Vacuum material handling
Efficient and Safe Material Handling with Aerolift Vacuum Technology
Vacuum material handling is easily accomplished with a customized lifting solution from Aerolift. Our material handling equipment is designed to lift, turn, and transport, thereby optimizing your entire handling process.
Why Choose Vacuum Handling?
The application possibilities of vacuum handling are virtually endless and offer significant benefits compared to alternative lifting methods. This technology uses negative pressure to create a firm and secure grip on an object.
- Easy and Fast Process: Vacuum lifters enable rapid and efficient “pick-and-place,” substantially reducing cycle times in your production or logistics.
- Reduction of Production Costs: Due to increased speed and minimization of human intervention, production costs are lowered.
- No Product Damage: Since the load is evenly distributed across the surface, there is no need for clamps, hooks, or welding attachments, which eliminates the risk of damage to your high-value products.
- Improved Safety: Vacuum technology provides a safer alternative to traditional methods, significantly reducing the risk of workplace accidents.
Crucial for vacuum handling is that the material to be handled must have an airtight surface. Contrary to common belief, this surface does not need to be perfectly flat, smooth, or free of bumps. Aerolift’s specialized suction pads can safely handle a great variety of shapes and designs, vastly increasing applicability.
Solutions for a Wide Range of Industries
Aerolift provides material handling solutions for leading sectors worldwide. Our expertise spans:
- Precast Concrete: Safe and damage-free lifting of wall panels, bridge sections, and pipes.
- Tunnelling: Handling heavy segments for tunnel lining.
- Metals Industry: Efficient processing of metal sheets, profiles, and bars (both magnetic and non-ferrous).
- Piping: Positioning and transporting large diameter pipes.
- Paper Reels: Damage-free vertical and horizontal turning and lifting of delicate paper and foil reels.
- Wind Energy: Precise handling of massive rotor blades and mast components.
- Other: Including glass, synthetics, rail carriages, and timber structures.
Customization for Every Environment
All our (vacuum) handling equipment is custom-made and designed for your specific situation. We look not only at the load properties (weight, dimensions, material) but also at the environment in which the load needs to be handled.
Extreme environmental factors necessitate specific adaptations:
- Altitude Differences: A lifter used at sea level requires different specifications than one designed for use at a higher altitude, where atmospheric pressure is lower.
- Underwater: Aerolift has even developed equipment to handle materials under water. In one such project, an Aerolift vacuum lifter was used to pick up heavy boulder clay blocks and precisely position them to seal a leaking canal.
- Extreme Temperatures: Our systems can be adapted for use in both very hot and extremely cold environments.
- Challenging Positions: We supply equipment capable of tilting, rotating, and turning 360 degrees in confined or difficult workspaces.
The Advantages of Vacuum with (Non-)Magnetic Materials
Even for magnetic materials such as metal sheeting, pipes, and profiles, vacuum technology offers a safe and energy-efficient solution. Unlike lifting magnets, where you can lose control over the sheet after release, a vacuum system allows you to maintain absolute control over the handled load.
Furthermore, vacuum technology enables you to handle non-ferrous and non-magnetic materials, including:
- Copper, Aluminum, and Stainless Steel (non-ferrous metals).
- Synthetic materials and composites (such as wind turbine blades).
- Glass and insulation panels.
- Timber beams and panels.
Thanks to the specific properties of vacuum handling, sheet clamps or welded attachments are no longer needed, drastically reducing the risk of damage and the preparation time.
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