When floor space becomes a constraint and sheet metal inventory starts colonizing every available corner, conventional storage methods quietly become part of the problem they were meant to solve. Herochu’s vertical roll-out sheet racks address this tension directly, transforming how fabrication shops, manufacturing facilities, and metal service centers handle their most space-intensive raw materials. Rather than accepting the chaotic sprawl of leaning plates and precarious stacks, these systems compel organization through intelligent design, offering a starting investment of $5,000 for a solution that recovers valuable square footage while protecting both material and personnel.
The engineering philosophy behind these racks recognizes a fundamental workshop reality: sheet metal doesn’t belong on the floor, but conventional vertical storage often creates new inefficiencies. Static shelving requires dangerous leaning and reaching, while traditional horizontal racking consumes real estate at an unsustainable rate. Herochu’s approach nests fifteen independent drawers within a compact steel superstructure, each capable of supporting one metric ton of material. The pull-out mechanism eliminates the need for operators to work around or beneath suspended loads, while simultaneously providing clear visual access to inventory. This isn’t merely storage reconfigured—it’s material handling reimagined from the ground up for shops that process steel, aluminum, stainless, and specialty alloys in high volumes.
Three standard configurations anchor the product line, though the real strength lies in adaptive manufacturing. The HC-V2010-15 accommodates plates measuring 2000mm by 1000mm, nested within an external footprint of 2700mm length, 2455mm height, and 1200mm width. Step up to the HC-V2513-15, and the system accepts 2500mm by 1500mm sheets while expanding to 2700mm by 2955mm by 1700mm externally. For operations working with larger stock, the HC-V3015-15 handles 3000mm by 1500mm plates within a 2700mm by 4455mm by 1700mm frame. These dimensional increments reflect direct feedback from German automotive suppliers, Italian fabrication shops, and French aerospace subcontractors who demanded scalability without compromising density. Every model maintains a consistent 50mm available height per partition layer—a critical specification for shops processing mixed gauges and material types.
What distinguishes these racks from conventional cantilever or A-frame systems is the deliberate separation of each storage tier. The fifteen-layer configuration ensures that a 2mm aluminum sheet never contacts a 20mm steel plate above or below it, eliminating cross-contamination and surface marring. This matters profoundly when processing pre-painted materials, polished architectural panels, or corrosion-sensitive alloys destined for marine applications. Each drawer rolls out on reinforced tracks featuring hardened steel rollers and sealed bearings rated for continuous industrial duty. The movement feels controlled rather than loose—engineered damping prevents the jarring stops that can shift material stacks and create pinch hazards. A fully extended drawer presents the entire sheet face unobstructed, allowing operators to assess inventory visually before committing to retrieval.
Load capacity follows a simple, non-negotiable standard: one ton per layer, period. This isn’t a burst rating or a theoretical maximum under ideal conditions; it’s a continuous working load verified through ISO 9001 quality management protocols and validated by CE conformity assessment. The 1t capacity reflects real-world pallet weights delivered from service centers, accounting for nested remnants and partial sheets that accumulate during nesting operations. Lateral support bars integrated into each drawer contain offcuts and smaller pieces, preventing them from sliding during drawer operation. This dual-purpose design means the system handles both full-size master sheets and production remnants without requiring separate storage infrastructure—a detail that resonates with lean manufacturing practitioners focused on minimizing waste and maximizing material utilization.
The external powder-coated steel frame resists welding spatter, cutting fluids, and the ambient moisture common in unconditioned shops. Unlike painted finishes that chip and corrode, this coating maintains its integrity even when stored near slitting lines or plasma tables where airborne particulates are unavoidable. Frame rigidity matters enormously when drawers extend fully loaded; flexure measured in millimeters translates into binding and premature wear. Herochu’s engineers specify a minimum material thickness of 4mm for all load-bearing structural members, with gusseted corners and continuous welds inspected at every production stage. The result is a system that remains square and true after years of continuous cycling, not months.
