Winlet has glass lifting power at Battersea development

Glass installers at the landmark Battersea Power station development site are winning health and safety plaudits for their use of a Winlet glazing robot on hire from Hird.

Our pioneering Winlet 575 glazing robot is being used to install glass panels as part of Phase 1 works at the site of the iconic Grade II-listed power station which is being transformed with river-front apartments, shops and leisure facilities.

The 400 panels, each weighing over 300kg, are being installed in particularly hard-to-reach locations across two floors of new buildings either side of the power station on the south bank of the River Thames.

They have to be lifted over a rail and then fitted under a soffit in the building, making the use of conventional glazing robots much more problematic.

Commendation for glass lifting safety innovation

However the Winlet 575 vacuum lifter, with its excellent capability to manipulate glass sheets over obstacles and place them with precision, with zero manual handling, makes it an ideal choice for the task.

Our glass installer client is reporting that the machine allows them to install each panel with just four operatives, instead of the six required using conventional equipment, and with no manual handling.

We have carried out some analysis for this project, and calculate that this particular glass installation project would require 75 hours of manual handling time using conventional vacuum lifters. Manual handling time for the Winlet? Zero.

What is also important, especially when lifting up and over obstacles, is that these glazing robots are easy to operate and deliver complete control, so there is much less risk of damage to panels or completed structural elements.

This impressive capability has resulted in the main contractor giving our client a commendation specifically for using the Winlet 575 glazing robot, and entering them in a site health and safety innovation competition.

Hird is the UK and Ireland authorised distributor for Winlet glazing robots, which are manufactured in Denmark and making a name for themselves across the world.

Less risky, more productive vacuum lifting

Hird Director John Wilding said: “The success and recognition our glass equipment hire client is having at the Battersea Power Station development is testimony to the benefits Winlet brings to many glass installation projects.

“The machine delivers zero manual handling glass lifting, reduces the number of operatives needed to carry out tasks, wins you awards, and enhances your reputation as a glass installer. You can’t get better than that!”

The Winlet 575 has a maximum lifting capacity of 575kg. It has a compact design, the latest ultra-safe glass vacuum lifting systems, and delivers precise glass panel placement, even overhead.

Other glazing robots in this vacuum lifter range are the Winlet 350, the Winlet 350 TH, a version that can be fitted to a telehandler for extended reach, and the Winlet 600.

Battersea Power Station Phase 1 is a mixed-use development of 866 apartments, including 11 penthouses, together with retail facilities, theatre space and business studios, in two blocks built on a podium with two levels of basement parking. It is due to be completed in 2016.

For more information about our glazing robot hire service and our glass vacuum lifter hire service, contact us today.

We can supply glazing robots, glass vacuum lifters and a comprehensive range of other glass lifting equipment anywhere in the UK.

Email: [email protected]