Wood's Powr-Grip Flat Lifters

by David Peters In the late 1960's, Howard Wood developed and patented a battery-powered, sealed foam vacuum lifter capable of lifting loads up to 600 lbs [270 kg]. Intended for use with overhead cranes and hoists, this design signaled the birth of modern day below-the-hook Flat Lifters. Over time, a wide variety of manual, AC, DC and air-powered vacuum lifters were designed and built to accommodate an ever-growing market. Today, when it comes to filling the needs of manufacturers and fabricators, Wood's Powr-Grip meets the challenge with its comprehensive line of Flat Lifters. They are available in a wide variety of styles and capacities for handling horizontally oriented (flat) materials, including sheet metals, I-beams, modular construction panels, glass, plastic, wood products and truck body panels. They are ideal for loading and unloading production equipment, moving materials from station to station in fabrication facilities, and stacking and relocating materials on the shop floor. These vacuum lifters commonly feature adjustable pad frames, in order to handle irregularly shaped materials and avoid holes and surface obstructions, as well as to accommodate the variety of material dimensions when loading production equipment, such as CNC's, water jet and plasma cutters. Standard vacuum pads attach quickly and easily to both nonporous and semi-porous material surfaces, such as plywood and OSB products. Recently, Wood's Powr-Grip manufactured two specialized Flat Lifters, the FL16HV11DCS and the FL18LP6FACS.

FL18 Custom Flat Lifter

The FL18 was custom designed and built for a glass manufacturer for use on their production line. It has eighteen 6" [15 cm] vacuum pads instead of the usual larger vacuum pads. The vacuum lifter needed to be capable of handling large, thin glass lites. While employing smaller vacuum pads reduced the overall lifting capacity to 1,000 lbs [455 kg], this Flat Lifter was perfectly matched to its application. The smaller cups and the extended frame delicately support the glass and reduce loss due to breakage.

FL16 Custom Flat Lifter

The FL16 was specially designed and manufactured to lift plate metal for a farm equipment manufacturer. The vacuum lifter is fitted with sixteen 10" [25 cm] lipped vacuum pads to provide a more positive grip on slightly textured and irregular surfaces. Control handles were placed on each end of the center beam to ease maneuvering of the Flat Lifter. When rotated downward, the handles also double as a parking stand to help protect the vacuum pads from damage when the lifter is not in use. Because this Flat Lifter has an overall length of nearly 27 feet [8.2 m], specially designed rollers were added along the length of the center support beam to make it easier to move, further reducing the chances of operator injury and fatigue. The vacuum lifter's pad spread can be reconfigured from a minimum of 9.8 feet [3 m] by 3.25 feet [1 m] to a maximum of 24.5 feet [7.4 m] by 6 feet [1.9 m], to accommodate the wide variation of material sizes handled by the manufacturer. With a load capacity of 2000 lbs [910 kg], this Flat Lifter is capable of handling materials up to 30 feet [9.1 m] x 7 feet [2.1 m]. These vacuum lifters are the tool of choice for materials handling in many manufacturing, fabricating and warehousing situations. Find the Flat Lifter that's just right for your business. Contact the Wood's Powr-Grip Dealer nearest you for more information. If you still have questions, feel free to contact one of our Technical Sales Representatives.

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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.