Bert de Kwant, Manager of Technical Services at Royal IHC:
“We operate with multiple overhead cranes and needed a unit that could be used with all of them. Aerolift recommended a vacuum lifter with a battery pack.
It was delivered in early September, and since then, we’ve been using the new battery-powered vacuum lifter with consistently good results. ”
If there’s one industry where large and heavy steel plates are used extensively, it’s shipbuilding. The Dutch shipyard Royal IHC in Kinderdijk chose to use an Aerolift vacuum lifter for handling. Bert de Kwant, Technical Services Manager at Royal IHC, explains why.
“At Royal IHC, we design, build, and deliver vessels and equipment for the dredging, offshore energy, defense, and mining industries,” says Bert from one of the shipyard halls. “In this hall, the steel segments are assembled. The steel is cut to size and shaped by our colleagues at Metalix. The flat plates, which can be as large as 12 by 3 meters and weigh around 8 tons, are stacked in exact order with the first one on top.”
“About three years ago, we purchased a used Aerolift ES-series vacuum lifter as a trial. Our operators found it far more efficient than a magnetic lifter or hooks. When using hooks, the plate bends, and it’s very difficult and unsafe to insert a pry bar between the plates to get the hooks underneath. Since safety is our top priority, using hooks for lifting is not an option. Magnetic lifters have some disadvantages too; for instance, they are quite heavy. With vacuum lifting, the steel plate doesn’t bend or get damaged. So we were really satisfied with the vacuum lifter. Shortly after, certain operations were relocated to our other site in Krimpen aan den IJssel, and the vacuum lifter was also transferred, where it remains in use today.”
“To ensure we would still have a vacuum lifter available here in Kinderdijk, in January 2024, I sent a quotation request to Aerolift for the same type of unit. Shortly after, Robert Lemm called me. He asked several questions to determine whether the same type of machine was truly the best solution for our situation. I mentioned we found it inconvenient that the power cable gets in the way, and because we work with multiple overhead cranes here, we needed a lifter suitable for all of them. So Robert suggested a battery-powered vacuum lifter. In this way, no cable needs to be switched, eliminating the risk of it getting caught on anything. It sounded like a perfect solution, although they hadn’t yet produced that version for 8-ton loads — only for lighter ones.”
“After a few rounds of discussions and some adjustments, at the end of April, we approved the drawing and placed the order for the new vacuum lifter. It was delivered in early September, and since then, we’ve been using the new battery-powered vacuum lifter with consistently good results. The unit is compact, user-friendly, and very efficient. Because it doesn’t have a cable, only one person is needed to position and operate the vacuum lifter. While one person places a plate, the other can already pick up the next one. That means we need only half the manpower compared to before, when someone always had to guide the power cable. Ronald, one of the operators, recently said: “I’ll take another one of these!” That says it all. I truly appreciate how Aerolift proactively collaborated with us to deliver an even better solution than we had envisioned.”
Would you also like to move metal sheets quickly, safely, and efficiently? Feel free to contact us — we’ll be happy to explain the benefits of vacuum lifting for your situation.
