Herochu Sheet-Metal Loading/Unloading Systems for Laser Cutting Machines
Custom-built for your workshop, CE/UE/ISO 9001 certified, from 1 698 USD
When every minute of beam-on time translates into revenue, the weakest link is no longer the laser source—it is the idle table waiting for the next sheet. Herochu eliminates that bottleneck with a family of sheet-metal loading/unloading systems engineered to keep your laser cutting centre fed, positioned and emptied at the pace the resonator was designed to run. Built in our own ISO 9001-accredited plant, each module is individually dimensioned for the aisle widths, ceiling height, sheet spectrum and cycle-time targets of a single customer: yours. Prices start at 1 698 USD for a manual-assist base frame; fully automated pneumatic-cantilever cells with servo swing-arm manipulators scale to 20 mm mild-steel capacity without re-tooling. Every configuration ships with CE and UE declarations of conformity, dual-language HMI and on-site FAT documentation so you can plug production into tomorrow’s schedule instead of next quarter’s.
1. Zero-Idle Laser Feeding, Re-Defined
A Herochu loading machine is not an “accessory”—it is the front half of your cutting process. The moment the previous nest exits, the system already presents the next blank to within ±0.2 mm of the programmed origin. Mechanical rake alignment, pneumatic micro-clamp and eight-zone vacuum matrix share positional data with the cutter’s own Cnc through a unified EtherCAT bus. The result: first-cut to last-cut time drops by 28–42 % in typical 4-hr shift audits, independent of operator experience. Whether you run 1 mm aluminium signage or 20 mm structural-grade steel, the same program logic selects suction cup pattern, blower RPM and gantry acceleration to keep sheet deformation below yield point—no witness marks, no micro-scratches, no secondary deburring.
2. Pneumatic Cantilever Loading Manipulator—Core Specifications
| Model Code | HCL-P-8-300 | HCL-P-8-500 | HCL-P-8-1000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet thickness range | 1–8 mm | 1–12 mm | 1–20 mm |
| Max sheet format | 4000 × 1500 mm (all models) | ||
| Min sheet format | 1250 × 1250 mm (all models) | ||
| Rated payload (single lift) | 300 kg | 500 kg | 1000 kg |
| Primary energy mode | Pneumatic + 1 kW servo swing arm | ||
| Vacuum zones | 8 independent cups, 60 % redundancy | ||
| Cycle time (load + position) | 28 s | 32 s | 38 s |
| Footprint (retracted) | 2.1 × 1.4 m | 2.1 × 1.4 m | 2.3 × 1.6 m |
Each manipulator is mounted on a retractable cantilever beam that slews 180° inside a 2.5 m radius. That geometry frees the aisle for forklift traffic when the line is switched to manual mode, yet still allows the arm to reach three-tier storage racks up to 4 m high. Instead of fixed cross-members, we use telescopic aluminium extrusions with laser-etched scales—your maintenance team can re-centre the cup manifold for 1500 × 3000 mm sheets in under six minutes, no crane required.
3. Energy-Efficient Servo Swing Arm—Why Air Alone Is No Longer Enough
Traditional pneumatic-only loaders hit a thermal wall: compressors running at 7 bar for ten cycles per minute generate enough condensate to pit suction cups and overload dryers. Herochu couples a 1 kW brushless servo motor to the primary pivot, cutting shop-air demand by 46 %. The servo regenerates braking energy into a common DC-bus that also powers the vacuum generator, yielding a measured 0.07 kWh savings per sheet on 6 mm mild-steel. Over 250 working days the reduction equals the annual consumption of a 10-station press-brake. Customers who monitor Scope-2 emissions report a 1.8 t CO₂e decrease—numbers your ESG statement can publish without asterisks.
4. Customisation Matrix—From Kit to Turn-Key in 14 Days
We keep no finished-goods warehouse; we keep raw stock in 12 standard alloys and manufacture on receipt of your floor-plan. The configurator starts with five questions:
- Laser brand and shuttle-table width
- Average lot size and nightly shift pattern
- Maximum raw-sheet weight your overhead crane can deliver
- Clear height under joists or sprinkler heads
- Preferred unloading scenario—parts stay on skeleton, are picked by robot, or drop onto belt conveyor
From those inputs our engineers generate a 3-D layout within 48 h. If your building column spacing is irregular, we laser-scan the bay and stress-analyse the mast so seismic or forklift impact loads never exceed 25 % of yield. Optional enclosures with 44 dB acoustic lining let you place the cell beside manual welding stations without relocating personnel. Need ATEX compliance for aluminium dust? We fit grounded carbon-fibre cups and intrinsically safe solenoids. Require integration with an existing FMS? The PLC is brand-agnostic: Beckhoff, Siemens, Allen-Bradley or Heidenhain—your maintenance stock, your spare-part strategy.
5. Labour Economics—Real Numbers from Three Continents
A mid-size job-shop in the Ruhr Valley replaced two forklift drivers per shift with one HCL-P-8-500 cell. Forklift lease, fuel, insurance and overtime totalled 118 400 € annually; the Herochu system amortised in 11.3 months including interest. In Ohio, a 10-kW fibre laser paired with our loader allowed a fabricator to move three operators to higher-value brake-press programming; the redeployment saved 14 800 USD in temp-worker fees during peak harvest-equipment season. Malaysian precision-blanking facility running 22 hrs/day reported OEE rising from 68 % to 91 % within six weeks—output increased 2 100 extra sheets per month without adding kilowatts to the electricity contract.
6. Safety & Compliance—Certified, Not Self-Declared
Every Herochu loader leaves the plant with a numbered CE plate certifying conformity to EN ISO 12100 (risk assessment), EN 60204-1 (electrical safety) and EN 13155 (vacuum lifting devices). UE Declaration number 1021-HERO-CHU-2025 covers electromagnetic immunity to 4 kV contact discharge—critical if your laser power source ramps at 50 kHz PWM. The entire steel structure is shot-blast to SA 2.5 and finished with two-part epoxy rated for 1 000 h salt-spray, so the cell survives pickling-line proximity without cosmetic corrosion. Dual-channel safety relays monitor guard locks and suction vacuum; loss of either triggers a Category-3 stop with brake engagement in < 400 ms. If you operate in jurisdictions requiring UL or CSA, we supply field-labelled panels inspected by a US-accredited NRTL at no extra lead-time.
7. Installation, Training & Uptime Guarantee
A two-person Herochu crew can have the manipulator aligned and cycling within one shift. We laser-track the mast plumb to ≤ 0.3 mm/m, calibrate vacuum sensors to ±1 kPa and upload your first 50 part programs before we hand over the keys. Maintenance staff receive a 42-page illustrated manual plus QR-coded video routines accessible from any mobile device. Should MTTR exceed 30 minutes, our cloud-connected PLC opens an encrypted tunnel so a support engineer in Düsseldorf can diagnose I/O states without VPN headaches. We guarantee 97 % mechanical availability for 24 months, extendable to 60 months if you use only genuine Herochu consumables—suction cups, filter elements and servo batteries priced at catalogue rates, not inflated “captive” margins.
8. Finance & ROI—Own, Lease or Pay-Per-Use
Capital budget frozen? Herochu partners with three independent leasing houses to offer $1 buy-out leases from 3.9 % base rate. For high-variance workloads, select the Herochu Runtime plan: zero deposit, 0.42 USD per lifted sheet, minimum 500 sheets per month, all maintenance included. Either route preserves bank credit lines for raw material inventory where your ROI is higher than on handling equipment.
