Plate Steel Rack for Sheet Metal Storage

Heavy-Duty Sheet Metal Storage Rack Solutions

Heavy-Duty Slide-Out Storage Racks for Metal and Aluminum Sheets

Think “filing cabinet for metal.” Each drawer is a welded, reinforced cradle rated 1.5 t, 3 t, 5 t or 6 t and mounted on twin linear rails induction-hardened to HRC 48. A positive-lock handle (hand-pull, crank or 0.75 kW electric) extends the drawer 100 % in 20-30 seconds, presenting the entire sheet to an overhead crane, vacuum lifter or forklift. When closed, a spring-loaded wedge lock prevents accidental roll-out during crane pick; seismic tests show <1 mm deflection at 8 t shock load.

Category Sheet Metal Storage Racks Tag Heavy-Duty Slide-Out Storage Racks for Metal and Aluminum Sheets

Herochu Heavy-Duty Slide-Out Storage Racks for Metal & Aluminum Sheets

CE / ISO 9001 certified | Factory-direct from $4,399 | Fully customizable to your ceiling height, sheet size and tonnage

Give every sheet its own drawer, reclaim up to 80 % of your floor, and feed your laser, plasma or press-brake line in under three minutes—without a second operator, without a forklift ballet, and without the scrap cost of scratched premium aluminum.

Why horizontal stacking is an “efficiency black hole”

A 4 m × 2 m × 6 mm aluminum sheet weighs 130 kg; a 10 mm mild-steel plate of the same size tips the scale at 628 kg. Stack ten and you have 6.3 t balanced on timber sleepers, occupying 8 m² and hiding the one size your night-shift scheduler needs. Every “dig” triggers a five-step cost spiral:

Machine starvation – $180-$300/hour laser waiting while labour hunts material
Labour overtime – two operators + forklift for 30-45 min per retrieve
Material scrap – drag marks, edge chips, suction-cup blow-outs on coated sheets
Floor rent – $40-$120/m²/year in industrial space you could use for a second laser
Safety roulette – toppling stacks, crane swing zones, pinch-point injuries

Herochu’s vertical, slide-out rack converts that cost centre into a profit lever. One operator, one handle, one hundred percent selectivity—no matter if the sheet is 0.5 mm shim stock or 40 mm boiler plate.

How the slide-out system works

Standard bay height is 2 280 mm, but we laser-cut uprights to any increment, so you can mix 75 mm, 150 mm and 300 mm drawers in the same rack to house aluminum remnants beside 25 mm steel plate. A bottom forklift channel lets you relocate the fully loaded bay with a reach truck—no unloading required.

Starter models – pick your footprint or send us your cut-list

Model	Sheet size (mm)	Load / drawer	Drawers	Footprint L×W (m)	Open width (mm)	Price*
HC-S3015-63	3 000 × 1 500	3 t	5 + 1 top	3.5 × 2.0	3 515	$4 399
HC-S4015-63	4 000 × 1 500	3 t	5 + 1 top	4.5 × 2.0	4 015	$4 899
HC-S4020-65	4 000 × 2 000	5 t	5 + 1 top	4.5 × 2.5	4 015	$5 799
HC-S6020-66	6 000 × 2 000	6 t	5 + 1 top	6.5 × 2.5	6 015	$7 199

*FOB Qingdao, CE-certified, fully assembled. Customs, freight and local VAT excluded. Custom colours, load ratings and dimensions quoted in 12 h.

Built for 20-year life – not 20-month warranty

Frame: Q235B hot-rolled structural steel, 8 mm sidewalls, 10 mm base gussets, MAG welded in single-pass full-penetration jigs.
Drawers: 4 mm folded cradle with 12 mm laser-cut ribs, shot-blasted Sa 2.5, powder-coated RAL 5017 traffic-blue (other colours on request).
Rails: 45# carbon-steel induction-hardened to HRC 48, running on sealed 6204-2RS bearings, greased for -30 °C to +80 °C.
Safety: Each drawer has a spring-loaded secondary lock; release only when handle is lifted—prevents accidental roll-out during crane pick.
Standards: Designed to FEM 10.2.02, tested to 1.5 × rated load, documented with third-party SGS report. CE machinery directive 2006/42/EC, ISO 9001:2015 facility.

Three access styles – match the drawer to your workflow

Hand-pull – ideal for 0.5-3 mm aluminum or stainless up to 1.5 t. Lift-assist gas springs cut pull force to 15 kg.
Hand-crank – 40:1 worm gearbox lets a 60 kg operator move 5 t without strain; overload clutch prevents forced extension.
Motorised drive – 0.75 kW brake motor with pendant or PLC interface for Industry 4.0 integration; cycle time <25 s under full load.

Accessories that turn “rack” into “system”

Rubber-copper composite edge liners – eliminate galvanic corrosion between aluminum and steel sheets.
Divider kit – slide-in plates create 100 mm slots for remnant management; colour-coded for alloy segregation.
Forklift-style tray – the drawer itself becomes a transportable pallet; forklift removes the entire tray, feeds the laser and returns it—no crane required.
Floor-anchoring template – M16 chemical anchors supplied with torque spec sheet; install on 150 mm reinforced concrete.
Top canopy – 1 mm zinc-alume roof with 100 mm overhang for outdoor yards; UV rated 15 years.