Certifications provide third-party verification that internal quality control measures actually deliver. CE marking confirms compliance with European Machinery Directive safety requirements, covering aspects like emergency stop integration points, guarding adequacy, and stability under load. UE certification—often confused with CE but distinct—addresses electromagnetic compatibility for facilities employing automated retrieval systems. ISO 9001 certification doesn’t guarantee a perfect product, but it does ensure that documented processes govern material traceability, welding procedures, and dimensional inspection. These aren’t marketing badges; they’re the documentation package purchasing managers need to satisfy corporate risk assessment protocols and insurance underwriters.
Customization extends beyond dimensional tweaking. While the three standard models address perhaps 70% of metalworking operations, the remaining 30% face unique constraints: low ceiling heights, narrow aisles, integration with existing overhead cranes, or compatibility with AGV retrieval patterns. Herochu’s engineering team modifies drawer count, adjusts layer spacing for thicker materials, integrates load cells for inventory tracking, and configures rack orientation to align with workflow vectors. A fabrication shop specializing in architectural cladding might require 80mm partition heights to store formed panels without distortion. An automotive stamping plant might need only ten layers but demand reinforced bases for magnetic sheet handler compatibility. These adaptations happen without resetting the base price to zero—the $5,000 starting point reflects a configured system, not a stripped-down prototype requiring costly add-ons.
Operational benefits manifest within weeks of installation. A shop processing 50 tons of sheet monthly typically dedicates 400-600 square meters to floor storage. Consolidating that inventory into three vertical roll-out units recovers 80% of that space for value-added operations: additional machinery, assembly stations, or simply safe passage for personnel and equipment. Time studies reveal another advantage: operators retrieve specific sheets in 3-4 minutes from floor stacks versus under 60 seconds from roll-out drawers. Multiply that by 30 retrievals daily across two shifts, and the system liberates nearly 2,000 labor minutes monthly—time redirected toward billable fabrication work rather than material hunting.
Safety metrics improve measurably. The pull-out design eliminates the need to climb on stacks or use pry bars to separate water-jet-cut parts fused by their own slag. Each drawer features a mechanical lock that prevents accidental extension during seismic events or forklift impacts. The low 50mm partition height means sheets sit securely within the drawer envelope, reducing tip-out risk compared to open shelving where material can slide laterally. Insurance carriers often recognize these design elements, translating into reduced general liability premiums for facilities that document their installation—a direct ROI component rarely captured in initial capital expenditure justifications.
Material handling flexibility represents a final, crucial advantage. The unobstructed drawer face accepts standard vacuum tube lifters, permanent magnets, electromagnets attached to hoists, and mechanical grabs. This compatibility means the rack integrates seamlessly into existing workflows whether the shop runs a standalone press brake or a fully automated FMS line. Manual retrieval remains practical for thinner gauges—a two-person team can slide a 1mm stainless sheet onto a mobile table without strain. The system doesn’t dictate handling methodology; it accommodates whatever equipment the operation already trusts.
Implementing these racks requires minimal facility preparation. Each unit ships assembled on a steel base frame, ready to anchor to a level concrete floor with standard wedge anchors. No pits, no proprietary foundations, no disruption to existing trench drains. Electrical requirements are zero for the standard configuration, though optional inventory management modules draw less than 2 amps at 24VDC. Lead times run 6-8 weeks for standard models, 10-12 weeks for heavily customized configurations—a reasonable timeline for capital equipment that fundamentally reshapes shop capacity.
The decision to invest in vertical roll-out storage ultimately hinges on a simple calculation: how much does floor space cost per square meter, and how much value does that space generate when freed from static material storage? In industrial real estate markets across Germany, France, and Italy, where lease rates exceed €80 per square meter annually, a three-rack system paying for itself in 18 months through space recovery alone represents conservative financial planning. Add labor savings, safety improvements, and material damage reduction, and the payback compresses to under a year for most high-volume metal processors.
Herochu vertical roll-out sheet racks deliver measurable improvements in density, safety, and workflow velocity without demanding that shops reorganize their entire production philosophy. They work within existing constraints—ceiling heights, aisle widths, handling equipment—to extract order from chaos. Starting at $5,000, this is capital equipment that functions less as a purchase and more as a strategic repositioning of how material value gets stored, accessed, and converted into finished goods. For operations where sheet metal represents both raw material and opportunity cost, that repositioning marks the difference between managing growth and being suffocated by it.
