by David Peters
Hunter Douglas works with architects and designers throughout the world, helping to lift original ideas off the drawing board and into reality. Their sun-control solutions, suspended ceilings, ventilated façade systems, and translucent materials have helped create some of the world's most sustainable and recognizable buildings.
Recently, Hunter Douglas was in need of an ally to assist them with a solution to a bulky fabrication process. Wood's Powr-Grip attentively listened to their needs and requirements and, working together, a custom solution was designed, developed and put into service.
The Situation
During a manufacturing process, Hunter Douglas needed to lift heavy, low-density fiber board onto a cutting table. The material was up to 12' long x 5' wide and as much as 2" thick.
Previously, it would take the strength of three or four employees to lift the material and position it on the cutting table. Often, the material was "dropped" onto the table, damaging the fiber board or knocking the saw guide out of alignment. The process was slow, cumbersome and unnecessarily costly.
In order to increase productivity, decrease damage and loss, and improve worker safety, Hunter-Douglas looked into a below-the-hook vacuum lifter that would meet their needs.
The porosity of the fiber board posed a unique challenge to the employment of a vacuum lifting system, but the benefits would address virtually all other weaknesses in their current process.
Hunter Douglas purchased a vacuum lifter from a Wood's Powr-Grip competitor only to discover that the lifter was inadequate for the job. When they approached the company to resolve the issue, they were met with frustration and disappointment.
Still convinced that vacuum lifting was the desired solution, Hunter Douglas approached Wood's Powr-Grip and asked if a vacuum system existed, or could be designed, that would meet their requirements. WPG Engineers carefully researched their requirements and set about designing a custom vacuum system robust enough to handle the challenge.
The Process
Working closely with members of the Hunter Douglas crew, WPG Engineers determined that to be versatile enough to handle a variety of jobs, the vacuum lifter would have to be designed to lift porous fiber board in sheets ranging from 3' x 7' x 1/2" thick to sheets 5' x 12' x 2" thick. Maximum lifting capacity was established at 900 lbs [408 kg]. Any marking on the surface of the material was deemed undesirable, and the operator would need to be able to quickly adapt and reconfigure the lifter for different sized boards.
WPG Engineers determined that the most appropriate design for the lifter would be a modification of the existing FLEXR6HV11AC. The lifter had movable arms and movable pads which would easily accommodate the differing sizes of materials. The standard pads on the FLEXR6 have replaceable sealing rings that would optimize the amount of vacuum supplied to the board surface. For glass and metal, the FLEXR6 is rated at 1500 lbs [680 kg] lifting capacity, which would prove more than adequate for the 900 lbs [408 kg] capacity required by Hunter Douglas.
Hunter Douglas arranged to have a sample of all the boards they would be lifting shipped to the Wood's Powr-Grip manufacturing plant. WPG Engineers quickly determined that the biggest challenge would be supplying enough vacuum to the board surface to overcome the porosity of the material.
The Solution
To get to the short and quick of it, WPG Engineers employed the use of a 120 SCFM [3390 liters per minute] vacuum system to generate the vacuum needed to safely lift the fiber board. They modified the pad mounts to grant an extra 1/8th inch of travel, and specified vacuum pads molded from a low-marking rubber. Each vacuum pad was equipped with 2 vacuum feeds, to enable attachment of 2 vacuum lines. The vacuum lifter required a 30-gallon air filter, and the power supply required was a whopping 480 volts. An over-sized vacuum gauge was employed to make it easier for the operator to read, and quick connects were used to attach the hose to the vacuum source. Extensive testing proved successful, and Hunter Douglas arranged to send out a team to verify the function, design and operability of the lifter.
After demonstrating the vacuum lifter, WPG Engineers attended carefully to concerns and modifications suggested by the Hunter Douglas team. As a result, extended, dual position handles were incorporated to facilitate operator control with both large and small materials. To enable the operator to place the lifter in the center of the load quickly and accurately, metal stops were positioned at the front of the lift frame, and a metal positioning guide was attached to the pad frame arm at the side. The Hunter Douglas team was pleased, and the FLEXR6HV11ACS vacuum lifter was crated up and shipped out.
If you have needs that cannot be fulfilled with a lifting solution from the standard line-up of Wood's Powr-Grip products, let us know. We would be happy to work with you to design a product that meets your specific requirements. If you have questions regarding the capability of our Engineering Department, get in touch with the Wood's Powr-Grip Dealer nearest you, or contact one of our Technical Sales Representatives.
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.