The overload warning system prevents you from handling, while one of the suction pads is overloaded.
This vacuum lifter is used to lift steel plates up to 85 tons. Up to now this is the biggest vacuum lifter Aerolift engineered.
And by heavy we mean heavy! Think of products up to tens of tons. Heavy objects which require safe lifting equipment. Aerolift specialises in customised heavy lifting solutions to optimise efficiency and safety.
This article is dedicated to safe lifting solutions with vacuum technology. What makes vacuum lifting safe for the environment and your product?
Aerolift is the specialist of vacuum lifting solutions worldwide. Vacuum lifting offers unique advantages compared to other lifting methods. One of the advantages is safety! Vacuum lifting is an unmatched safe lifting method.
Unlike most lifting methods vacuum offers visible safety. On a vacuum gauge you SEE if it is safe to lift. You see the so-called vacuum level. Is the pointer in the green zone (>80%) it is safe to lift. The vacuum gauge is always visible for the operator. A climbing vacuum is a perfect indicator for safe lifting. Should the vacuum level drop below 80% an alarm sets in, both visible and audible. The alarm urges the operator to lower the heavy object to the ground as fast as possible. Still there is no need to worry. All vacuum lifters are designed with a safety factory 2. Which means the lifters are overdesigned, according to European standards.
Moreover, all Aerolift vacuum lifters are designed with at least a hang on time of 20 minutes. This means, in the situation of a power failure the heavy object stays safely attached. This gives the operator ample time to take corrective measures. Specially for this purpose we designed a vacuum valve, which ensures a stable vacuum. The Aerolift vacuum valve requires a positive signal to change position. If a power failure occurs, the valve remains in the same position so that the vacuum cannot suddenly escape.
The complete handling process by vacuum is done with a push on a button. Attachment, detachment, and all movements are controlled by the operator from a safe distance. No one has to be near the heavy object before, after or during operation. This means no risk to life and limb.
To avoid accidental discharging by the operator all lifting devices are provided with a two-action control. This means, the operator needs to push two buttons at the same time to discharge.
The suction pads are positioned on top of your product. Due to the divided surface pressure and the Aerolift rubber, no harm will come to the product. Even on metal and glass, the suction pads leave no marks. And also, products with a rough surface are easily handled. This is possible through the exclusive Aerolift rubber which is specially designed for lifting operations.
All Aerolift vacuum lifting devices are provided with all safe lifting provisions above. However, through our innovative nature we developed several additional safety features to improve the safety even more! All depending on the situation, circumstances, and customer preferences.
All our vacuum lifters feature a two-action control to avoid the accidental discharging. To completely exclude any human mistakes, we additionally engineered a safety release system. This system disables the release buttons during lifting. Releasing is only possible if the load is lowered to the ground or put on a solid support.
This system detects the overload on each suction pad. If the maximum lifting capacity is exceeded, the overload protection system triggers an alarm, after which it is only possible to lower the load. The system also prevents uneven distribution of a load.
Every Aerolift vacuum lifting device is provided with at least 20 minutes hang on time. If this is not sufficient, we provide the lifting device with an emergency vacuum pump. This is a small vacuum pump to provide enough vacuum to eliminate small leakages. Enabling hours of hang on time in the situation of a power outage.
There are always situations which require extra safety provisions. For example, the construction of a stadium in the middle of a city. In these situations, we design a double vacuum system. The tank is divided in two compartments. Both connected to half of the suction pads equally divided. Or all pads are provided with a double chamber. Should one vacuum system fail, the load will be securely hold.
No matter the weight, your product is safely lifted by an Aerolift vacuum lifting device. For extreme heavy lifting we design a device which consists of as much vacuum systems as there are suction pads. Every suction pad is engineered as a separate vacuum device with its own vacuum tank. If one suction pad fails, this will have no effect on the other suction pads. The biggest vacuum lifter in the world is provided with this extreme safety measure to lift heavy steel plates up to 85 tons!
We are happy to discuss your specific heavy lifting situation. And come up with a safe lifting solution which perfectly fits your needs. Contact our team of lifting experts for the possibilities of a vacuum lifting solution in your industry. We are happy to analyse the risks in your situation and find the perfect safe lifting solution.
