Frequently asked questions of Automated Storage For Long Materials
Can the rack system feed a laser automatically? It presents material at the outfeed in a controlled position. Automated final transfer depends on the machine loader, and Herochu specifies that interface with the machine builder.
How does it handle mixed alloys of the same size? Through pocket allocation and WMS records: columns are reserved by material family, and request logic refuses a pick that does not match the alloy and heat number on the order.
What length range is practical? Stock frames cover 6,000 mm to 8,000 mm, 5 to 8 layers, 3,000 kg to 5,000 kg per level. Longer material is engineered per project.
Does it suit a shop with one laser and a hundred bundles? It suits a shop where retrieval time is a real constraint. At low pick frequency a well-organized cantilever layout may be cheaper, and Herochu quotes both.
How is the machine protected from a wrong pick? By WMS request logic, load confirmation at the fork and a check at the outfeed: a bundle that does not match the job is not released.
What is the maximum length a gantry ASRS can store? Stock frames cover 6,000 mm to 8,000 mm; longer bays are engineered per project. The practical limit is usually building length and rail cost, not the structure.
Can one gantry serve two rack rows? Yes, with the corridor between rows, though most long-material installations stay single-sided because a 7 m load needs fork-side clearance.
How is a 5,000 kg level capacity verified? By design calculation and a load test before handover. The figure assumes a distributed bundle load, so single heavy beams must be declared at quotation.
Does it work in an unheated shop? Yes. Cabinet and drive components are specified for the plant’s ambient range, and the steel structure is unaffected within normal industrial limits. Positioning is what needs checking on very long rails.
What maintenance does it need? Rail alignment checks, chain and drive inspection, sensor cleaning, and periodic verification of the position model. The WMS logs every fault for trend analysis.
How tall does a vertical tower need to be? Height follows layer count and material depth. A five-layer tower for 6 m profiles is much shorter than an eight-layer tower for 8 m beams, and both must clear the building structure by a working margin.
Can a tower store short offcuts? Yes. Some pockets can accept short and loose material alongside full-length bays, which suits the remnants a cutting line produces.
Is an automated tower justified for a small plant? It depends on pick frequency and material value. A plant retrieving stock several times a shift, or storing alloys that must be traceable, recovers the cost faster than one with a weekly delivery.
What about surface protection for coated aluminum? Contact faces, fork profiles and arm covers are specified for the finish; handling discipline at the infeed matters more than the tower itself.
Does the tower need a dedicated operator? No. The cycle runs from a WMS request or the touchscreen, and the operator supervises rather than drives.
Can the rack system feed a laser automatically? It presents material at the outfeed in a controlled position. Automated final transfer depends on the machine loader, and Herochu specifies that interface with the machine builder.
How does it handle mixed alloys of the same size? Through pocket allocation and WMS records: columns are reserved by material family, and request logic refuses a pick that does not match the alloy and heat number on the order.
What length range is practical? Stock frames cover 6,000 mm to 8,000 mm, 5 to 8 layers, 3,000 kg to 5,000 kg per level. Longer material is engineered per project.
Does it suit a shop with one laser and a hundred bundles? It suits a shop where retrieval time is a real constraint. At low pick frequency a well-organized cantilever layout may be cheaper, and Herochu quotes both.
How is the machine protected from a wrong pick? By WMS request logic, load confirmation at the fork and a check at the outfeed: a bundle that does not match the job is not released.
