In the world of precision aluminum extrusions and sanitary stainless profiles, a scratch is not just a blemish—it's scrap. Traditional floor stacking and forklift "fishing" expeditions are destroying your inventory's value (Ra) and eating up 50% of your floor space. It’s time to switch to a system designed for Zero-Damage Handling.
If you are managing a metal service center or a fabrication shop dealing with architectural aluminum or hygienic stainless steel (like GHWA), you know the nightmare of the "honeycomb" pile. Your 20-foot extrusions are stacked on the floor. To get to the specific alloy or length at the bottom, your team has to move the top five bundles.
This "double handling" isn't just a waste of labor hours; it is the primary cause of:
The solution lies in changing how you access the material. An Aluminum extrusion storage rack with telescopic arms (also known as a Crank-out or Roll-out Cantilever) allows you to stop using forklifts for retrieval entirely.
By allowing each storage level to extend 100% out of the rack structure, you open up the material to an overhead crane. This vertical lift method eliminates the lateral friction that causes scratches.
Figure 1: Motorized telescopic arms allow a single operator to access heavy aluminum bundles without a forklift.
Whether you are using a vacuum lifter for delicate sheets or nylon slings for bundles of tubing, the roll out cantilever rack presents the load completely clear of the column. The crane drops straight down, picks the specific bundle, and lifts straight up. Zero side-impact risk. This is critical for maintaining high-purity standards in industries like pharmaceutical or semiconductor component manufacturing.
Standard cantilever racks require massive aisles—often 12 to 14 feet wide—just to let a sideloader or forklift turn around. Because our telescopic system utilizes overhead space and cranes, you can slash that aisle width down to mere operator walking space. Facilities often reclaim 50% of their floor area, allowing space for new CNC machines or laser cutters immediately adjacent to the storage.
When storing soft metals like aluminum or high-finish stainless steel, steel-on-steel contact is the enemy. Our Telescopic Cantilever Rack systems can be outfitted to ensure the integrity of your stock:
Implementing a crank out cantilever rack is not just a storage decision; it is a productivity upgrade. By moving from a 20-minute "hunt and peck" forklift retrieval to a 3-minute crane cycle, you directly increase the uptime of your processing equipment (lasers, saws, CNCs).
| Feature | Specification Range | Benefit for Aluminum/Metal Centers |
|---|---|---|
| Arm Extension | 100% Full Extension | Allows vertical lifting via overhead crane; prevents scratching. |
| Load Capacity | 1,000 - 6,600 lbs per arm pair | Handles dense bundles of solid bar stock or heavy tubing. |
| Material Length | 10 ft to 40 ft (Customizable) | Perfect for standard 20' or 24' extrusion lengths. |
| Operation | Manual Crank or Electric Motor | Ergonomic operation; eliminates physical strain on operators. |
Yes. While the rack structure is steel, we highly recommend and offer optional UHMW (plastic) liners for the arms and base. This ensures your anodized or polished surfaces never touch bare metal.
The system is modular. We regularly design racks for standard 20-foot and 24-foot material, but by adding vertical columns, we can accommodate lengths of 40 feet or more while preventing material sagging.
No—in fact, the goal is to stop using forklifts for retrieval. You can use a forklift to load the rack initially if needed, but the primary efficiency gain comes from using an overhead crane (bridge crane) or vacuum lifter to access the fully extended drawers.
Very little. Our geared crank mechanism creates a high mechanical advantage. An operator can extend a drawer loaded with 6,000 lbs of material with just 15-20 lbs of hand force. Electric options are also available for push-button operation.
Yes. We can install intermediate support beams or steel decking/trays on specific arm levels to create a solid shelf. This is ideal for storing cut-offs, short remnants, or irregular fixtures alongside your full-length extrusions.
