crank out storage solutions

You have invested millions in high-speed automation—fiber lasers, tube benders, and CNC saws—to shave seconds off your cycle time. Yet, your most expensive assets sit idle for 15 minutes every hour, waiting for raw materials to arrive from the central warehouse. This is the hidden cost of centralized storage. Discover how implementing Point-of-Use Telescopic Racks creates a “supermarket” buffer directly at the work cell, allowing your operators to load bar stock and tubing instantly using a local jib crane, keeping the spindle turning and the laser burning. Talk With An Expert

Decoupling Material Handling from Production Schedules

In a traditional setup, the production schedule is held hostage by the material handler’s availability. If the forklift driver is busy unloading a truck at the loading dock, your tube laser operator has no choice but to wait. This dependency creates ripple effects of downtime throughout the shift.

By installing Crank-Out Cantilever Racks directly adjacent to your processing machinery, you decouple these processes. The forklift driver can restock the rack once a day during off-peak hours (batching the internal logistics). The machine operator then draws from this local buffer independently, as needed. This shift from “push” to “pull” logistics is the cornerstone of Lean Manufacturing.

The Nightmare of Remnant Management

What happens to the 4-foot piece of expensive stainless steel left over after a job? In most shops, it gets leaned against a wall or buried in a pile, eventually becoming “lost inventory” that gets written off as scrap.

Roll-out racks turn this waste stream into profit. Because every drawer is fully visible and accessible from the top, you can designate specific arm levels for “drops” and off-cuts. When a new job requires a short piece, the operator can visually confirm the stock and retrieve it immediately without digging. It turns your rack into an organized visual database of usable assets.

Eliminating the “Traffic Jam” in the Aisle

Fabrication shops often resemble a congested highway. Forklifts carrying 20-foot bundles are trying to navigate the same aisles as workers moving carts and technicians servicing machines. This congestion slows down material flow (Flow Efficiency).

Moving to an overhead crane or vacuum lifter workflow removes the largest vehicles from the equation. A telescopic rack allows you to utilize the vertical space above the machine for storage, effectively bringing the warehouse to the machine. This shortens the travel distance for heavy materials from 500 feet (round trip to warehouse) to 5 feet (rack to saw infeed).

Efficiency Metrics: Centralized vs. Point-of-Use

Designed for the 5S Workplace

A clutter-free environment is a safe and productive one. Telescopic racks support 5S initiatives (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) by providing a designated “home” for every profile. There is no ambiguity about where 2-inch square tubing belongs. This standardization speeds up inventory counts and reduces the mental load on operators, allowing them to focus on quality and throughput.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I load the rack from the back and pick from the front?
Standard models are single-sided access to maximize wall usage. However, because the arms extend 100%, you can load and unload from the same aisle side with equal efficiency, effectively supporting First-In-First-Out (FIFO) if managed correctly.

2. Does this system work with a jib crane?
Yes, this is the ideal configuration for a work cell. A dedicated jib crane covering the rack and the machine infeed allows the operator to be completely self-sufficient, removing the need to wait for the main bridge crane or a forklift.

3. How much weight can a single drawer hold?
Our standard heavy-duty models are rated for up to 6,600 lbs (3,000 kg) per arm level. We can engineer custom solutions for even heavier requirements if your raw material demands it.

4. Can I store tooling or fixtures on these racks?
Yes. Many customers use the bottom levels for raw material and the upper levels (with added steel decking) to store the heavy bending dies or fixtures associated with that specific machine, keeping everything needed for the job in one 20-foot footprint.

5. Will the rack tip over when fully extended?
No. The system is designed with a specific counter-balance ratio and must be anchored to a suitable concrete slab. The base structure is engineered to handle the cantilever forces safely, provided the installation guidelines are followed.