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. 

An Expert’s Guide to Handling Glass Vacuum Lifter in Wet Weather

The weather can be somewhat unpredictable in Australia around this time of the year. In the morning, the sky is sunny and bright, but as the afternoon sets in, large grey clouds take over the cosmic pathway. As a construction worker, it is essential for you to take care of your vacuum lifter equipment because this wet weather can cause severe damage to the performance of the machine. Here’s what you need to know to ensure glass vacuum lifter safety in this rainy season.

Any exposure to water can be potentially harmful to electronic equipment. The same applies to a glass vacuum cleaner. Rain can affect the electrical components and internal parts of a vacuum lifter, which can consequentially make the machine unsafe to use. This is why it is the best practice not to operate a lifter in the rain, leave it unprotected in the pouring rain or submerge it into water. 

It is a mandate that you use suction pads and vacuum lifters only when they are clean and dry. It is necessary because, in adverse circumstances, water, dirt and grit can get sucked into the internal mechanism of the system during the operation of the vacuum lifter. When debris and moisture get stuck in the lifter’s internal organs, it can lead to leaky valves as well as internal corrosion. Moreover, the presence of water inside the vacuum lifter can significantly reduce the suction capacity of the equipment’s vacuum reserve tanks. If there is dirt on the suction pad or the load, it can also reduce the slippage resistance of the lifter, causing the burden to fall. A company providing glass vacuum lifter for hire will make sure that their machine is working perfectly well in the time of return, so it is crucial that you take good care of the instrument. 

If the vacuum lifter is exposed to the water below freezing temperatures, that would potentially cause more damage. As water turns to the ice below freezing temperature, it tends to expand in volume. Therefore, any drop of moisture that turns to ice inside the lifter holds the potential threat of damaging vacuum seals, breaking electronic motors and blocking airflows. 

Here are some tips that you should keep in mind when operating a vacuum lifter in the time of rain:

• Do not leave the lifter unprotected during a shower
• Do not operate the lifter in the middle of pouring rain
• Deter from using the lifter below freezing temperatures 
• Use a chamois cloth or a squeegee to remove dirt and moisture from the load before performing a lift
• Inspect your vacuum pads regularly to make sure they are in sound condition
• Use covers to protect vacuum pads when they are idle or not in use

Change the vacuum pads as soon as you find a defect in them. Companies providing lifting equipment for hire in Brisbane make sure that their machines are working correctly and utilizing regular servicing. You can follow their leads to ensure a maximized vacuum lifting performance from your lifter. 

A Few Myths Debunked About Vacuum Lifting Facility

With the combination of G-force and rotate-tilt mechanisms, the vacuum lifters come with very precise handling abilities, especially for the glass and sheet metal and move them to the place where it needs to be. However, due to a few myths that revolve around the industry, a lot of manufacturing and distribution firm doesn’t consider vacuum lifters as a viable solution to move their facilities in and around the floor. And, few of them have been discussed below- 

Myth #1 The Vacuum Lifters Work Only to Move the Flat Surfaces: 

No doubt vacuum lifters are specifically built to move the flat surfaces, but vacuum lifters are not limited to this. Due to the presence of end effectors, vacuum lifters are built for handling non-flat loads. With the foam and effector, it is possible to move luggage, cartons, corrugated steel and more. 

Myth #2 Vacuum Lifter is Ideal for Lighter Loads:

The first thing you have to think what you consider as light. Is it 300 lbs or 600 lbs or 3000 lbs? However, the best part about hiring a vacuum lifter is its design that carries any load successfully. It can be a heavy glass window for installation, a sheet of metal, heavy luggage and a lot more. The suction volume of the lifter dictates how much weight it can grab, and this can be substantial. However, the maximum load capacity is mainly possible due to the crane and the hoist system. 

Myth #3 It Is Difficult to Position the Load with Vacuum Lifter:

As a lifting solution, the vacuum lifter grabs the load. The operator can position it where it needs to go with a number of choices in swivel points built into the lifting unit. And, the load can be placed exactly where it needs to be within the complete control of the operator. The lifting mechanism in the vacuum lifter can be tilted, rotated, loaded with multi-speed control that can handle the heavy and delicate objects precisely. 

