Facility for processing steel

A facility comprising:

• a cut-to-length line for producing packages, the packages being stacks of steel sheets;
• a plurality of stackable cassettes, each cassette having a plurality of apertures in a base thereof and being adapted to receive at least one package;
• premises including a loading area in which packages from the line are loaded into cassettes, a storage area in which cassettes are stored and a transition zone including at least one transfer position;
• a splitter subfacility for:
• receiving a contents of a cassette, removing and packaging for shipment at least some of such contents and returning the remainder;
• or receiving a cassette, removing and packaging for shipment at least some of such contents and returning the cassette;
• automated transfer apparatus for moving the contents of a cassette disposed at the transfer position to the splitter subfacility and for moving a package from the splitter subfacility to a cassette in the transfer position, the automated transfer apparatus comprising:
• a conveyor having a plurality of rollers over which packages pass to and from the splitter subfacility, and
• a lifter having a plurality of rollers, the rollers having a lowered position whereat, when a cassette, loaded with a package, is at the transfer position, the rollers are beneath the package, and having a raised position, whereat the rollers protrude through the apertures of the cassette to form an extension of the conveyor adapted to deliver packages to the conveyor and to receive packages from the conveyor;
• and
• an automated overhead crane extending over the storage area, the loading area and the transition zone and adapted to move cassettes therebetween.