Automated Warehouse Storage & Retrieval System for Heavy-Duty Sheet Metal

Herochu Automated Warehouse Storage & Retrieval System for Heavy-Duty Sheet Metal
Store, Protect and Deliver 60 Tons of Sheet Metal in Under 90 Seconds—Starting at US $57,000

Every laser-cutting cell, CNC shear or robotic bending line is only as fast as the slowest step in the material flow. Herochu’s fully automated storage & retrieval system (AS/RS) removes that bottleneck by turning raw sheet inventory into an on-demand, high-density, high-precision supply chain that never sleeps. CE / ISO 9001 certified and engineered for 24/7 duty, the system is custom-configured from 3 015 mm to 6 025 mm in length, 8 to 13 vertical tiers, and 3 T or 5 T per layer—so you pay only for the exact cubic metres you need.

1. Three-Dimensional Density, Zero Floor-Space Expansion
   By stacking 8–13 layers inside a single freestanding tower, the system delivers up to 400 % more sheet capacity than block-stacking or traditional cantilever racks. A 5 T × 12-layer configuration stores 60 t of sheet metal in a footprint smaller than two pallets, freeing valuable floor area for additional machines, value-added processes, or future expansion.
2. Dual Loading Modes—Forklift or Overhead Crane
   Incoming sheets can be inducted by forklift (front or side) or lifted directly from an overhead crane with vacuum beams. Automatic pallet-centering guides and laser height sensors confirm correct placement before the carriage closes, eliminating manual alignment and reducing loading time to <30 s per lift.
3. PLC + Touch-Screen Command Centre
   At the heart of every Herochu tower sits a Siemens S7-1500 PLC and a 15-inch industrial HMI. Operators select programs, view real-time stock levels, or call up automatic “first-in-first-out” rules with two taps. Manual, semi-auto and fully automatic modes are password-protected to match operator skill levels and safety protocols.
4. Precision Motion—Linear Guide + Chain Drive
   Vertical lifting at 9 m/min and horizontal carriage travel at 12 m/min are powered by hardened chain drives running on THK linear rails. Absolute encoders guarantee ±1 mm repeatability, preventing sheet-to-sheet contact that causes scratches or coating damage. Soft-start VFD control lowers power draw by 22 % compared to conventional gear motors.
5. Weight & Thickness Detection on the Fly
   As each sheet is loaded, four load cells capture gross weight while through-beam lasers measure thickness to 0.1 mm. The PLC automatically assigns an optimal storage slot based on weight distribution, preventing tower imbalance and ensuring structural longevity.
6. Seamless Integration with Downstream Machines
   Herochu towers talk Modbus, Profibus and Ethernet IP natively. Connect directly to Trumpf, Bystronic, Amada or Mazak laser cutters and let MES software trigger automatic sheet retrieval the moment the previous nest is complete. Result: machine uptime increases 15–25 % and operator headcount drops by one full shift.
7. Safety That Exceeds CE Norms

• Category-4 safety light curtains at every access point
• Dual mechanical and electrical end stops on all axes
• Overload torque limiters disengage the drive if an obstruction is detected
• Fire-rated enclosure panels (EN 13501) optional for laser-cutting environments
• Emergency-stop rope runs the full height of the tower

1. Built by the Largest Steel-Plate Storage Manufacturer in Shandong
   Jinan Constant Storage Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd—parent company of the Herochu brand—has supplied more than 2 500 automated towers to military plants, automotive OEMs, appliance giants and food-packaging lines across 38 countries. Our in-house R&D team partners with leading laser-cutting machine builders to co-develop turnkey plate-handling and automatic loading/unloading solutions that meet 6S workshop standards.

Typical Configurations & Quick-Ship Options

• HC-SR-3015: 3 050 × 1 550 mm sheet size, 8 layers, 3 T/layer
• HC-SR-4020: 4 050 × 2 050 mm sheet size, 10 layers, 5 T/layer
• HC-SR-6025: 6 050 × 2 550 mm sheet size, 13 layers, 5 T/layer
  Length, height and layer spacing can be modified within ±300 mm at no extra engineering cost.

Installation & Global Support
Pre-wired modular sections arrive in four crates. A two-person crew can complete mechanical assembly in one day; electrical commissioning is done remotely via secure VPN. On-site training and CE conformity documentation are included. Spare parts depots in Chicago, Düsseldorf and Dubai guarantee <48-hour delivery anywhere on the planet.

ROI Snapshot (HC-SR-4020, 10-layer, 5 T/layer)

• Tower cost: US $67 500 (FOB Qingdao)
• Labor savings: 1.5 FTE × US $50 k/yr = US $75 k/yr
• Reduced scrap from handling damage: 2 % of US $1 M annual material = US $20 k/yr
• Increased laser utilization: +18 % output on a US $400 k machine = US $72 k/yr
  Payback: 8.7 months.

Industries Already Running Herochu AS/RS

• Military & defense (armor plate storage)
• Automotive body-in-white lines (blank on-demand)
• HVAC duct fabrication (galvanized sheet coils)
• White-goods manufacturing (stainless skins)
• Rail-car production (corrugated side panels)
• Petrochemical tank fabrication (carbon-steel plate up to 25 mm)

Your Next Step
Send us your machine list, sheet sizes and monthly tonnage. Within 24 hours our application engineers will return a 3-D layout, cycle-time simulation and firm quotation. Whether you run one laser or an entire lights-out sheet-metal factory, Herochu delivers the automated warehouse storage & retrieval system that keeps heavy-duty sheet metal moving—safely, efficiently and profitably.