5S SHADOW
BOARDS

SHADOW BOARDS: BOOST EFFICIENCY, REDUCE WASTE, & IMPROVE SAFETY

The 5S system: sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain helps food production companies enhance food safety and efficiency. A well-organized and meticulously maintained facility not only ensures employee safety but also guarantees the quality of the food products being manufactured. We work closely with our clients and provide tailored solutions to help each facility strengthen their food safety initiatives and optimize their operations. Our Shadow Board systems are beneficial in achieving and sustaining 5S Lean manufacturing goals. Through the use of visual elements, we drive change and standardization within your facility. These customizable and sustainable components of 5S implementation have been proven to boost workplace efficiency by an impressive average of 37.3%.

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Increase equipment life

Decrease errors

Reduce replacement cost

UNIQUE SHADOW BOARDS:
FOOD SAFE & BUILT TO LAST

Our Shadow Boards are custom designed and built to meet your specific needs. Made with stainless steel or StorShield materials, our shadow boards are safe and highly durable making them ideal for use in any facility where product integrity is job #1.

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Trusted by leading brands:

New Patented Knockdown
Shadow Board Cart

Our new patented sanitary design eliminates 99% of sandwich points on a traditional designed board and frame setup. The new premium sanitary stainless steel frame is fully customizable to any size needed and is double-sided allowing you to have two boards per frame.

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Custom Designed Boards Built for Your Facility

Shadow Boards provide the ultimate tool storage solution, maximizing both hygiene and efficiency. You can choose between wall-mounted or wheel-mounted models to best suit your needs.

We custom design and configure each Shadow Board to meet your facility's specific requirements. Plus, you can incorporate any colors or graphics to create a truly unique look.

Mobile Shadow Boards
Our mobile shadowboards are built on sturdy 304-grade stainless steel frames and feature swivel casters for easy transport.

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Stainless Steel Shadow Boards
ShadowBoards Extremely durable, rust and chemicalsafe. Srtainless steel reduces the risk of foreign material contamination.

GET A CUSTOM SHADOW BOARD QUOTE

Quick Buy Shadow Board Sanitation Stations
Choose one of our best-selling boards. Simply pick your size, color options, and mounting method. We can add your logo. Standard shadow boards come in 3 sizes 24x72, 36x72, and 48x72.

VIEW QUICK BUY BOARDS

Shadow Board Image Gallery

From First Call to Your Facility Floor

The Shadow Board
Implementation Process

Customize

A 5S specialist guides you through board type, size, material, tools, color code, and mounting. Our custom tool process accepts a photo of any tool — large or small, round or bent — to create an exact shadow.

Quotation

Once all specifications are confirmed, a full quote is provided. Onsite 5S analysis fees are rebated up to 100% when boards are ordered within 90 days.

Order

Confirm the quotation and provide any final revisions. Your project enters the design queue.

Proofing

Our design team creates full artwork proofs — you see exactly how every board will look before production begins. Revisions included.

Production

Our team prints, seals, and builds every board to specification. Stainless steel boards are laser-marked via our StorLaze process.

Delivery

Boards are carefully packaged and shipped directly to your facility. Nationwide coverage across all 50 states.

Tip 1: Specify Your Board Material

A shatterproof laminated material of high strength and versatility.Suited for harsh environments like food processing and pharmaceutical facilities.

A shatterproof laminated material of high strength and versatility. The most durable option available, ideally suited for harsh environments like food processing and pharmaceutical facilities.

Aluminum composite consisting of two thin sheets of aluminum enclosing a Polyethylene core. Highly versatile and resilient medium duty option, ideally suited for standard applications in food processing and pharmaceutical facilities.

Tip 2: Specify your content and Graphic Style

Graphics:

Samples:

Solid Board Color
Solid Shadows
Custom Graphics
Color Code

Solid Board Color
Outline Shadows
Custom Graphics

Tip 3: Choose Your Mounting

Wall Mounted

Specifically designed for wall placement. Low profile; requires little to no floor space.

Single Sided Mobile

Mounted on sturdy 304 graded stainless steel frames equipped with swivel casters for ease of transport.

Double Sided Mobile

Mounted on sturdy 304 graded stainless steel frames equipped with swivel casters for ease of transport.

Magnetic

Mounted on sturdy metal frames equipped with swivel casters for ease of transport.

Cage

Up to 6 Shadow Boards mounted to a mobile lockable cage.

Cabinet

Boards mounted inside a lockable stainless-steel cabinet that can be mobile or wall mounted.

Tip 4: Choose Your Tools

Select from the range of Amerisan color coded hygiene tools or add your custom tools.

Tip 5: Choose Board Size

Select your board width and height in preferable 6” increments, but custom sizes are available. Allow your board to be 6”-12” taller than the longest tool to allow for the header area. Customize it: Special sizes are available by request. Please contact us directly for more information about all our custom shadow board designs.

Standard wall mount board sizes:

Standard mobile board sizes:

Tip 6: Choose your Hooks and Holders

Select from the range of Amerisan color coded hygiene hooks & holders. Also, stainless steel hooks & holders are available as well. Designed specifically for our color-coded tools and tool storage system.

