Transform your workshop from a hazardous maze of floor-stacked materials into a streamlined, high-density storage hub. Our roll out storage solutions allow a single operator to access tons of material in seconds, eliminating forklift dependency and reclaiming valuable production space. Protect your inventory, empower your team, and accelerate your workflow.
In specialized manufacturing, particularly for sectors like pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and food processing, a fundamental conflict exists. The raw materials—long, heavy bundles of high purity stainless steel tubes, bar stock, and profiles—are industrial in scale. They weigh tons and require heavy machinery to move. Yet, their surfaces are incredibly delicate. The integrity of a microscopic passivation layer or a specific surface finish (Ra) is the difference between a prime component and a piece of scrap. Traditional storage methods force a dangerous compromise, treating these precision materials with the blunt force of standard warehouse logistics.
The core issue lies not in the storage structure itself, but in the method of access. The decades-old reliance on forklifts for long, heavy materials has created inherent inefficiencies and risks that are often accepted as "the cost of doing business." However, a shift in perspective—from horizontal to vertical access—fundamentally changes the operational landscape.
When a forklift is the primary tool for moving long materials from static cantilever racks or floor stacks, several deep-rooted problems arise. The most critical is surface damage. The act of sliding heavy steel forks under a bundle of polished tubes, or the inevitable minor impacts against rack uprights, introduces scratches. In a high-purity context, a scratch isn't a cosmetic blemish; it's a potential breeding ground for bacteria, a violation of ASME BPE standards, and a direct cause for material rejection. Furthermore, accessing a specific bundle often requires "secondary handling"—moving several other bundles out of the way first. This 15-25 minute process wastes labor, leaves expensive machinery like CNCs and laser cutters idle, and multiplies the risk of damage with every move.
A roll out storage solution is engineered to decouple storage from the forklift. Its core feature—fully extendable, crank-out or motorized drawers—presents the material in an open, accessible position. This architectural change makes an overhead crane the primary retrieval tool. The crane, equipped with non-marring nylon slings or a vacuum lifter, can perform a direct vertical lift. There is no dragging, no sliding, and no metal-on-metal contact. Each level is 100% selective, meaning an operator can retrieve a bundle from the bottom level without disturbing any other material. This transforms material access from a high-risk, time-consuming task into a safe, precise, and predictable two-minute operation.
Adopting this workflow isn't about a simple equipment upgrade; it's about embedding quality control and efficiency directly into your storage infrastructure. The results are felt in daily operations, from material integrity to production output.
For operations handling materials with specific surface finish requirements, such as electropolished (EP) tubes, the ability to perform a zero-contact lift is a game-changer. The crank out cantilever rack system ensures that the pristine surface that left the mill is the same one that arrives at the cutting or welding station. This eliminates a significant source of scrap and rework, directly protecting your investment in high-value materials. By using dividers on the extendable arms, different heats or lots can be segregated, maintaining the strict traceability required by aerospace and pharmaceutical standards.
Conventional storage requires wide aisles, often 12 to 20 feet, simply to accommodate a forklift's turning radius while carrying a long load. This space is a fixed cost—it's heated, lit, and maintained, but produces no value. Because overhead crane accessible racking eliminates the need for these wide maneuvering lanes, storage bays can be placed much closer together. This routinely results in recovering up to 50% of the floor space previously dedicated to storage. This recovered space is now available for value-added activities: another CNC machine, a welding cell, or a pre-fabrication area, effectively increasing your plant's capacity without a costly building expansion.
The speed and selectivity of a roll out system directly impact production throughput. By placing these racks at the point of use next to a saw or laser cutter, they act as a high-density buffer. An operator can stage the next several jobs and feed the machine in moments. The lengthy wait for a forklift to navigate the facility and "dig out" the required material is eliminated. This reduction in machine idle time translates directly to higher output and improved operational efficiency, fulfilling a core principle of lean manufacturing.
To understand the full impact, it's helpful to directly compare the two operational models across key metrics.
| Dimension | Traditional Forklift System | Roll Out Crane-Based System | Direct Business Impact |
| Material Access | Horizontal; requires wide aisles for vehicle maneuvering. | Vertical; requires only overhead access, no aisles needed for turning. | Frees up 50%+ of floor space for production. |
| Surface Integrity | High risk of scratches and dents from forks and impacts. | Near-zero risk. Soft slings or vacuum lifters enable contact-free lifting. | Drastically reduces material scrap and preserves product quality. |
| Retrieval Time | Slow (15-25 min) for buried items due to secondary handling. | Fast & Consistent (2-5 min) due to 100% selectivity. | Minimizes machine idle time and increases throughput. |
| Operator Safety | High risk of crush, pinch, and collision injuries in tight spaces. | High safety. Operator stands clear of the load; controlled, ergonomic movement. | Reduces workplace accidents and potential liability. |
| Inventory Management | Difficult visual inspection; risk of "lost" material in deep stacks. | Clear visibility of every stored item for easy cycle counting and control. | Improves inventory accuracy and supports traceability. |
The primary advantage is the ability to achieve 100% selectivity and use an overhead crane for access. This eliminates the need for wide forklift aisles, prevents material damage from sliding and impacts, and dramatically speeds up the retrieval process for any specific item, regardless of where it's stored.
They improve safety by removing the forklift from the immediate storage area and minimizing manual handling. The operator can extend a heavy drawer with minimal physical effort using a crank or motor. The load is then lifted vertically by a crane, keeping personnel at a safe distance from the suspended load and eliminating the risks associated with maneuvering long, heavy materials in confined spaces.
No. While ideal for pipes and tubes, they are extremely versatile for any long, heavy, or bulky item. This includes bar stock, structural steel profiles (H-beams, angles), aluminum extrusions, lumber, and even heavy tooling or molds. The open-arm design can be adapted to a wide variety of inventory types.
These systems are designed for heavy-duty industrial applications. Depending on the design and material specifications (typically using structural steel like Q235/Q355), a single extendable drawer or level can be engineered to handle loads ranging from 2,000 lbs to over 10,000 lbs (1 to 5+ tons).
The 100% full extension is critical because it moves the entire bundle of material clear of the rack structure above it. This provides unobstructed vertical access for an overhead crane. Systems with less than 100% extension would still require the operator to drag the material forward to clear the upper levels, reintroducing the risk of damage and manual strain that the system is designed to prevent.
