Hand Cranked Pipe Racks and Storage Systems – Customizable Crank Out Cantilever Rack by Herochu

Not every pipe storage requirement fits into a standard catalog. Some facilities need to store 40-foot rails alongside 8-foot tubes. Others require a Hand Cranked Pipe Rack that can be disassembled and moved to a new production line. Many demand a Crank Out Cantilever Rack that combines heavy load capacity with the flexibility of adjustable arm spacing. Herochu has built its reputation on exactly these non-standard applications, offering Hand Cranked Pipe Racks and Storage Systems that are 100% customizable from the base plate to the tip stop.

The Herochu design philosophy starts with the understanding that Crank Type Pipe Rack systems must integrate seamlessly with existing material handling equipment. If your plant uses overhead cranes with 10-foot hook heights, there is no benefit to a rack that requires a 15-foot hook. If your forklifts have 48-inch fork lengths, the rack’s arm extension should match or slightly exceed that dimension. Herochu engineers collect these operational parameters before drawing the first line, ensuring that the final Heavy duty Hand-cranked Crank-Out Rack fits your workflow rather than forcing you to adapt.

Core specifications provide a starting point. Single-layer load-bearing capacity is 3 to 8 tons, with the actual number determined by arm depth (20, 24, 30, or 36 inches) and the number of load points per arm. Color options include white and blue as standard, with custom colors available at a modest upcharge. Number of layers ranges from 4 to 12, but Herochu has produced racks with up to 16 layers for lightweight aluminum storage. The material is always carbon steel, though stainless steel versions can be quoted for corrosive environments such as chemical plants or marine applications. Bottom floor height from ground is 330 mm – a dimension chosen to allow pallet jack access and floor cleaning equipment.

Movement mode is critical to aisle planning. Single-side assisted racks extend arms on only one side of the upright, making them ideal for wall-mounted or back-to-back configurations. Double-side assisted racks extend arms on both sides, effectively creating two independent storage zones within the same upright footprint. Herochu also offers a sequenced double-side assisted mode where one side must be fully retracted before the other can extend – a safety feature for narrow aisles where simultaneous extension would cause interference.

The Hand Cranked Tube Storage Racks from Herochu excel at mixed inventory. With adjustable stock dividers (either all-welded for permanent separation or adjustable for reconfiguration), a single rack can store multiple diameters without mixing. For example, a 4-layer rack might store 4-inch pipes on the bottom layer, 2-inch tubes on the second, 1-inch bars on the third, and small conduits on the top. Each layer can have different divider spacing, arm stop heights, and even different arm depths if the rack is custom-built with tiered arms.

Material compatibility is exceptionally broad: steel pipes, aluminum profiles, bars, rods, shafts, channels, angles, beams, sheets, plates, rails, square tubes, round bars, flat bars, and any other long or irregular-shaped material. For sheet and plate storage, Herochu offers roll-out shelf variants that provide up to 100% extension, similar to the crank-out arms but designed for wide, flat materials. These roll-out shelves are often used in metal service centers that handle both pipe and plate.

UHMW lining is an option that Herochu strongly recommends for any facility storing finished or coated products. The polyethylene lining has a low coefficient of friction, allowing pipes to slide without scratching, and it also dampens noise when metal contacts metal. For high-temperature applications (e.g., storing hot-rolled bars that have not fully cooled), Herochu can substitute UHMW with heat-resistant nylon or ceramic-coated steel arms.

The Industrial Crank-Out Pipe Racks industry has seen many manufacturers come and go, but Herochu has sustained its position through continuous engineering improvement. The current generation of crank mechanisms features a self-locking worm gear that cannot back-drive – meaning even if the crank handle is released under full load, the arms will not retract or extend on their own. This is a critical safety difference compared to spur-gear designs used by some competitors.

Installation of a Heavy duty pipe storage Rack from Herochu is typically completed by the customer’s maintenance team using the provided anchor bolt template and assembly drawings. Each rack ships partially pre-assembled, with uprights, base plates, arms, and crank mechanisms packed separately to fit through standard doorways. Herochu offers optional on-site installation supervision for an additional fee, but the modular design ensures that a competent rigging crew can complete assembly within two days for a typical 12-section rack system.

Applications across industries demonstrate the versatility of Herochu systems. In steel pipe manufacturing, racks are positioned directly downstream of the cutting line, allowing finished pipes to be craned directly onto the rack arms. In heavy machinery, racks store hydraulic cylinder barrels and piston rods adjacent to assembly stations. In aluminum profile processing, racks with UHMW-lined arms hold finished extrusions awaiting anodizing. In shipbuilding, racks organize curved ribs and stringers near the welding bays. In metal fabrication, racks serve as raw material supermarkets for CNC saws and laser cutters.

When comparing Heavy Duty Hand Cranked Long Pipe Rack systems from different vendors, Herochu encourages buyers to examine three specific areas: the crank gearbox material (cast iron vs. aluminum – cast iron is heavier but more durable), the arm roller bearings (sealed vs. unsealed – sealed last longer in dusty environments), and the locking pin mechanism (spring-loaded vs. manual – spring-loaded reduces operator error). Herochu uses cast iron gearboxes, sealed ball bearings, and spring-loaded locking pins as standard, with no upcharge.

Customization extends to arm tip stop heights, available from 8 inches to 24 inches in one-inch increments. A 24-inch stop is necessary for storing large-diameter pipes (e.g., 20-inch OD concrete pipe) to prevent rolling over the end. A 8-inch stop is sufficient for small bars or tubes. Herochu can also mix stop heights on the same rack – for example, 24-inch stops on the bottom layer for large pipes and 12-inch stops on upper layers for smaller tubes.

Intermediate supports are another customization feature. For material lengths over 20 feet, Herochu recommends adding steel supports between uprights. These supports are basically additional load-bearing elements that span the gap, preventing the stored pipes from sagging under their own weight. Without intermediate supports, a 40-foot pipe stored on arms 30 feet apart would deflect significantly in the middle, potentially bending the pipe or causing it to roll toward the center.

For facilities that need to store both pipes and smaller components, Herochu can integrate shelf panels or wire decking on top of the arm structures, creating a two-tier storage system. The top tier (above the highest crank-out arm) can be used for static storage of boxes, fittings, or tools, while the crank-out arms below handle the long materials. This hybrid design maximizes cubic space utilization.

To order a Hand Cranked Pipe Racks and Storage Systems from Herochu, use the quote request form available through the company’s sales channels. Be prepared to specify: number of layers, arm depth per layer, material length range, maximum load per layer, single or double-sided configuration, color preference, UHMW lining required or not, and any special environmental conditions (outdoor, high humidity, chemical exposure). Herochu will respond with a CAD drawing, a detailed specification sheet, and a firm price including delivery to your facility. Typical lead times are quoted at the time of order based on current fabrication backlog.

In summary, the Herochu line of Crank Out Cantilever Rack systems represents the intersection of heavy engineering and user-centric design. From the 3-ton light-duty configurations to the 8-ton heavy-duty variants, from 4-layer compact units to 12-layer high-bay systems, there is a Herochu solution for nearly every long-material storage need. The hand-cranked operation remains the gold standard for reliability, safety, and independence from power sources – a fact that maintenance managers and safety officers appreciate every day.