Herochu Vertical Sheet Metal Storage Racks
Customizable to your workshop, starting at $2,880
CE, UE, ISO 9001 certified
Sheet metal is money lying flat—until forklifts dent it, operators misplace it and remnants disappear under layers of new stock. Herochu roll-out vertical racks convert that liability into first-in, first-out control, reclaiming aisle width while giving every operator instant, eye-level access to every SKU. Starting at $2,880, the system ships as a CE-, UE- and ISO 9001-certified package ready for immediate commissioning on any continent.
The principle is simple: store plates on edge, separate them with sliding cassettes, then roll each cassette forward like a drawer. A single technician can extend the full 100 % travel, inspect the entire face of a 3 m by 1.5 m sheet and retract the load without assistance. Gravity does the work; the rack’s 3-degree backward lean keeps plates snug against the rear stop, eliminating the slip hazard that plagues flat-bed stacking.
Load ratings are conservative—700 kg per roll-out unit—because sheet metal is dense and operators are valuable. The frame is built from structural steel channel, welded in a continuous jig to maintain squareness, then shot-blasted and powder-coated in a matte finish that hides scratches and reflects light for safer aisle visibility. Spindles ride on sealed bearings rated for 50,000 cycles; even in three-shift environments, maintenance is an annual grease cartridge, not a weekly chore.
Three standard footprints cover the majority of laser, plasma and water-jet tables. HC-V2010-15 handles 2 000 × 1 000 mm plates, fifteen tiers high; HC-F2513-15 stores 2 500 × 1 300 mm stock in the same tier count; HC-F3015-122 accepts 3 000 × 1 500 mm sheets, again fifteen levels deep. Each tier is adjustable on 50 mm pitch, so when your next contract switches from 3 mm aluminum to 20 mm mild steel you simply relocate the cassette rails and continue production.
Layout flexibility extends beyond size. Configure the rack for front-back motion when aisles are narrow and forklifts must approach head-on; switch to left-right motion when overhead cranes serve the bay. Corner gussets accept tow-motor hitches, allowing entire rows to be repositioned during plant reconfiguration. If floor space is truly constrained, stack two racks back-to-back and service both faces from a single aisle—no catwalks, no ladders.
The economic argument is immediate. A single 3 000 × 1 500 mm sheet of 6 mm stainless weighs roughly 225 kg; at fifteen sheets per cassette, every tier protects 3.4 t of inventory worth thousands of dollars. By eliminating dunnage, wood pallets and the damaged edges they cause, Herochu pays for itself within the first year of operation. Labor savings compound the return: one operator replaces the two normally required to fish buried sheets from horizontal stacks, freeing skilled technicians for value-added work.
Safety metrics improve as well. Vertical storage removes trip hazards and reduces the reach-over height that strains shoulders and backs. Yellow polymer edge guards protect both sheet edges and forklift forks, while integrated label holders accept bar-coded tags for ERP integration. Photocell kits are available for lights-out facilities, stopping the cassette if an obstruction is detected.
Leftovers and remnants no longer wander the shop floor. Dedicated short-sheet cassettes store drops as small as 250 mm without risk of loss, turning scrap into usable inventory. Semi-finished parts awaiting secondary operations can be staged in the same rack, reducing WIP travel distance and eliminating double handling. The result is a cleaner, more orderly workshop that impresses auditors and customers alike.
Whether you run a job shop with one laser or a tier-one automotive plant feeding a dozen press lines, Herochu vertical sheet metal storage racks deliver measurable gains in capacity, safety and profitability. Request a dimensional drawing today and discover how reclaiming your vertical space can transform your bottom line.
