For sanitary stainless steel manufacturers, a single scratch on a polished tube isn't just a defect—it's lost revenue. Stop burying your high-value inventory in static piles where forklifts cause damage. Switch to a dynamic storage system designed for overhead cranes and zero-contact retrieval.
In the world of high-purity stainless steel components—like those produced by industry leaders similar to GHWA—storage is not merely about holding weight. It is about maintaining surface integrity. When your core business involves electropolished tubes, sanitary fittings, and ASME BPE compliant components for the pharmaceutical and food industries, the standard "stack on the floor" method is a liability.
Traditional static cantilevers force you to use forklifts. In a narrow aisle, maneuvering a 20-foot bundle of thin-walled stainless tubing with a forklift is a recipe for disaster. Forks slip, bundles collide, and "dents" or "scratches" ruin the Ra (Roughness Average) values essential for hygienic applications. Our Industrial tube racking changes the game by eliminating the forklift from the retrieval process entirely.
The primary advantage of our system is the 100% extension capability. Unlike standard racks where you must dig for materials, our telescopic cantilever rack functions like a heavy-duty drawer. Each level rolls out completely, exposing the tubes to the open air above.
This allows your operators to use an overhead crane with nylon slings. The crane drops straight down, picks up the specific bundle of 316L tubes, and lifts it out without ever scraping against adjacent materials. This is critical for maintaining surface finishes of 15µin Ra or better.
Figure 1: Overhead crane accessibility eliminates forklift damage risks.
Whether you are storing heavy solid stainless bars or lighter, hollow sanitary tubes, the rack structure is engineered for rigidity. We utilize high-grade structural steel to prevent deflection that could bend long tubes. The system is available in both crank-out (manual) and electric drive options to suit your workflow frequency.
| Feature | Specification / Benefit |
|---|---|
| Material Handling | Optimized for Overhead Cranes / Vacuum Lifters (No Forklifts required) |
| Extension | 100% Full Extension for clear vertical access |
| Load Capacity | Up to 11,000 lbs (5,000 kg) per arm level |
| Arm Length | Customizable (Standard ranges: 20" to 60") to fit varying tube bundle widths |
| Surface Protection | Optional UHMW lining on arms to prevent metal-on-metal contact with polished tubes |
Space in a cleanroom manufacturing environment or a metal service center is expensive. Traditional racks require wide aisles—often 12 to 15 feet—to allow a forklift to turn with a 20-foot load.
By switching to roll out cantilever racking, you can reduce your aisle width significantly because the crane does the work from above. This allows you to condense your storage footprint by up to 50%, freeing up floor space for additional CNC machines, polishing stations, or laser cutting tables.
Figure 2: Single-operator manual crank system ensures ergonomic handling.
In a standard rack, if the 304 stainless tube bundle you need is on the bottom, you have to move the top three bundles to get to it. This "double handling" wastes 15-20 minutes per pick and increases the risk of dropping a load.
With our Industrial tube racking, every level is accessible independently. An operator can identify the exact heat number or batch needed, crank out that specific drawer, and lift it. The retrieval time drops from 20 minutes to 3 minutes. For high-volume service centers, this efficiency gain translates directly to faster order fulfillment and reduced labor costs.
Figure 3: Heavy-duty bearing mechanisms ensure smooth operation even under full load.
Q1: Can we store electropolished tubes without scratching them?
Yes. Unlike standard racks where bundles slide over each other, our telescoping arms allow you to lift vertically. We also offer UHMW (plastic) liners for the steel arms to ensure your polished stainless steel never touches carbon steel, preventing both scratches and carbon contamination.
Q2: What is the maximum length of tubing this system can handle?
The system is modular. While standard lengths often accommodate 20-foot (6m) bundles, we can configure the number of columns to support 40-foot lengths or longer, ensuring support points are spaced correctly to prevent sagging in flexible thin-walled tubes.
Q3: Do we need a special forklift for this rack?
No, and that is the point. While you can use a forklift, the system is designed primarily for overhead cranes (bridge cranes) or gantry cranes. This removes the need for wide forklift aisles entirely.
Q4: How does the "crank-out" mechanism handle heavy solid bars?
The rack utilizes a high-torque gearing system and heavy-duty roller bearings. Even fully loaded with solid stainless bars (up to 5,000 kg per level), a single operator can extend the arm with just 60 lbs of force on the manual crank.
Q5: Can this be installed near our laser cutting or polishing machines?
Absolutely. Many clients install these units directly feeding a laser cutter or saw. The crane can lift a tube from the rack and place it directly onto the machine's in-feed, creating a highly efficient "Point of Use" storage solution.
