Flexible Manufacturing System Storage & Access for Laser Machines

Flexible manufacturing system (FMS) is a loaded term in metalworking, but for laser cutting it comes down to one practical question: can the machines keep cutting while the mix of jobs, materials, and plate sizes changes around them? In most shops the answer is no, because feeding is manual. Every changeover means stopping the machine, re-stacking plate, and repositioning the loader. The Herochu flexible manufacturing system storage and access solution removes that constraint. A double-tower plate warehouse and a composite truss manipulator serve two laser machines from one control architecture, and the operator switches between machines, modes, and feeding directions from a touchscreen.

One Manipulator Line, Two Laser Machines

The Herochu system is configured for full-automatic one-to-two loading and unloading: one manipulator line feeds and unloads two laser cutting machines. An operation box sits next to each laser machine, and the operator freely switches automatic feeding between the two machines from that box. If one machine is down for tooling or maintenance, the manipulator simply concentrates on the other. If both are running, the controller balances the feed between them. The double-tower warehouse on the storage side of the Herochu unit holds the plate program for both machines, so switching which machine receives material does not require moving anything on the floor. Unloading follows the same logic: finished parts are reclaimed from both tables into the finished material truck, so neither machine stops to wait for a forklift.

Automatic and Manual Modes on One Touchscreen

Not every job belongs in a fully automatic cycle. Prototype parts, odd-shaped remnants, or one-off plates may be easier to load by hand. The Herochu system handles both working states through the touchscreen: automatic feeding mode and manual feeding mode are switched with a few taps, without reconfiguring the PLC or stopping production for long. All settings, monitoring, and debugging are done by hand on the screen as well, which makes day-to-day operation quick even for staff who are new to automation. The same interface that runs the automatic cycle can hand control back to a crane operator for the jobs that need human judgment. The screen also centralizes monitoring: cycle counts, fault messages, and manipulator position are visible at a glance, and most debugging is done from the screen without stopping the line.

Rotation and Traverse for Transverse and Longitudinal Feeding

Plate does not always enter the cutting table in the same orientation. Some programs want the long edge leading; others want it crosswise. The manipulator on the Herochu unit uses a pneumatic rotating structure that turns the plate 90 degrees, so transverse and longitudinal feeding requirements are both covered without repositioning the pallet or the machine. Traverse movement comes from a high-speed variable frequency motor, which gives fast transfer between warehouse and table and keeps repeated positioning accurate across thousands of cycles. The vacuum suction cups that grip the plate are switched individually and their relative positions can be adjusted within a set range, so the same gripper adapts to full plates, strips, and thin gauge material. Each cup has its own control switch, which means the gripping layout is changed on the controller rather than by bolting on a new tool.

Storage and Access That Scale With the Product Mix

Flexibility also means the storage side has to accept what the production plan throws at it. The Herochu double-tower warehouse is specified in standard plate sizes of 3 x 1.5 m, 4 x 1.5 m, and 4 x 2 m, with layer counts from 8 to 13 and load bearing of 3 t or 5 t per layer. Single plate loads range from 300 kg to 3,000 kg, and every figure is customizable. A shop that runs multiple thicknesses can allocate separate layers to each grade, so the FMS does not force a changeover every time the material changes. As the product mix grows, the tower can be specified larger from the start or adjusted at ordering time, and the manipulator’s control system is set up to handle the additional combinations without rework.

From Storage to Finished Parts Without a Forklift

The material path inside a Herochu one-to-two cell is short and deliberate. Inbound plates are booked into the double-tower warehouse, where they wait in dedicated layers. When a cutting program starts, the PLC issues the correct plate, the manipulator separates it with the air-blowing and vibration modules, rotates it if the program needs transverse feeding, and places it on the active table. After the program finishes, the same manipulator unloads the skeleton and parts onto the finished material truck. A forklift is involved only at the batch boundaries, receiving raw plate and removing finished loads, never individual sheets. That single change removes the most repetitive and injury-prone work in a cutting shop, and it also removes the waiting that happens when a machine finishes a program and no one is free to clear the table.

Access Without Reworking the Shop

An FMS does not have to mean a new building. The Herochu unit is delivered as a coordinated set, storage warehouse, gantry truss, manipulator, finished material truck, and PLC, and it is positioned around your existing laser cutting machines. The PLC is designed to sync with the machine’s own control, so the system integrates into the workflow rather than replacing it. Centralized three-dimensional storage, automatic sheet separation, automatic feeding, and automatic blanking all run from the same controller, which keeps the material flow predictable from the first day of operation. Air-blowing and vibration modules separate thin or sticky plates before they reach the table, so the changeover from one grade to the next does not introduce double-sheet errors.

Flexibility That Pays for Itself

Flexible manufacturing system storage and access for laser machines should make production more responsive, not more complicated. The Herochu one-to-two configuration, touchscreen mode switching, and 90-degree plate rotation give a shop the ability to change jobs, materials, and feeding directions without stopping the floor. Labor intensity drops because plate handling no longer depends on operators, and the laser machines spend more of the day actually cutting. Send Herochu your machine layout and job mix, and the team will map the tower configuration and mode strategy to your production plan.