every bin labelled with contents at installation. Compartment boxes (Fischer Ezi-Pak) on the bench surface for high-frequency small parts. Stackable Ezylok bins on shelves or in cabinets for bulk overflow. Tool boxes for portable tool storage (see our companion Tool Box Guide). The whole system runs $500-2000 for a typical workshop wall — paid back in operator time saved over the first few months.

Can I use storage bins in a wash-down environment?

Standard solid-walled storage bins are not ideal for wash-down — water pools in the bin and contents stay wet. The right answer is the Fischer Mesh-Pak — perforated polypropylene walls let water drain freely; bins can be hosed clean and air-dry quickly. Mesh-Pak Blue is also rated food-grade for commercial kitchens, food processing, and pharmaceutical applications. For genuinely heavy wash-down (high-pressure cleaning, caustic chemicals), specify stainless steel parts trays — beyond the polypropylene bin range.

What are stackable storage bins used for?

Stackable storage bins lock together vertically via interlocking lugs on top and bottom, building a tower of bins that's stable on a flat surface. Used where wall mounting isn't an option (limited wall space, brick walls without louvre panels), for large-volume bulk storage (sub-assemblies, finished products, components in lots of 100+), for mobile parts kits that move between work cells, and on warehouse picking lines where bins sit at picking height on benches or rolling carts. Ezylok and Fischer both make stackable variants. Match stack height to the application — taller stacks need heavier-grade bins at the bottom.

What are compartment boxes good for?

Compartment boxes are closed plastic cases with internal dividers creating a grid of compartments — typically 12 to 24 per box. They suit small-parts organisation where you need many distinct part numbers in a small package: service van fasteners (one box covers M3 through M10 in multiple lengths), electrical terminals (different colours and sizes in one box), plumbing fittings (BSP and NPT in one box), fishing tackle. The Fischer Ezi-Pak Carry Case (red with clear lid, sold in box of 4) is the AU service van standard — clear lid for instant visual ID, rigid case for transport, red colour for vehicle-mounted identification.

What material are Fischer storage bins made of?

Fischer Stor-Pak and Mesh-Pak bins are manufactured from high-density polypropylene — the dominant material for industrial storage bins. Polypropylene is chemically inert (resists most workshop solvents and oils), flexible enough to absorb impact without cracking, light, and lower-cost than ABS. The medical-grade Mesh-Pak Blue uses food-contact-rated polypropylene compliant with food processing standards. Fischer's Plastic Louvre Panel uses ABS engineered plastic for higher rigidity and load bearing than polypropylene. Fischer's Louvre Panel Metal uses 1.25 mm pressed steel with quality paint finish for the highest fire-rated and load-rated mounting.

Are Ezylok bins compatible with Fischer louvre panels?

Generally yes — Ezylok plastic bins use the standard industrial louvre-panel hook geometry and hang on Fischer panels. Some bin sizes have hook dimensions that vary slightly; for critical retrofits, verify that the hook spacing matches the panel slot pitch. For new installations specifying both the panel and the bins, the simpler approach is to spec a single brand throughout (Fischer panels with Fischer Stor-Pak, or compatible third-party panel and bin combinations). Mixing brands at the design stage avoids retrofit compatibility issues.

How many storage bins do I need for a workshop?

Practical sizing: count your distinct part categories (different fastener sizes, different bearing types, different electrical terminals, etc.), then add 30 percent reserve for growth. A small workshop typically runs 30 to 60 bins; a medium workshop 100 to 200; a large industrial maintenance department 500+. Mix of sizes typically 60 percent small (Stor-Pak 5 or Ezylok Size 4), 30 percent medium (Stor-Pak 10), 10 percent large (Stor-Pak 25 or Ezylok Size 2). Start with this distribution and adjust over time as your parts inventory shapes the actual demand. Order more bins than you think you need at the start — adding bins later costs more in time and disruption than buying ample initial stock.

How do I label storage bins?

Three label approaches: paper labels in the bin's moulded label slot (cheapest, easiest, but degrades over time and is hard to read at distance); printed labels on label-maker output (clear, professional, more expensive labels per bin); printed laminated cards behind clear plastic label windows (most durable, used in heavy industrial and dirty environments). Whichever method, label every bin at installation — putting it off until "later" means bins remain unlabelled forever. Include part number, description, and ideally the supplier reorder code. For critical parts, add minimum-stock-level on the label (a "min 10" sticker prompts reordering when stock drops below 10).

Where can I buy industrial storage bins in Australia?

AIMS Industrial stocks the full Fischer range (Stor-Pak in graduated sizes, Mesh-Pak perforated, Ezi-Pak compartment boxes, Louvre Panel Metal and Plastic) plus Ezylok plastic bins in colour-coded sizes. The dedicated Small Parts Storage Containers collection covers individual products; the broader Storage Solutions collection includes shelving, cabinets, and complementary storage. For specific application advice — fitting out a new workshop, replacing a failing consumer-grade storage system, configuring a service vehicle parts kit, or specifying a louvre-panel-and-bin system at scale — contact the AIMS technical team. Bunnings, Total Tools, and Sydney Tools stock consumer- and trade-grade storage; Officeworks, Howards Storage World, and Kmart stock domestic storage; AIMS Industrial sits at the industrial / professional tier of the AU market.