While capping off here, you must know there are 2 types of vacuum lifters are there. One provides Continuous Lift with constant vacuum pressure, and another one is standard Vacuum Lifters. During the continuous lift, the vacuum may lose the suction. Hence, specific vacuum pad is required for such lifting type. On the other hand, hiring standard vacuum lifting equipment, you will see how it gets locked on to the load and doesn’t need constant vacuum pressure. And such systems have necessary gauges and alerts to main the vacuum pressure as well as the safety at the time of lifting.

Advantages of Hiring Glass Lifting Equipment For Your Shop

If you are looking forward to facelifting the look and feel of your shop by installing glass walls at your shop front, then you have your task cut out.

If you need high-quality glasses for the purpose, secondly, of you need glass lifting equipment to have the task done without any mishap and rather fast, without ant hiccup whatsoever the you must hire a glass fitting equipment.

Looking into the advantages of hiring these glass lifting equipment, here they are for your perusal.

SAFETY.....

The first and foremost concern that crosses your mind while working with glass is wastage, and more importantly, the safety of those handling them.

If your shop is a multistory one, or if the glass surfaces are off the ground level, you need all the more to think of the safety factor for people as well as the glasses. This is where those companies that hire out glass lifting equipment would come into play. 

These machines are tailor-made to lift glasses of various sizes and shapes, nature and width, safely. The mechanism of these machines makes sure that the stakeholders are absolutely safe from any mishap and the glasses are also safe from loose handling and hence, wastage.

THEY HELP IN COST SAVING....

This is a self-explanatory term. These state of the art machines would automate the intricate process of fixing glass panes and hence will minimise manual intervention.

Thus, the pace of the work quickens, and this drastically cuts down the number of working hours and days, thereby reducing the budget by a considerable extent.

Besides, wastage of glasses due to loose handling is also minimised. Hence you see, there is a two-pronged effect that these machines have on the work, with the common result..i.e cost saving.

THEY ADD Versatility and Perfection

Once you hire glass lift machines from reputed companies, you can be assured about the versatility and perfection of the men and the machines respectively. These machines are equipped with state of the art technology that makes affixing glass shields on surfaces at even the most intricate angles pretty easy, and they help in perfect installation as well.

THEY ENSURE AN ECO-FRIENDLY AMBIENCE

These machines are equipped to streamline the entire work and minimize the generation of trashes, more so, the ones that pose health hazards, which will at the end of the day make the entire work eco-friendly. Thus, they save you from the dangers of glass powers flying off broken glasses and getting into your respiratory system.

Hence, these machines go a long way in making the work of fixing glass panes perfect and effortless.

Things to Look for Prior Hiring Glass Lifting Machines

Glass lifting machines are very much helpful in saving hours of labour time on the job site. They help in making the work environment safe for everyone involved. 

Important Points to Choose Glass Lift Machine 

How to know which type of machine will be the right fit for your job? Below are some essential points that will help in choosing the right type of glass lift machine for hire in Brisbane:

• Weight and length - As a first time user, picking the right type of glass lifting machine may seem to be a challenge. All machines are almost similar.

To determine the right type of vacuum glass lifter, you must know the following:

1. Type of glass to lift
2. Height of lifting your load
3. Weight of the load
4. For how long will it stay suspended in the air 

Answering the following questions will help in determining the most suitable model for your job. 

• Operation hours - Operation hours is another important factor to consider at the time of hiring lifting equipment. Some machines operate for a long time than others. It will be better to make the comparison generously based on operation prior making the final selection. 

• Accessories available - Before hiring a glass lifting machine, you need to confirm about specifications of accessories like suction pads and forklift extensions. As curved pieces of glasses require special types of accessories for getting carried from one place to another, it is better to make sure that the machine you choose is inclusive of the right type of accessories.

• Terrain where work is going on - Different types of lifting machines are required for carrying out operations indoor as well as outdoor. Indoor glass lifting machines are inclusive of puncture-proof tires that work at the best on indoor surfaces. To carry on the job on uneven or rocky terrain, it is better to go with an outdoor model.

Keeping the points mentioned above in high consideration, it will become easy to hire the right type of glass lifting machine for your needs. 

Advanced Notice is Required During Peak Season

During peak seasons, advance notice will ensure that your booking is confirm. As maintenance is an important part, after determining your work schedule; better get a maintenance schedule in the place. 

It will ensure smooth working of the machine, thus avoiding unnecessary downtime. A glass moving machine in a good working condition will be of great help in moving, lifting and installing all types of glasses in a hassle-free manner.

The right type of glass lifting machine will permit easy lifting and moving of all types of glasses. Keeping some important points in mind will let easy hiring of the right type of machine.