Custom Double-Sided Pegboard Display Rack Project

Project Overview

Formost is a custom metal display rack manufacturer in China. In this project, our engineering team developed a custom double-sided pegboard display rack for a US retail brand, covering structure design, material selection, powder coating, KD packing, and container loading optimization.

Customer Requirement

The US retail brand required a custom double-sided metal display stand for in-store merchandising. The key requirements included:

• Display Type: Double-sided metal display stand
• Color Scheme: Two-tone powder coating — black base and white back panels
• Loading Capacity: Heavy-duty design supporting 30 kg per side
• Header: PVC header card required for branding and signage
• Cost Control: Design must be cost-effective and suitable for economical manufacturing
• Reference: Concept based on provided reference images
• Overall Size: 1391 × 566 × 610 mm

Engineering Challenge

For Formost’s engineering team, the main challenge was to balance retail appearance, structural strength, two-tone finishing, low-MOQ manufacturing flexibility, and shipping efficiency simultaneously.

Engineering Proposal

Structure Design

To facilitate the two-tone finish and ensure cost-efficiency, the display was designed as a modular two-part structure with upper and lower sections. Although masking tape can be used for multi-color coating, it is labor-intensive and cost-prohibitive for oversized displays. For this project, Formost selected a Knock-Down (KD) assembly as the more professional and economical solution.

• Optimized Panel Dimensions: Given the approximate 1:2 width-to-height ratio, the backboard is split into two segments. This reduces individual component size and adds structural edges that serve as stiffener flanges, allowing thinner sheet metal to be used without sacrificing strength.
• Tubing Reinforcement: 20 × 40 mm rectangular tubing is welded around the four sides of the sheet metal, supporting heavy-load durability, simplifying assembly through a plug-in design with only two screws, and improving coating efficiency.
• Panel Selection — Pegboard over Slatwall: Pegboard panels are flat and can be processed with in-house laser cutting and CNC punching. This eliminates mold costs, supports small to medium-sized orders, and remains low-MOQ friendly while maintaining a high-end metal appearance. Slatwall profiles typically require specialized sheet metal forming tools or molds, which can create significant tooling fees.



Material Selection

Formost selected a combination of materials to balance structural integrity, surface finish quality, and cost-efficiency:

• Tubing Frame — Q195 mild steel: Provides a reliable strength-to-weight ratio for industrial display applications.
• External Visible Panels — Cold-Rolled Steel (CRS): Offers a smoother surface, which is important for high-quality powder coating and a professional retail appearance.
• Internal Structural Parts — Hot-Rolled Steel (HRS): Cost-effective and ductile, but with a rougher surface finish. Limited to non-visible structural elements to control cost without compromising the final appearance.

Surface Treatment

Formost uses powder coating as the primary surface treatment. Coating cost is generally affected by surface area, unit price, and coating coefficient — where labor for loading and unloading, spraying speed, powder consumption, electricity, and facility overhead are the main drivers.

Surface Area Reduction Strategy: The double-sided pegboards are designed as a sealed closed structure. This reduces the total powder coating area by nearly 50%, lowering powder consumption and processing time while maintaining required functional and aesthetic standards.

Cost & Packing Optimization

Through calculation and spatial analysis, the design was adjusted to improve logistics efficiency and reduce the landed cost per unit:

• Design Adjustment: Base height reduced from 12 inches to 9 inches
• Impact on Efficiency: This 3-inch adjustment increases container loading utilization by approximately 5%
• Customer Benefit: Optimizing dimensions for international shipping reduces per-unit freight cost and provides a more competitive landed price

Why This Matters for Retail Buyers

For overseas buyers, the lowest unit price is not always the lowest total cost. In this project, Formost optimized the structure, material selection, powder coating process, and KD packing method together, reducing tooling cost, improving container loading efficiency, and keeping the display suitable for retail presentation. The result is a lower landed cost per unit without compromising the in-store appearance the brand needed.

Quotation & Confirmation

After confirming the structure, material, surface finish, quantity, and packing method, Formost prepared a quotation based on the agreed project specifications. A secondary engineering review was then conducted with a focus on logistics efficiency and component optimization:

• Mobility Adjustment: Casters were replaced with adjustable levelers, reducing hardware cost and improving overall stability when the display is fully loaded at 30 kg per side.
• Dimensional Optimization for Logistics: Ocean freight accounts for a significant portion of total landed cost. By reducing base height from 12 inches to 9 inches, container loading utilization increases by approximately 5% — improving overall value while reducing international shipping expense.

Sample Development

The sample development stage is currently in progress. Key checkpoints include dimensional accuracy, assembly stability, two-tone powder coating quality, header card fitting, and packaging verification.

Packaging Test

The packaging plan will be verified after sample assembly. Key checks include carton size, component protection, KD packing sequence, loading efficiency, and damage risk during international transportation.

Mass Production & Quality Control

Before mass production, Formost will confirm the approved sample, inspection standards, surface finish requirements, loading capacity, and packing method with the customer.

Final Result