Stop sacrificing your high-purity stainless finish to archaic storage methods.
If you are managing a Steel Service Center or supplying high-precision manufacturers like GHWA, you know the cost of a single scratch on a polished 316L tube. Stop burying your inventory. Eliminate the "digging" that kills your laser cutter's uptime. Upgrade to a system that respects the value of your material.
In the high-stakes world of sanitary stainless steel components and precision tube manufacturing, the traditional static cantilever rack is a bottleneck. When you are dealing with high-value inventory—like electropolished tubes, sanitary fittings, or extensive bar stock—the standard "lift and shift" method with a forklift is a recipe for disaster.
You might be searching for a Rack Engineering crank out rack alternative because you've realized that floor stacking or static racking is costing you more in labor and damaged goods than the steel itself is worth. The solution isn't just "more shelves"; it's a fundamental shift in how you access your long goods.
Our Telescopic Cantilever Rack systems (often called crank-out or roll-out racks) are engineered specifically for facilities that feed laser cutters, saws, and CNC machines. Unlike static racks that require wide aisles for forklifts to maneuver, our system allows you to condense your footprint and switch to overhead crane access.
Figure 1: Single-operator usage. The gearing ratio allows one person to move thousands of pounds of bar stock with minimal effort.
Let’s analyze a typical scenario in a steel service center before installing a crank out cantilever rack. You have a work order for a specific heat number of 2-inch stainless steel tubing.
In a static setup, that specific bundle is likely buried under three other bundles of carbon steel or aluminum profiles. To get to it, your forklift operator has to perform "secondary handling"—moving the top layers to a temporary staging area, retrieving the target bundle, and then restacking the others. This process takes 15 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, your $500,000 laser cutting machine is sitting idle. That is the "Hidden Factory"—the invisible inefficiency draining your margins.
Furthermore, every time those forks slide between bundles, you risk scratching the surface finish (Ra). For industries like pharmaceutical or food processing (dairy, wine, beverage) where hygiene is non-negotiable, a scratch means the material is scrap.
The core advantage of our Rack Engineering crank out rack alternative is the ability to extend the storage arm 100% out of the rack structure. This transforms your storage form factor from a "slot" to a "drawer."
Figure 2: Dual-sided efficiency. Arms extend fully, allowing overhead cranes to pick loads vertically without obstruction.
This design shift unlocks the use of an Overhead Crane (or Vacuum Lifter) for 100% of your picking operations. Here is why that matters for your facility:
We don't use light-gauge roll-formed steel. Our systems are structural grade, built to handle the density of solid steel bars and heavy-wall pipes. We offer both manual (hand-crank) and electric driven models depending on your cycle frequency and load requirements.
| Feature | Static Cantilever (Traditional) | Telescopic Cantilever (Our Solution) |
|---|---|---|
| Access Method | Forklift (Requires wide aisles) | Overhead Crane / Hoist (Zero aisle needed) |
| Retrieval Time | 15-20 Minutes (Digging required) | 2-3 Minutes (Direct Pick) |
| Damage Risk | High (Fork scrapes, collision) | Near Zero (Vertical lift) |
| Space Efficiency | Low (40-50% floor usage) | High (70-80% floor usage) |
In a busy fabrication shop, the forklift is statistically the most dangerous piece of equipment. By switching to a crank out cantilever rack, you drastically reduce forklift traffic in the storage zone. The operator stands in a safe, designated zone and uses a crank or a remote control. There is no need to climb racks or stand in blind spots.
Figure 3: Rugged Installation. Our teams ensure the H-beam bases are securely anchored to handle the moment loads of extended arms.
Whether you are storing 20-foot stainless steel pipes, hexagonal bars, or aluminum extrusions, the structural integrity of the rack ensures that even when fully extended at max capacity (e.g., 6,600 lbs per arm), the unit remains rigid and safe.
Q1: We store polished stainless steel tubes for the pharmaceutical industry. How do you prevent scratches on the rack arms?
A: We offer optional UHMW (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) strips or other non-marking liners for the cantilever arms. This creates a soft buffer between the steel arm and your polished product, ensuring your Ra surface finish remains compliant with ASME BPE standards.
Q2: What is the maximum length of material we can store?
A: The system is modular. By adding more columns (towers), we can accommodate any length—20 feet, 24 feet, or even 40 feet. The spacing of the columns is calculated based on the deflection (sag) of your specific material to ensure it stays straight.
Q3: Can we retrofit this into an existing bay served by an EOT crane?
A: Absolutely. This is the ideal application. Since the drawers extend outward, you can place the racks directly under the crane's hook path, maximizing the utility of your existing overhead lifting equipment.
Q4: How much weight can a single level hold?
A: Our heavy-duty models are customizable, but typical capacities range from 1,000 lbs to over 6,000 lbs per level, not just per rack. We engineer the gear reduction so that even fully loaded levels can be cranked out by hand with less than 30 lbs of force.
Q5: Do I need a special foundation for installation?
A: Standard industrial concrete floors (typically 6 inches reinforced) are usually sufficient. However, because the load center shifts when arms are extended, we calculate the specific floor load requirements for your configuration and provide those details to ensure your facility meets safety standards.
