Disk Handler

Modern data centers replace thousands of HDDs, SSDs, and NVMe modules every month. Each exchange requires gentle handling, perfect alignment, consistent traceability, and safe operation inside tight aisles and thermally stressed environments. Manual workflows struggle with accuracy, speed, documentation, and ESD safety. The Grenzebach Disk Handler automates this entire process. It identifies, retrieves, inserts, and transports storage media autonomously while storage systems remain fully operational. A robotics-first solution engineered for precision, safety, and continuous uptime.

Precision disk handling enables automatic insertion, removal, and swapping of storage media in drawer-based rack systems with exact alignment. Racks exceeding the human working envelope by far can be maintained fully automatically. Human handling errors that cause connector wear, misplacement, or electrostatic exposure are minimized, protecting components and providing long-term reliability. Routine tasks such as replacements, upgrades, or fault recovery are completed faster, supporting rapid service restoration. Advanced sensing and drawer-navigation logic identifies positions, disk slots, and access paths with high accuracy. Seamlessly integrated into storage management software and technician workflows, the system strengthens uptime and overall operational efficiency.

We help data-center teams move from repetitive, risk-prone tasks to highly controlled robotic operations that scale with the demands of hyperscale and colocation storage.

The Disk Handler automatically:

• Aligns and extracts drives with controlled acceleration and motion

• Extracts and inserts drives with guided, sub-millimeter accuracy

• Compensates dimensional and location deviations in dense rack geometries

• Transports multiple drives in ESD-protected totes

• Logs every action for full traceability and audit readiness

• Operates safely in live, high-thermal storage clusters
  
  

This reduces human exposure, accelerates replacement cycles for consistent uptime-driven workflows.

Our storage-handling systems follow the same strict compliance standards as our rack and server handling automation. They are engineered for safe, reliable operation in mission-critical environments.

• U.S. & EU Regulatory Compliance: UL 3100, ANSI B56.5, ISO 3691-4—aligned with OSHA, NFPA and NEC requirements.

• EU-Maschinenverordnung (EU) 2023/1230: This Regulation lays down health and safety requirements for the design and construction of machinery, placed on the European market

• Functional-Safety Architecture: ISO 13849-1 enables safe human-robot interaction and documented risk reduction.

• Thermal and Layout Compatibility: Safe in hot- and cold-aisle environments; aligned with TIA-942 and ASHRAE TC 9.9 without impacting airflow or containment.

• Precision Under Real Conditions: Millimeter-level accuracy for HDD, SSD and NVMe formats across mixed rack architectures.

• Sustainability Engineered: Low energy draw, long mechanical lifetimes, and recyclable materials support ESG strategies.

• Full Documentation and Traceability: Certification records, process documentation, and long-term service structures leading to planning reliability.

Our systems operate where storage density increases, aisles become narrower, and maintenance windows shrink. Designed along open hardware principles and aligned with current and emerging storage architectures, they integrate seamlessly into workflows such as hot-swap, predictive maintenance, and high-density storage layouts.

Since 1960, we have delivered industrial-grade automation across global industries. Today, we bring that heritage to data centers—with robotics built for sub-millimeter precision, safe human-robot collaboration and continuous operation in thermally demanding environments.

Every data center has its own rack geometries, aisle widths, exchange frequencies and media formats. We tailor our systems with:

• custom grippers for HDD, SSD and NVMe

• ESD-protected transport and handling modules

• alignment logic designed for your specific rails and connectors

• navigation tuned to containment zones, aisle constraints and thermal design

This provides a precise fit for your storage strategy, cadence, and facility layout.

High exchange volumes. Sensitive equipment. Tight aisles. Continuous uptime.
We build the robotic infrastructure that makes storage operations safer, faster, and more predictable.