Calculate How Much Weight Your Glass Vacuum Lifter Needs to Lift

To help you choose the right vacuum lifting equipment for your project, here is a simple calculating method to calculate the glass weight as well as the minimum amount of pad spread needed to lift such a load. If you are the coordinator and the contractor of a big commercial project, there is little to no room for error, and that is why this simple formula will help you calculate the weight and choose the right glass vacuum lifting machine.

Many companies provide glass lift machine for hire, and usually, they have a range of vacuum lifters in their fleet to accommodate varied requirements and customer needs. They suit glasses of different weight, shapes and sizes, ranging from slim delicate glasses to oversized and large structural panels made of glass. Usually, the vacuum lifters available in the market can lift glass bodies of 80kg to 2600kg worth of weight, and you are recommended to ask for the right equipment that would serve your needs the best.

Many versatile lifters are available with these companies, and upon asking, they provide extensions and extra pads to create a configuration comprising of multiple frames. If you have an oversized glass with great height and width, you should ask for such additional benefits that will make your lifting work much more manageable. Ranging from singular padded lifters to huge machines with as much as 48 pads, they can be configured to lift any kind and shape of loads whether it be regular leaves or irregularly shaped items.

How to Calculate Glass Weight

The type of glass that you’re installing maybe double or triple spread. In that case, you should not mind the air space in the middle – treat them as a single body and measure the added thickness of all the leaves. For example, if a unit has a sheet of 4.3mm, then an air space of 10mm and then another layer of 6.7mm thickness, it would be calculated as a total thickness of 11mm and not 21mm. Keep in mind to add a 2% leverage to accommodate the frame space bar of the double glazed unit. If the group is framed, add a further 5% on top of the total weight. The formula of the approximate unit weight calculation is:
Length in Metres x Width in Metres x Thickness in mm x 2.5

Consider the Pads Needed

Rather than just the weight, the size of the unit should also be taken into account to make sure that there is enough padding to support the weight. Ask for a spread overhang chart from the company that is providing the vacuum lifter for hire to be sure that the lift is providing enough support to hold the load through its pads. The overhang is usually based on the thickness of the weight as well as the carrying angle. Talk to the company beforehand to mitigate any chance of error. When too much money and time is at stake, you cannot afford to.