S5070 1.5” | S5070/3 3” | S5070/6 6” Push Through Stainless Steel Single Hook

S5073 Stainless Steel Double Hook for Stor X Push Through Shadow Board System

K15150 – Small Holder | K15151 – Large Holder

K15154 – 20” Aluminum rail for wall mounting | K15153 – 36” Aluminum rail for wall mounting

K7501 – Small Stainless Steel Holder without Color Coded Band K7503 – Large Stainless Steel Holder without Color Coded Band

S7507 – 3” Stainless Steel Single Hook | S7510 – 3” Stainless Steel Double Hook

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything You Need to Know
About Shadow Boards for Food Manufacturing

What materials are safe for shadow boards in food processing facilities?

In FDA-regulated food environments, shadow boards must be made from non-porous, sanitizable materials. Amerisan offers StorShield (shatterproof laminate), StorShield+ (transparent shatterproof), StorLam (aluminum composite), StorClear (transparent), StorLaze (stainless with laser marking), and full stainless steel boards — all food safe, moisture resistant, chemical safe, and shatterproof. Foam-core boards should never be used in food environments. Foam is porous, harbors bacteria, cannot be effectively sanitized, and can shed particles as physical contaminants.

How do shadow boards support HACCP and SQF compliance?

Shadow boards directly support HACCP and SQF audit requirements by creating visual tool accountability — auditors can instantly see if any tool is missing from its designated zone. Amerisan's boards include color-coded tool organization by zone (food contact, non-food contact, allergen areas), part numbers and QR codes for traceability, and magnetic mounting that eliminates wall penetration harborage points. Our patented knockdown cart eliminates 99% of sandwich points found on traditional board designs, which is specifically noted as a HACCP design enhancement.

What's the difference between StorShield, StorShield+, and stainless steel?

StorShield is a shatterproof laminated material suited for standard food processing environments — fully printable for custom graphics and color codes. StorClear is the transparent version: same durability, but you can see through the board, which is valuable in high-traffic areas. StorShield+ is the same as StorShield but has a StorLam backing for extra durability. Stainless steel boards (including StorLaze with laser-etched markings) offer the highest durability, are completely rust and chemical resistant, and have zero plastic contamination risk — recommended for RTE environments, high-pressure washdown zones, and the most regulated areas of your facility.

How do I color-code shadow boards for allergen zone separation?

Amerisan designs your facility's color code into every board — background color, shadow outline color, hook and holder color, and the color code legend printed in the board header. Our 5S specialists conduct an onsite analysis to map your allergen zones and establish a consistent color coding standard. The standard is documented for your SOP and built into new employee onboarding. There is no single mandated color standard — what matters is internal consistency across every board in your facility. Common systems use red for chemical/floor contact, white for food contact, blue for sanitizing, and yellow for non-food contact.

Can shadow boards be used in wet washdown environments?

Yes. All Amerisan board materials are moisture resistant and chemical safe, making them suitable for washdown environments. Our hygienic mobile frames use certified hygienic swivel casters and our keyhole tab design lets you lift the board out of the frame for thorough cleaning without tools. Magnetic mounting eliminates drill holes in walls, removing a common bacterial harborage point. For the harshest washdown environments — high-pressure, daily chemical exposure — we recommend stainless steel or StorLaze boards.

How long does it take to design and receive a custom shadow board?

The process runs through 6 steps: Customize (consultation with a 5S specialist), Quotation, Order, Proofing (you approve artwork before production), Production, and Delivery. After your initial consultation, quotes are typically provided within a few business days. Once approved, our design team creates artwork proofs for your review. Lead times vary by complexity, volume, and material selection. Contact our team at 888.586.7990 for current production timelines. Quick-buy standard boards (24x72, 36x72, 48x72) are available for faster turnaround.

What standard shadow board sizes are available?

Standard wall mount sizes range from 24x24" up to 48x96", selectable in 6" increments. Standard mobile board sizes are 24x72", 36x72", and 48x72". Custom sizes are available by request — contact us directly. As a sizing rule: allow 6–12" above your longest tool for the header area. Quick-buy boards come in 24x72, 36x72, and 48x72 with your choice of color and mounting method.

What is StorClear and when should I use it?

StorClear is an Amerisan-exclusive transparent shadow board material. Because the board is see-through, workers can spot cross traffic, forklifts, and pedestrians behind the board — a significant safety advantage in warehouse and distribution environments where mobile equipment operates. It carries the same food safe, moisture resistant, chemical safe, and shatterproof properties as StorShield. StorClear is an exclusive Amerisan product — you won't find it anywhere else.

Can Amerisan build boards for PPE stations and GMP compliance?

Yes. Amerisan designs custom PPE and GMP boards for donning and doffing procedures, specific hazard-to-PPE matching, handwashing procedures, one-point lessons, and color code display. We also supply integrated PPE dispensers (gloves, hairnets, beard covers, earplugs, safety glasses, aprons) that mount directly to the board or frame — including Kanban-style dispensers with green/yellow/red replenishment indicators so stock levels are visible at a glance without opening any cabinet.

Do shadow boards reduce tool loss and cross-contamination risk?

Yes — this is the core purpose of a shadow board. By giving every tool a specific visual home with its exact outline and part number printed on the board, a missing tool is visible immediately without a physical count or audit. Every Amerisan board includes part numbers and QR codes for one-scan reordering, which eliminates the workaround of substituting with an unapproved tool when the original is damaged or lost. Facilities using Amerisan shadow boards with 5S methodology report an average of 37.3% improvement in workplace efficiency.

Ready to Make Your Facility
Safer and More Efficient?

Talk to an Amerisan 5S specialist today. We'll walk your facility, design your program, and build boards that hold up to the harshest food manufacturing environments.

888.586.7990

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5S SHADOWBOARDS