Custom Flat Lifter w/ Forklift Adapter

by David Peters At Wood's Powr-Grip, customers frequently approach us with a unique set of circumstances and enlist our help to find a material handling solution for their company. Such was the case recently when a prominent pharmaceutical company came to us looking for a double-barrel solution (a way to lift barrels with two different types of lids, that is). They needed a vacuum lifter, and the lifter had to function while attached to a forklift. The vacuum lifter itself would be required to lift up to six barrels at a time, each weighing 150 pounds [68 kilos]. Fortunately, the lid diameter was sufficient to accommodate our HV11 vacuum pad. Each HV11 pad is rated at a 150 lbs [68 kg] capacity, and six of them would capably handle the requisite six barrels. However, one type of barrel lid was aluminum, while the other barrel lid was constructed out of wax-coated fiber. The customer sent us a sample of the barrels (empty) so we could determine whether our vacuum lifter would be capable of lifting them reliably. In short order, it was determined that our product would indeed handle the merchandise. The barrel with the aluminum lid lifted easily, and although there was a slight amount of deformation of the wax-coated fiber lid, its structural integrity was not compromised. A compact, customized frame was designed to handle the specified configuration patterns supplied by the customer. Each vacuum pad would be movable, and the arms of the pad frame would be adjustable. Each vacuum pad was also equipped with a pad shutoff, so that it could be temporarily disabled, if not required in a lifting cycle. A DC power source would facilitate portability, and a special extended control cord would allow operation of the lifter by the forklift operator. At the top of the lift bar, a custom swivel was incorporated to allow flat rotation while the lifter was attached to the forklift. A forklift adapter was specially designed to accommodate the load weight and facilitate flat rotation. When it was done, the FL6HV11DCS vacuum lifter was capable of lifting all six barrels (900 lbs [410 kg]); the newly designed forklift adapter enabled a flat rotation of 270°; the operator could control the lifter functions from the security of the driver's seat of the forklift; and the vacuum pads could be quickly adjusted to match the necessary configuration pattern of the barrels. The engineering team at Wood's Powr-Grip is made up of highly skilled and specialized mechanical engineers. With more than 40 years of experience in designing and manufacturing vacuum tools and equipment, our designers have the right combination of talents to produce efficient, effective, high-quality products for materials handling. If you have a challenging material lifting situation that you think might be solved by employing the use of a vacuum lifter, please contact us. Our Technical Sales Representatives will assess your situation and direct you towards the proper lifting solution. If your situation requires special attention, our engineers will be happy to supply you with a proposal on a customized vacuum lifting solution.

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David Peters had more than 30 years experience in sales and marketing. He was the marketing associate for Wood's Powr-Grip Co., Inc., responsible for interactive marketing, tracking, market research and new product introduction.