Real-world ROI: Midwest Fabrication

Problem: 420 t of mixed sheet stacked horizontally, 420 m² footprint, 2 h average retrieval time.
Solution: 14-bay HC-S4020-65 system, 70 drawers, 350 t active storage, 84 m² footprint.
Results after 90 days:

Laser uptime +18 % (OEE 77 % → 95 %)
Floor space released 336 m² – repurposed for a second fibre laser paid for in 11 months
Scrap rate from handling damage 2.1 % → 0.3 %, saving $46 000/year in stainless off-cuts
Zero lost-time injuries (previous year: 2 crane-related hand injuries, $38 000 comp)
Payback: 8.4 months including installation.

Customisation workflow – 4 weeks from drawing to dock

Upload your nest – send us a CSV of sheet sizes, thicknesses, weights and monthly turns.
Free layout – our engineers return a 2-D AutoCAD floor plan and 3-D SolidWorks render within 48 h.
Stress check – FEA report on deflection, seismic and forklift impact; revise until safety factor ≥1.5.
Build & inspect – laser cut, robot weld, wash, powder-coat, assemble, load-test, photo-document.
Ship & commission – knock-down or pre-assembled, packed in steel frames, shipped with HS code 7308.90. Fasteners, torque wrench and multilingual manual included. Video support for first-time installation.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can the rack dimensions and load capacity be customized?
A: Yes—height, width, drawer pitch and rating are all variable. We regularly build 8 t and 10 t drawers with 16 mm rail and 6 mm side plates.

Q: What is the typical load capacity per drawer?
A: Standard range 1.5 t – 4.5 t; heavy-duty line 5 t – 10 t. Tell us your heaviest sheet and we’ll engineer the cradle, rails and bearings accordingly.

Q: We have sheets weighing 5 000 lbs. Is that too heavy for one person?
A: Not at all—this is the sweet spot for our hand-crank model. A 40:1 gearbox reduces handle torque to 25 Nm; overload clutch prevents forced extension.

Q: How many layers can one rack have?
A: Practical limit is 20 drawers in a 6 m high bay. Ceiling height and crane hook travel are the only constraints.

Q: What equipment do I need to operate these racks?
A: Hand-pull and crank racks need an overhead crane, jib or gantry with vacuum or mechanical sheet lifter. Forklift-style trays can be handled directly by a 2.5 t forklift.

Ready to reclaim your floor and your schedule?

Send us your plate list or workshop sketch today. A Herochu engineer will reply within 12 hours with a layout, price and shipping schedule. Stop paying rent to your inventory—make it pay you.

Q1: What steps should I take to start the procurement process?

You may get in touch with our backend technical staff first. Based on your specific parameters, we will formulate a suitable technical solution and provide a quotation. Alternatively, you can leave your contact details—such as WhatsApp, WeChat, or email address—and our professional sales team will reach out to you proactively.

Q2: How can I inform you of my need for suitable shelves?

You can share key information with us, including the type of items you plan to store on the shelves, the dimensions of those items, the quantity of shelves required, and any other specific details you have. With this information, we will develop a professional solution tailored to your needs. If you prefer, you can also leave your contact information, and our specialized team will contact you to address your questions.

Q3: Should I choose a loading robotic arm or an integrated loading and unloading system?

To determine the right option, two key factors need to be considered first:

The table size of your laser cutting machine must meet the matching requirements for the equipment.
We need to know your specific loading method—whether it is a board rack, exchange platform, or material warehouse.

For a more accurate recommendation based on your specific needs, please leave your contact information, and we will provide targeted service.

Q4: Do you offer on-site installation and debugging services?

Yes, we do. We can dispatch professional technicians to your factory to carry out on-site installation and debugging of the robotic arm, and we will continue working until the equipment completes a successful trial operation. Our team has provided such services in many countries, including South Africa, the United States, Russia, South Korea, Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, and Mexico.

Q5: What measures do you take to ensure product quality?

We have a comprehensive quality assurance system, supported by the following key measures:

A team of over 40 technical engineers, with professional mechanical engineers responsible for debugging equipment and resolving any technical concerns.
A dedicated quality inspection department that strictly adheres to ISO9001 quality standards, ensuring all products meet the required quality specifications.
Professional CE certification, which guarantees smooth export procedures for our products to global markets.
Mandatory load testing for all equipment before shipment, ensuring the structural safety and operational stability of each product.

Q6: Where is your factory situated?

Our factory is located in Jinan, Shandong Province, China, specifically at No. 10 Industrial Park, Jiyang Street. It features a modern, standard workshop covering an area of 10,000 square meters.

Q7: How can I verify your company’s strength?

We offer two convenient ways for you to assess our company’s capabilities:

We can arrange a video tour of our factory, allowing you to remotely view our production environment and facilities.
We warmly welcome you to visit our factory in person for an on-site inspection.

Q8: What type of company are you?

We are Jinan Constant Storage Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a high-tech enterprise that integrates research and development, production, sales, installation, and after-sales service. Our core product range includes intelligent sheet metal material warehouses, drawer-type sheet metal shelves, telescopic cantilever shelves, servo swing arm manipulators, gantry loading and unloading manipulators, fully automatic loading and unloading systems, and heavy-duty sheet metal and pipe storage shelves. Equipped with a professional technical team and advanced production equipment, we are committed to providing high-quality, high-performance mechanical products and customized solutions to customers around the world.