Steel service centers move pipe and profile stock in a pattern that is heavy, long and repetitive. Every bundle has to come out of storage, get cut or processed, and move on. Static racks make each cycle a fight with the aisle layout: the crane reaches deep into the bay, the forklift maneuvers through tight channels, and most of the hall stands unused. Herochu’s track-mounted telescopic cantilever racks change the workflow by bringing the material to the aisle instead of sending the operator into the rack.
The system combines two working principles. The cantilever arms extend outward, carrying the load clear of the rack body. The track base moves whole rack rows together, so a storage block shares one aisle. Together they let a single operator control a storage area that previously needed several aisles and a lot of maneuvering.
Telescopic cantilever arms in action
The telescopic function is the differentiator. Cantilever arms extend on mechanically assisted chain drives, motorized controls or linear guide rails, pushing the stored bundle out of the rack and into the working aisle. The operator then lifts the material with an overhead crane, hoist or vacuum suction lifter without reaching into the rack. This makes top-down loading practical: long steel pipes can be lowered straight into position from above, something static racking blocks.
Arm extension clears material from the rack body for unobstructed lifting.
Mechanically assisted movement removes manual pulling of heavy bundles.
Linear guide rails keep arm travel straight and repeatable.
Electric assistance supports discharge of long, heavy loads.
Steel stock the rack accepts
The rack covers the full range of long steel products: pipes and tubes, H-beams, angles, channels, square and rectangular hollow sections, flat bars and round bars. Arm length, arm spacing and layer height are configured to the profile range in stock. Because the arms are adjustable, a single rack can hold mixed profiles across its levels instead of forcing one profile per row.
The system handles the load classes that service centers actually see. Each level is rated at 3,000 to 5,000 kg, a single rack unit carries more than 10 tons, and profiles up to 12,000 mm long are fully supported. Dividers and end stops control round and rolled material, while flat products rest directly on the arms without sagging.
Single-aisle logistics
Herochu’s track base mounts rack rows on a common ground rail. Rows compress into one block and open a working aisle only at the point of operation. Up to 80% of fixed aisles disappear, and capacity within the same footprint rises by up to 400%. Forklift and crane operators work from one designated aisle with a short, predictable route. This removes the tight-channel maneuvering that slows processing lines and damages rack frames.
Layout flexibility
A track-mounted block is a single piece of floor planning. Racks join the rail in whatever order the workflow requires: high-turnover stock nearest the processing line, long-term inventory further back. As order patterns change, the sequence on the rail changes with them. This flexibility separates a storage system from a fixed installation that becomes obsolete as the product mix shifts.
Daily operation sequence
A typical cycle runs in five steps. The PLC receives the order and moves the correct rack group to the opening position. The telescopic arm extends and presents the bundle at the aisle edge. The overhead crane or vacuum lifter lifts the material clear. The arm retracts, and the rack group closes once the pick is confirmed. The next order starts the sequence again, usually while the previous bundle is already moving to the saw or press.
Faster material cycles
In a processing environment, storage time is downtime. The telescopic arms cut cycle time in two ways: the rack presents the bundle at the aisle edge, so the crane does not have to reach deep into the bay, and the moving aisle eliminates travel across the hall. Herochu’s Siemens PLC control sequences rack movement, and optional WMS integration can stage the next bundle while the current one is being processed. Over a shift, the saved minutes add up to significantly more tons handled.
Safety features
Moving multi-ton bundles calls for predictable machine behavior. Rack travel is speed-limited to 1-5 m/min, the carriage positions at 27 mm/s, and safety interlocks stop movement if an operator enters the aisle. Emergency stops are placed at each rack group, and end stops prevent over-travel. Mechanized movement also removes the manual pulling that causes back and shoulder injuries in steel handling.
Built for heavy service
Herochu engineers the system for continuous industrial use. The structure is Q235B high-strength steel, the rails are precision ground and the carriages are heavy duty. Production at Jinan Constant Storage Machinery Co., Ltd. follows ISO 9001 procedures, and the equipment is CE certified. Zinc anti-rust coating is offered for corrosive environments, and the drives are sized for repeated daily cycling.
| Parameter | HC-G6053EM-5 | HC-G9055EM-7 | HC-G12065EM-7 |
| Pipe length | 6,000 mm | 9,000 mm | 12,000 mm |
| Number of layers | 5 (customizable) | 5 (customizable) | 6 (customizable) |
| Max. load per level | 3,000 kg | 5,000 kg | 5,000 kg |
| Number of racks | 5 towers (customizable) | 7 towers (customizable) | 7 towers (customizable) |
| Carriage speed | 27 mm/s | ||
| Racking travel speed | 1-5 m/min | ||
| Material discharge method | Electric assistance | ||
| Control method | Siemens PLC | ||
Standard builds start at 6,000 mm pipe length with five layers, scale to 9,000 mm at five layers, and reach 12,000 mm at six layers, with per-level ratings of 3,000 to 5,000 kg and rack counts from five to seven towers per group. Every parameter adapts to the site, so the system grows with the business rather than limiting it.
Low-ceiling facilities included
Not every steel service center has high bays. Track-mounted telescopic racks build density from the floor plan, so low-clearance halls and rented buildings are fully usable. The open rack faces give a wide field of view for stock checks, and the absence of fixed aisles means the layout can be rearranged as the product mix changes. Warehouses with limited space and low height gain the same utilization benefits as large halls, at a fraction of the building cost.
Integration with processing lines
The racks work as a staging buffer, not just a store. Bundles can be pre-positioned near saws, laser cutting tables and plasma lines, so the processing machine never waits on material. When production demands change, the rack layout follows: move the rails, reassign the arms, and the storage block serves the new line.
Track-mounted telescopic cantilever racks bring storage into the material flow instead of standing in its way. If your steel pipe and profile handling is limited by aisle space and crane reach, send Herochu your profile list, bundle weights and bay dimensions. The engineering team will return a layout and a cycle-time comparison for your line.
