A 6-meter bundle of square or round tube commonly weighs 3 tons — roughly twenty pieces of 150 mm square hollow section, or thirty lengths of 114 mm round pipe. Pulling that much steel out of a static rack by hand is not realistic, and moving it with a fork truck means driving into the rack bay every time. The Herochu 3 ton capacity pipe storage rack solves the problem at the source: the arms are rated for the full bundle, and a motorized layer carries the load to the aisle. This article covers the load rating, the one-button electric operation, the bundle geometry, and the safety systems.
A rack rated for the full 3 tons
The rack is built with arm ratings of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 tons, so the 3-ton version carries a full 6-meter bundle on a single arm pair without splitting the bundle. The frame is thickened Q235 cold-rolled steel, selected for the same reason as in bridge and crane work: predictable strength under repeated heavy cycles. Column height runs from 2.0 to 6.0 meters, and the number of layers from 2 to 6, so a 3-ton-per-arm rack still stacks several tiers of material. Because each arm is rated individually, the rack handles mixed tiers — a 3-ton bundle on the lower level, lighter stock above — without recalculating the whole structure.
One-button electric operation
Operation is electric motor drive with button control. The operator presses a button, the selected layer extends at 0.1–0.2 m/s, and the bundle arrives at the aisle edge with the crane or fork truck waiting. The drive replaces the manual effort of pushing or winching a 3-ton load, which is the difference between a one-person operation and a two- or three-person operation. The extension speed is deliberately moderate — fast enough to keep the picking cycle short, slow enough that the load never lurches. Power supply is 380 V, 50 Hz, three-phase, with the control panel positioned at the end of the rack for a clear view of the aisle.
Matched to 6-meter square and round tube bundles
Cantilever extension length runs from 1.0 to 3.0 meters, which covers the bundle widths in common use: a stacked 6-meter square tube bundle spreads wider than a round pipe bundle of the same piece count, and the arm length is set to match. Layer pitch is set from bundle height, so the 3-ton bundle sits in its own tier with clearance above — no scraping, no re-stacking to make room. Pipe material length options are 3m, 6m, 9m, or 12m, so the rack geometry and the 6-meter bundle are matched at order time rather than approximated on site.
Multiple safety protection devices
A rack that moves 3-ton bundles needs protection beyond a strong frame. The standard fit includes limit switches at the end of travel, anti-drop catches that engage if a moving arm is unloaded unevenly, and overload protection that stops the drive before the rated load is exceeded. The interlocking fixed-arm structure also resists fatigue: the telescopic segments overlap along their full engagement length, spreading the bending load and preventing the deformation that appears after years of heavy pulls. Safety devices are checked in the factory test run and marked on the machine documentation. Herochu tests every rack through a no-load and rated-load run before shipping.
Configurations for different bundle mixes
| Item | Automatic type |
|---|---|
| Maximum load capacity of one arm | 0.5 T / 1.0 T / 2.0 T / 3.0 T |
| Cantilever extension length | 1.0 m–3.0 m or customized |
| Number of layers | 2–6 layers or customized |
| Pipe material length | 3m / 6m / 9m / 12m or customized |
| Column height | 2.0 m–6.0 m or customized |
| Operation method | Motor drive + button control |
| Power supply | 380 V, 50 Hz, 3 phase |
| Extension speed | 0.1–0.2 m/s |
The rack is specified from three numbers: bundle weight, bundle width, and the number of sizes in stock. From those, the arm rating, extension length, layer pitch, and column height are set — the remaining parameters follow the standard grid. Herochu delivers the rack with the drive, control panel, and safety devices wired and tested, ready for a single power connection.
Where a 3-ton rack changes the workflow
The clearest fit is a steel service center or tube processing line that receives full bundles and picks by size. Instead of cutting straps in the yard and carrying loose lengths into the shop, the crane places the whole bundle on the extended arms, the layer retracts, and the bundle stays intact until the line calls for it. The same rack removes the heaviest manual job in a pipe store — pulling a 3-ton bundle sideways by hand — which is the step most often cited in back-injury reports from tube warehouses.
FAQ
Can the rack hold different weights on different layers? Yes. Each arm is rated individually, and the layer capacity is set per tier from the material plan.
What happens during a power failure? The layer stops in position and the anti-drop catches hold the arms. A manual release option is available for maintenance access.
Is the 3-ton rating per arm or per layer? Per arm. A pair of 3-ton arms carries 6 tons, and the frame and column are engineered for the worst-case loading on any tier.
Set the rack up around your bundle weights
Send Herochu the bundle weights, bundle widths, and stock lengths for your 6-meter square and round tube inventory, and the rack is engineered to match — 3-ton arm rating, motorized extension, and safety devices included as standard. Contact Herochu for a layout drawing and a load calculation for your tube bundles.
