New Kasto robotic and storage system for compact spaces

A new system has been developed by German storage equipment and sawing machine manufacturer Kasto that uses both of its product lines to enable stockholders of steel, aluminium or other materials to saw, sort and store cut lengths of bar, tube or profile automatically, even when floor space is limited. The solution is called KASTOsort Tower and it is available in the UK and Ireland through the group’s Kasto Ltd subsidiary near Leicester, which commented that the adaptable arrangement is equally well suited to use in a factory environment.

For several years, Kasto has offered KASTOsort for computer-controlled robotic handling of billet and other cut pieces. However, output from a saw is typically placed into boxes or carousels at floor level, which consumes a considerable amount of space. The novelty of the latest system is that the sawn lengths of material are placed by the robot directly into pallet boxes housed in the lowest level of a compact tower store, which is also an existing KASTO product.

Each box may be removed by fork lift truck or automated guided vehicle from the rear of the store to fulfil an order immediately, or else raised automatically to a free level internally for buffer storage and subsequent retrieval.

The effect of KASTOsort Tower is to allow maximum utilisation of sawing machine time, as stock cutting sequences can be optimised while customer order workflows can be executed more flexibly. Similarly, production lines may be fed more efficiently. Moreover, if such a system is left to run unattended for extended periods, personnel may be deployed onto other added-value tasks, raising profitability.

Data-driven decisions
Production orders comprising cut lengths, quantities and material types are sent to the control systems of the KASTOsort Tower and the saw, eliminating manual data entry errors and ensuring the highest-priority jobs are always being implemented. Seamless integration with existing systems in a customer’s operation is achieved by communication via KASTOlink to a warehouse management layer, such as KASTOlogic, and to higher-level MRP or ERP platforms. Real-time data on order status, blade life, scrap count and more is fed back to give the plant manager live visibility into production, empowering staff to make data-driven decisions on the fly.

The robotic handling solution was developed to solve a problem of one of KASTO’s customers in Germany, Weser Stahl in Stuhr-Brinkum, part of the Westfälische Stahlgesellschaft group. The operation already had a KASTOcenter high-bay warehouse with 1,398 storage spaces for raw bar stock, integrated with a KASTOvariospeed C18 circular saw equipped with a KASTOsort robot, as well as a KASTOtec bandsaw. In spring 2025, Kasto installed a tower store to work alongside the robot, in effect creating a KASTOsort Tower.

André Barsuhn, director of saw planning at the site, said: “Previously we were limited to three storage locations for cut pieces, but with the KASTOsort Tower, there is much more capacity for storage. The solution is particularly suitable for handling our frequently needed billets sizes of 160 to 170mm diameter x 20 to 35mm long. Even unattended shifts over the weekend are now possible without any issues.”

The pilot system proved so successful that the group decided to similarly upgrade its Westfälische Stahlgesellschaft site in Löhne, East Westphalia, which was completed at the beginning of 2026.