Herochu Sheet Metal Manual Material Warehouse & Column Robot
Fully Automatic Loading and Unloading for Laser Cutting Lines
Tailor-made for your workshop from $20,200 | CE, UE, ISO 9001 certified
The modern sheet metal plant competes on speed, repeatability, and floor economy. Herochu answers with a compact column robot that pairs a semi-automatic manual material warehouse with four-axis motion, turning isolated laser cutters into synchronized production lines. The design respects ceiling height restrictions found in retrofit workshops while offering the same throughput once reserved for sprawling gantry systems.
Column architecture, minimal footprint
A single vertical column carries the Z-axis ram, cantilever arm, and vacuum gripper assembly. The base plate anchors to existing concrete without civil work; optional ground rails allow the entire column to travel 2, 4, or 6 m along the cell, serving two or three machines from one robot. Floor space consumed: 1.2 m² plus rail length. Height reaches 3.5 m standard, clearing most overhead cranes and sprinkler lines.
Semi-automatic manual warehouse
Adjacent to the column, the steel-framed warehouse stores raw sheets in five removable cassettes, each rated at 2 000 kg. Operators preload cassettes during planned breaks; the robot indexes the next sheet automatically, eliminating idle laser time. Adjustable dividers accept plates from 0.5 mm aluminum to 25 mm mild steel without spacer changeover. A side-mounted forklift pocket keeps replenishment swift and safe.
Four-axis precision motion
Servo drives on X (rail), Y (arm), Z (ram), and C (gripper rotation) axes deliver positional accuracy of ±0.1 mm across the full envelope. Acceleration peaks at 3 m/s², yet the anti-vibration casting absorbs shock so sheet edges remain burr-free. Absolute encoders retain position after power loss; restart takes seconds, not minutes. The teach pendant stores fifty part programs and imports CSV cutting lists directly from Lantek, SigmaNest, or TruTops.
High-strength mechanics, long life
Robot arms are milled from QT-500 nodular iron, stress-relieved and shot-blasted for fatigue resistance. Linear guides are hardened to 60 HRC, sealed against metal dust. Vacuum pads use closed-cell foam rated for 200 °C to survive reflective heat from adjacent plasma tables. Every bearing is lifetime-lubricated; the first scheduled maintenance appears after 4 000 operating hours—roughly eighteen months in two-shift service.
Labor savings and safety
One operator now loads the warehouse once per shift; the robot feeds the laser, removes cut parts, and stacks skeletons without human contact. Typical payback is nine months when labor cost, overtime, and rework are tallied. Light curtains and interlocked gates surround the cell; the robot pauses instantly if breached, then resumes from the exact point once cleared.
Scalability for tomorrow
Add a second column robot on the same rail to double throughput. Extend the warehouse to eight cassettes for weekend autonomy. Integrate an AGV interface and the robot will accept cassettes delivered directly from the receiving dock—no forklift inside the production hall.
Applications
• Batch laser cutting of elevator panels, HVAC ducting, agricultural machinery parts
• Mixed-material prototyping where rapid changeover is critical
• Night-shift operation in plants with limited skilled labor
• Retrofit of legacy cutting tables without enlarging the building envelope
Certification and support
Each unit leaves the factory with a CE, UE, and ISO 9001 conformity file, full electrical schematics, and a 90-second test video. Installation and commissioning take one day; remote diagnostics via secure VPN are included for the first year. Spare parts ship from regional hubs within 48 hours.
Technical essence
Payload: 2 000 kg per cassette, 200 kg per gripper cycle
Repeatability: ±0.1 mm
Axis speed: 60 m/min linear, 180 °/s rotation
Power: 4 kW at 380 V three-phase
Weight: 2 200 kg robot, 1 800 kg warehouse
Warranty: 12 months on all core components
Request a layout drawing today—send your floor plan and cutting list, receive a 3-D proposal within one business day. Herochu turns idle square meters into productive profit centers without expanding the roof.
