In steel service centers, laser job shops, and OEM fabrication plants, the handling of heavy plate consumes labor hours and exposes operators to injury risks that accumulate over thousands of retrieval cycles. Herochu’s heavy duty electric roll-out rack for sheet metal storage addresses both concerns through motorized drawer operation and structural engineering that prioritizes long-term reliability over short-term cost reduction.
Electric Roll-Out: Operational Reality
The defining feature of this system is the electric drive that moves each loaded drawer from the rack frame to the aisle. A remote control activates the drawer, which travels at controlled speed and stops precisely at full extension. For a 3,000 kg drawer carrying 3000×1500 mm plate, this eliminates the manual effort—and the second operator—required by crank-out or manual-pull alternatives . The drawer remains stable at full extension, allowing the crane operator to engage the load without waiting for the drawer to settle or risking movement during the lift.
Structural Foundation: Q235B Steel with Dual-Beam Crossbar
The frame is constructed from Q235B high-strength steel, a material specification chosen for its weldability, toughness, and consistent mechanical properties under cyclic loading. The dual-beam crossbar design distributes drawer loads across the full rack width, preventing the localized stress concentrations that cause weld fatigue in single-beam configurations. Thickened steel sections at drawer carriage attachment points resist deformation under years of heavy use. The zinc-coated surface treatment provides corrosion protection that outlasts painted finishes in environments where humidity and chemical exposure are unavoidable.
Load Capacity Across the Model Range
Herochu’s HC-B series covers sheet formats from 3000×1500 mm to 12000×2500 mm, with per-layer capacities of 3,000 kg for standard models and 5,000 kg to 20,000 kg for heavy-duty configurations . The flagship HC-B12025E-520 model accommodates 12-meter plate at 20 tons per layer, serving shipyards and heavy structural fabricators whose material dimensions exceed the range of conventional storage equipment. For mid-range applications, the HC-B4020E-63 handles 4000×2000 mm plate at 3,000 kg per layer across six customizable tiers. Each model shares the same structural philosophy: the frame is overbuilt relative to nominal load, so the rack retains its geometry even when operators occasionally exceed rated capacity.
Material Protection and Surface Integrity
Heavy plate is not immune to damage. Edge denting from forklift contact, surface scratching from drawer travel, and rust transfer from contaminated storage surfaces all reduce the value of inventory before it reaches the cutting table. Herochu fits each drawer with inclined plastic supports that hold sheets flat and isolated from the steel frame. These supports prevent sliding during drawer acceleration and deceleration, and they eliminate metal-to-metal contact that produces abrasion on pickled, galvanized, or pre-painted stock. For aluminum and stainless sheet, this protection preserves the surface finish that downstream processes—welding, anodizing, painting—depend upon.
Integration with Existing Material Flow
The electric roll-out rack is designed to interface with overhead cranes, forklifts, and vacuum lifters without requiring modification to handling equipment. The drawer extends into the aisle at a height compatible with standard crane hook approach, and the full-extension design exposes the entire sheet surface for direct engagement. For automated cells, Herochu offers optional interface plates and control integration that allow the rack to communicate with laser shuttle tables or robotic loading systems. The heavy duty electric roll-out rack for sheet metal storage is not a standalone island of automation—it is a component designed to function within the material handling ecosystem already present in the facility. Herochu provides layout drawings, load calculations, and commissioning support to ensure that integration proceeds without production interruption.
