Lifting focus – Kappel glass vacuum lifters
Glass has moved rapidly from being a product to let you see through to being a prime material we construct buildings with. Structural glass is being used to create the integral strength of the places where we live and work.
As a result, Hird Group must stay at the cutting edge of vacuum lifting technology – so we have the machines needed by curtain walling contractors to put these amazing new buildings together.
Among the vacuum lifter designers and manufacturers helping us do that is Robert Kappel, a German glass vacuum lifter supplier very much in step with the latest developments in the use of structural glass.
Super heavy – it’s my glass lifter
From super-heavy glass vacuum lifters to curved glass lifters and everything in between, Hird supplies Kappel vacuum lifters that are helping to create the 21st Century skyline in London, and cities across the UK.
Hird is now also an approved Kappel service and repair centre, so can maintain and repair Kappel vacuum lifters operated by other companies.
These are vacuum lifters that combine excellent lifting performance with the very latest safety features – with Kappel drawing on the experience of Hird (and other vacuum lifter hire companies) to continuously improve their design and capability.
To illustrate the point, we are focussing here on four Kappel vacuum lifters that help define what make these machines industry leaders – and in constant demand from Hird glass vacuum lifter hire customers.
Hydraulica 2000 glass vacuum lifter
This vacuum lifter, fully updated in 2017, is a highly productive and versatile heavy weight glass lifter. It combines an impressive maximum lifting capacity of 2,000kg with the very latest control features which allows glass to be manipulated and placed with precision.
For example, it now has 360-degree rotation and powered tilt, from vertical to horizontal, fitted as standard, which greatly reduces manual handling, improving productivity and safety.
Fin lifter
The Fin Lifter has been manufactured by Kappel to a design supplied by Hird. It starts as an in-line vacuum lifter with eight vacuum cups, and a maximum capacity of 1,320kg. But it can be adjusted, with extension arms, to have up to 24 vacuum cups, creating a nine-metre-long lifter with a capacity of 1,800kg.
Hird commissioned Kappel to create the fin lifter to allow contractors to install structural fin glass panels in the Bloomberg London HQ building, opened in 2017, and fin panels in the 23-storey St Helens Tower. Both buildings are in the City of London.
Hydraulica 1500 glass vacuum lifter
This machine is one of the latest in our Hydraulica vacuum lifter range. It is a revised version of our popular Hydraulica 1200 lifter, with added capacity – it can lift up to 1500kg – and electric tilt and rotation that can be operated through a wired remote control.
The machine can be configured to lift curved or irregular loads thanks to individual vacuum pad shut off. The vacuum lifter also has excellent safety features with dual vacuum circuits and alarms systems.
Hydraulica 3500 glass vacuum lifter
Finally, here is a big beast in the world of vacuum lifting. The Hydraulica 3500, known as
Brutus, can lift up to 3500kg, as much as a small car, and has also the same features as other Kappel lifters, such as 90-degree tilt, and 210-degree lockable rotation.
Its sliding extension arms allows it to lift some of the biggest sheets of glass ever used in building construction in the UK. Like other Kappel vacuum lifters, it can also lift irregular loads with hits individual vacuum pad shut of capability.
A Kappel glass lifter for all needs
Brutus is at the super heavy end of vacuum lifting, but Hird can offer Kappel lifters pretty much across the weight spectrum. Remember, also, that they can be used to lift any smooth, non-porous sheet products, including glass-reinforced concrete, metal, plasterboard, and plastic.
For more information about hire options for Kappel vacuum lifters, call Hird today. If you have a highly challenging glass lifting project, we will almost certainly have the vacuum lifter needed for the job. If it does not exist, we will work with Kappel to create it.
Northern 01482 227333
Central 01302 341659
Southern 0203 174 0658
Email: [email protected]