Herochu Sheet-Metal Plate Suction Crane Pneumatic Manipulator
Custom-built for your workshop from $1,698 – CE, EU, ISO 9001 certified
When every second of cycle time costs money and every scratch on a premium sheet is a write-off, the Herochu HC-PR cantilever manipulator becomes the fastest, safest pair of hands you will ever hire. Engineered around a feather-weight pneumatic cantilever and a modular vacuum beam, the unit lifts, tilts, rotates and lowers ferrous and non-ferrous plates up to 4 m long and 1 000 kg heavy—yet the operator feels only fingertip force on the guide handle. No overhead bridge, no chain hoist, no pendant control; just continuous, three-dimensional float that follows the natural movement of a human wrist.
Zero-gravity handling, industrial stamina
A precision regulator charges dual-circuit vacuum tanks while a proportional valve balances load weight against cylinder pressure. The result is genuine zero-gravity: release the handle and the panel remains suspended at the exact height and angle you leave it, even if the shop air line is severed. An independent mechanical check valve holds the load for a minimum of five minutes—long enough to trigger the audible low-vacuum alarm and bring the crane to a controlled stop. The anti-collision ring built into the suction beam prevents costly “kiss” marks on polished stainless or pre-painted stock.
One crane, three control philosophies
Choose the control package that matches your safety matrix:
- Pure pneumatic logic – intrinsically safe for ATEX zones, no electricity required.
- 24 V DC electric/pneumatic hybrid – adds push-button vacuum release and green-go indicator lamps.
- Full PLC bus – integrates with CNC loading doors, safety light-curtains and central MES feedback.
All three systems mount on the same column and share identical wearing parts, so you can upgrade from manual to fully automated without replacing the mast or boom.
Column-to-cup modularity
The mast is a single-piece, robot-welded S355 steel tube, stress-relieved and machined to ±0.1 mm concentricity. Bolt it to a 19 mm floor plate or core-drill anchor and you have 270° powered slew with a sealed slew bearing rated for 100 000 cycles between greasing. The extruded aluminium arm telescopes in two stages—manual or powered extension—so the same crane can service two adjacent laser beds or a punch/laser combination. Swap the vacuum beam in under two minutes: eight-cup 200 mm configuration for 3 mm aluminium façade cassettes; ten-cup 250 mm array for 20 mm hot-rolled plate going into a plasma table. Quick-lock cam levers mean no tools, no shims, no re-calibration.
Real numbers from real factories
In a 24-hour HVAC ductwork line outside Milan, the HC-PR4020-500 replaced two operators with one and cut average sheet cycle time from 2 min 14 s to 47 s. In a Polish white-goods plant, scratch-related rejections fell from 1.8 % to 0.06 % within the first quarter. ROI averaged 7.4 months across twelve audited installations.
Specification overview
| Model | Max plate size | Max load | Cups | Min plate | Air @ 6 bar | Sound level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HC-PR3015-300 | 3 000 × 1 250 mm | 300 kg | 8 × Ø200 | 1 250 × 1 250 mm | 280 Nl/min | 62 dB(A) |
| HC-PR3015-500 | 3 000 × 1 250 mm | 500 kg | 8 × Ø200 | 1 250 × 1 250 mm | 420 Nl/min | 62 dB(A) |
| HC-PR3015-1000 | 3 000 × 1 250 mm | 1 000 kg | 10 × Ø250 | 1 250 × 1 250 mm | 650 Nl/min | 64 dB(A) |
| HC-PR4020-300 | 4 000 × 1 250 mm | 300 kg | 8 × Ø200 | 1 250 × 1 250 mm | 280 Nl/min | 62 dB(A) |
| HC-PR4020-500 | 4 000 × 1 250 mm | 500 kg | 8 × Ø200 | 1 250 × 1 250 mm | 420 Nl/min | 62 dB(A) |
All models lift 600 mm above floor level and lower to 150 mm above the collecting table. Repeatability ±1 mm, rotation 360° continuous on request.
Built for your workflow, not the brochure
Send us your CAD layout and we will return a reach study, slew envelope and floor-load calculation within 24 hours. Need food-grade silicone cups for brushed stainless? Done. Need spark-resistant bronze casters for explosive paint booths? Done. We keep blank extrusion, anodised beams and vacuum pumps in stock at our EU and North-American warehouses, so most custom configurations ship in under ten working days. Remote FAT, on-site commissioning and operator training are included in the list price; extended five-year air-component warranty is optional.
Compliance you can quote to your insurer
The entire crane is CE marked under EN 13155 (non-fixed load lifting attachments) and EN 1493 (manipulators for industrial use). Vacuum circuits pass ISO 9001:2015 inspection; electrical panels carry UL508A certification for North-American plants. A printed Declaration of Conformity and maintenance schedule is delivered with every unit.
Order today, lift tomorrow
Herochu keeps demonstration units in Rotterdam, Chicago and Dubai. Book a live test with your worst-case sheet—sharp edges, oily surface, 4 m length—and leave the forklift in the yard. If the HC-PR cannot lift it faster and safer than your current method, we will pay for your flight. Otherwise, place the PO and take the crane back the same afternoon.
Stop renting injuries and scratched metal. Fit a Herochu sheet-metal plate suction crane and let air do the heavy work while your people add the value.
