Glazing contractors overcome skills shortages with Winlets
Glass installation contractors are using Winlet glazing robots supplied by Hird to overcome a shortage of skilled glass handling operatives and to deliver faster and safer services for their clients.
The specialist say the robots are so effective they can still take on more challenging projects without needing extra operatives, which is helpful if the installation must be carried out at short notice.
Hird is the UK and Ireland authorised distributor for Winlet products and has an extensive hire fleet of Winlet glazing robots.
Glass installers are finding that investing in a Winlet glazing robot allows them to fit glass with smaller teams, reducing employee costs – while hiring in the machines for specific projects is also cost-effective.
Full control
One glazing specialist said: “As a contractor, we can definitely punch above our weight by using Winlet glazing robots. We can keep a small core team on the books for standard glazing work and bring in a Winlet for larger projects.
“Using a Winlet vacuumation robot is like having a much larger glass installation team with you. It eliminates so much of the manual handling previously needed when installing glass, and puts you in full control of the process.
“It’s been especially useful because there is a shortage of experienced glass installation operatives in our industry. I’d rather use a Winlet glazing robot because inexperienced operatives can cause risks as well as be helpful.
“It means I can take on projects to install large or multiple panels of glass confident in knowing I will be able to do a very good job with a Winlet glazing robot, supported by just one trained and experienced operative.”
The contractor said clients also like to see the Winlet glazing robot being used because they appreciate the efficiency and safety advantages the machine delivers.
Impressive to see
He added: “Installing glass with the robot is faster, it reduces the risk of damage to the panel and surrounding structures, and it’s safer for us and for other work teams. It’s a win-win. It’s also impressive to see in action. Everyone stops to watch when the Winlet gets to work.”
Hird has an extensive Winlet glazing robot hire fleet, with maximum glass lifting capacities ranging from 350kg to 1,000kg.
There is a vacuum cup adaptation kit for lifting curved glass panels weighing up to 560kg. Meanwhile, the Winlet 350TH is a glazing robot with a 350kg capacity that can be attached to the forks of a telehandler for glass installation at extra height, above obstacles, or across particularly difficult ground.
Winlet glazing robots are battery electric powered, so have a small carbon footprint and deliver low-noise operation. They have powerful suction cups that hold glass safely in place while it is placed in an aperture.
A highly versatile manipulator head can rotate or tilt panels and even place them horizontally directly overhead.
Confined spaces
An advanced gyroscopic system holds panels in precisely the same plane when being moved from side to side or up or down so they can be placed with millimetre precision in any aperture.
A wired remote control unit allows the operator to stand in the best location to safely and most effectively control the lift.
One of the most popular glazing robots in Hird’s hire fleet is the Winlet 575. It has a lifting capacity of 575kg, with a side carrying capacity of 275kg for transporting glass to an installation site.
As with all glazing robots, the Winlet 575 is excellent for installing glass in confined spaces and on busy worksites.
It is just 890mm wide in its standard format, 2580mm long, and 1600mm high, so can be carried in a construction site lift and weights just 1,300kg, with counterbalance weights included.
Vacuum failsafe
Despite this compact size, the Winlet 575 glazing robot’s hydraulic arm can lift loads to a height of 3600mm and out to a distance of 1800mm from the front bumper.
It can also be used to lift sheets of glass, steel, or plastic. It can also be used to lift sheets of glass-fibre reinforced concrete (GRC) by fitting it with specialist suction cups.
When operating across uneven or unstable ground, the two front wheels can be easily upgraded to a twin-wheel system to provide additional stability.
As with all Winlet glazing robots, the Winlet 575 has an intelligent load monitoring system that controls the lift to optimise safety and battery use, and a dual circuit vacuum system that acts as a failsafe if one vacuum circuit develops a fault.
Find out more
Talk to Hird’s glass lifting experts about how Winlet glazing robots can transform glass installation services, making them safer, more effective and deliverable with smaller installation teams.
Winlet glazing robots are available for hire across the UK.
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