The Herochu Smart Automatic Steel Vertical Sheet Metal & Plate Storage System is built for metal fabrication operations that have outgrown floor stacking and manual retrieval. It replaces the conventional “find it on the ground, drag it with a forklift” workflow with a PLC-controlled vertical tower that classifies, stores, and delivers plates on demand. For fabrication shops processing carbon steel, stainless, and aluminum daily, the Herochu system functions less as a storage rack and more as a material logistics hub that connects receiving, storage, and production feeding into one continuous flow.
Core Capabilities
The system operates through a PLC touchscreen interface. An operator selects the required plate specification or inventory code, and the tower automatically retrieves the corresponding tray from its storage level and delivers it to the extraction point. No one needs to enter the storage zone, and no manual searching is required. This one-touch retrieval compresses material locating from the typical ten-to-fifteen-minute floor search into a retrieval cycle measured in under a minute.
Real-time inventory visibility is embedded into the storage process itself. Each plate is weighed and recorded on entry, with dimensions, weight, and quantity updated automatically as material moves in and out. The touchscreen displays current stock status without requiring manual counting. For operations that must trace material by batch or heat number, this eliminates the two most common causes of production delay: discovering mid-job that the required plate is not actually in stock, and ordering replacement material that was already sitting somewhere on the floor.
Herochu integrates with existing factory ERP and WMS platforms through standard data interfaces. When a production order is released, the system can confirm material availability, reserve the required plates, and queue them for retrieval. Consumption data flows back to ERP in real time, so material planners query the system rather than walking the floor or calling the warehouse.
Equipment Compatibility
The loading and unloading stations are designed around how fabrication shops actually move material. Herochu systems accept direct forklift and overhead crane access without requiring dedicated handling equipment. The extraction platform height accommodates both crane slings and forklift forks, and adjustable support legs with leveling feet compensate for floor irregularities that would otherwise affect positioning accuracy over years of operation.
Technical Parameters
| Model | HC-S3015-63 | HC-S4015-85 | HC-S4020-85 | HC-S6020-105 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet Size | 3000×1500mm | 4000×1500mm | 4000×2000mm | 6000×2000mm |
| Layers | 6 (Customizable) | 8 (Customizable) | 8 (Customizable) | 10 (Customizable) |
| Max Load per Layer | 3000kg | 5000kg | 5000kg | 5000kg |
| Clear Space | 350mm (Customizable) | |||
| Transfer Speed | 5-15 m/min | |||
| Repeatability | ±2mm |
Space Economics
For fabrication shops in industrial parks where floor area commands a premium, the Herochu vertical tower delivers its most tangible return through footprint compression. A single seven-level tower consolidates sheet stock that would otherwise occupy several hundred square meters of floor space across multiple staging areas. The reclaimed area can be reassigned to additional processing equipment, staging buffers, or material flow corridors that reduce travel distance between operations. This indirect benefit often exceeds the direct savings from reduced material damage or labor hours.
Surface Protection
Plate surface integrity is an underestimated cost driver in shops handling stainless, aluminum, or pre-primed material. Stacked storage introduces scratch risk at every contact point, and long-term compression can deform thinner gauges. Herochu stores each plate on an independent tray, eliminating plate-to-plate contact during storage. The retrieval mechanism moves trays via linear guide rails and chain drive, keeping handling equipment away from the material surface. For shops producing visible or cosmetic parts, this protection alone justifies the investment.
