Automated Storage Systems for Long Materials

Herochu Automated Storage Systems for Long Materials: Engineering a New Era of Industrial Efficiency

In the landscape of industrial manufacturing and large-scale material distribution, the storage and handling of long materials represent a significant and costly challenge. Facilities managing metal rods, structural beams, piping, extruded plastics, and bundled profiles contend with immense floor space consumption, escalating labor expenses, and persistent safety concerns inherent in manual handling processes. Traditional methods, reliant on overhead cranes, forklifts, and manual labor, are not only inefficient but also create bottlenecks that constrain productivity and inflate operational costs.

Herochu confronts these industrial-scale challenges with a definitive engineering solution: the Automated Storage System for Long Materials. This is not a simple storage rack; it is a fully integrated, computer-managed material handling ecosystem designed to automate the entire process from receiving to dispatch. Representing a transformative investment in operational infrastructure, this system begins at $42,000 and is meticulously customizable to the specific dimensions, volume, and workflow of your workshop or factory. As a CE, EU, and ISO 9001 certified system, it meets the highest international standards for safety, quality, and performance, ensuring reliability and compliance for global operations.

Deconstructing the System: A Symphony of Integrated Components

The Herochu Automated Storage System operates on the principle of seamless integration, where each component performs a critical function within a synchronized whole.

The Loading and Unloading Gantry System: This is the dynamic heart of the operation. Functioning as a fully automated, heavy-duty bridge crane, the gantry travels on precision-engineered guide rails that run the entire length of the storage aisle. It is equipped with a specialized lifting mechanism designed to securely engage with material carriers. Its primary role is the autonomous transfer of profiles between the storage racks and the input/output stations, executing commands with unwavering precision and eliminating the variability and delay of human-operated machinery.

The Profile Material Racks: These form the robust, static backbone of the storage facility. Constructed from high-tensile strength steel, these multi-tiered rack structures are engineered for exceptional load-bearing capacity and long-term structural integrity. They are not passive shelves but an organized matrix of storage locations, each designed to hold material carriers at precise heights and intervals. The configuration, typically offering between 8 to 13 layers, is fully customizable to maximize the vertical cube of the facility, transforming unused overhead space into high-density storage.

The Material Carriers and Frames: These are the intelligent interfaces between the racking and the gantry. Each carrier is a robust, dedicated support structure that cradles a single item or a bundled load of long materials. They are designed for optimal stability during transport and storage, preventing shifting, bending, or damage to valuable inventory. The gantry system automatically engages with these carriers, lifting and moving them without any manual intervention, which ensures both safety and product integrity.

The Guide Rail System: This is the predefined pathway that orchestrates all movement. The rails are permanently installed onto the factory floor, providing a fixed and perfectly aligned track for the gantry system. This ensures smooth, accurate, and repeatable travel along the length of the storage aisle, guaranteeing that the gantry can position itself with millimeter accuracy over any designated storage location or transfer point.

Operational Workflow: Precision from Inbound to Outbound

The operational sequence demonstrates the system’s elegant efficiency. When a load of long materials arrives, it is placed onto a material carrier at a designated input station. The automated gantry system, receiving instructions from the central control software, travels to the input station. It automatically engages with the loaded carrier, lifts it, and then transports it along the guide rails to a pre-assigned storage location within the multi-level racking structure, depositing it with exacting precision.

The retrieval process is the reverse. Upon receiving a order or production request, the control system identifies the location of the required material. The gantry moves directly to that specific coordinate, retrieves the carrier, and delivers it to an output station for immediate use. This process occurs at remarkable speeds, with a vertical lifting speed of 9m/min and an inlet/outlet speed of 12m/min, ensuring a rapid flow of materials. The chain drive transmission mode, operating on linear guide rails, provides the powerful and reliable motive force required for these heavy-duty operations.

Quantifiable Advantages Driving Return on Investment

1. Unprecedented Access Speed and Inventory Turnover: The system eliminates search and travel time. The gantry moves directly to the exact storage location at high speeds, drastically reducing retrieval times from minutes to seconds. This accelerated throughput means faster fulfillment of orders and a more responsive production line, directly enhancing customer satisfaction and revenue potential.

2. Drastic Reduction in Labor Costs and Physical Strain: By automating the most physically demanding and time-consuming tasks, the system dramatically reduces reliance on skilled crane and forklift operators. A single employee can manage the entire storage and retrieval process from a control terminal, reallocating human resources to more value-added tasks while simultaneously eradicating the risks associated with manual heavy lifting and equipment operation.

3. Maximum Three-Dimensional Space Utilization: This is a fundamental shift from floor-based storage to volumetric efficiency. By storing materials vertically across multiple levels, the system can often double or triple storage capacity within the same factory footprint. This effectively delays or eliminates the need for costly facility expansions or relocations, representing an enormous capital saving.

4. Inherent Flexibility and Modular Scalability: The system’s modular design is a key advantage. The number of racks, the quantity of material carriers, and even the length of the guide rail system can be tailored initially to your current needs and budget. As your business grows, the system can be expanded in a modular fashion. Additional racking bays, more carriers, or extended rails can be integrated, protecting your initial investment and ensuring the system evolves with your operational demands.

5. Enhanced Safety and Inventory Control: Automation removes personnel from potentially hazardous material handling activities. The risk of accidents involving falling loads or equipment collisions is minimized. Furthermore, the integrated software provides complete digital inventory management in real-time, tracking every item’s location, status, and movement history. This eliminates lost inventory, simplifies auditing, and enables precise stock-level management.

Technical Specifications & Customization

The Herochu system is built to order around your specific requirements. The following table outlines standard specifications for key components, all of which can be modified.

Ideal Industrial Applications:

• Metal Service Centers: For storing and managing inventories of steel tubing, aluminum extrusions, bar stock, and structural steel (I-beams, H-beams, channel, angle iron).

• Large-Scale Fabrication Shops: For handling raw materials for production lines, ensuring JIT delivery of parts to cutting and machining centers.

• Aerospace and Automotive Manufacturing: For storing long, high-value composite materials, extrusions, and parts with requirements for traceability and damage prevention.

• Construction Material Suppliers: For efficient handling of lumber, rebar, PVC, and copper piping in large volumes.

• Plastics and Composite extrusion plants: For storing and retrieving long, finished extruded products.

A Certified Investment in Your Operational Future

The Herochu Automated Storage System is manufactured under the rigorous ISO 9001:2015 quality management system, guaranteeing every component meets exacting standards for durability and performance. Compliance with CE and EU machinery directives ensures the highest levels of operational safety for your workforce.

Move Beyond Manual Handling

Transitioning to automation is no longer a luxury for future-focused industries; it is a necessity for maintaining a competitive edge. The Herochu Automated Storage System for Long Materials provides a tangible pathway to reduce costs, enhance safety, unlock unused capacity, and build a more resilient, efficient, and profitable operation.

Contact our engineering consultants today for a comprehensive facility assessment and a detailed, customized proposal. Discover how a system starting at $42,000 can generate a rapid return on investment and redefine the potential of your workshop.