Product of the Month – Oktopus glass manipulator
There are some glass lifting devices that make people stop and look – and our Product of the Month for November, the Oktopus manipulator, is one of them.
The advanced glass vacuum lifter is so smart and impressive that it has the power to gather an audience wherever it is used.
It is made by German vacuum lifter manufacturer Wirth and to give it its full title is the Oktopus GL-CC777600 glass manipulator.
The glass lifter can be fitted to Hird’s Maeda mini cranes to lift and place glass with precision in some of the tightest operating spaces imaginable.
Controlling glass lifting head
What makes the Oktopus glass manipulator different to many other glass vacuum lifter options is the ability to control the lifting head.
This allows the operator to move the load through a myriad of angles and planes to move it into position at height to get around obstacles or work in tight spaces.
On top of that, the glass manipulator can be controlled using a wireless remote-control device, so the operator can be stood within inches of the load while it is moved into position.
That means the load can be placed with millimetre accuracy, reducing greatly any risk of the load being damaged.
Complex lifting environments
Also, even in the most complex of environments, the need for manual handling is reduced to near-zero. Therefore, the Oktopus GL-CC777600 glass manipulator delivers a big plus for safety and productive glass lifting, with small installation teams.
In this way, the glass lifter typifies Hird’s goal of providing the safest, most sustainable, most flexible and most productive lifting equipment every time.
The Oktopus glass manipulator has two set-ups – one with 4 vacuum cups and the other with extended arms, so loads are held with 8 vacuum cups.
With the short arm set-up the glass lifter can carry a maximum load of 400kg. With the long arm (8 lifting cups) arrangement, it can lift a maximum of 600kg.
The glass manipulator can be fitted to either of two Maeda tracked spider cranes – the Maeda MC285 CRM-2 spider crane or the Maeda MC405 spider crane.
Speed up glass installation
Key safety functions include dual, independent vacuum circuits so loads are not dropped if there is a vacuum failure and an audio-visual low vacuum alert.
The manipulator head unit can be powered up and down through 60 degrees. It can be slewed left and right through 40 degrees and be rotated through 95 degrees.
The Oktopus GL-CC777600 glass manipulator is ideal for installing glass during complex construction projects. It also speeds up the process of removing damaged panels and installing new ones for effective facilities maintenance.
In both cases, the glass lifter greatly reduces the need for scaffolding, helping to control costs, reduce disruption for building users, and speed up the glass installation process.
Glass lifters that make us stop and stare
The Wirth Oktopus glass manipulator is not the only glass lifter from Hird that has the power to make us stop and take a close look.
Here are three more Hird vacuum lifters guaranteed to for getting your attention:
Winlet glazing robots
These highly-compact electric-powered machines can carry such impressive glass loads that people just can’t stop looking.
For example, the Winlet 1000 can lift glass sheets weighing up to 1 tonne and place them with complete precision.
Kappel fin lifter
In its fully-extended set-up Hird’s fin lifter, designed by Kappel to our specification, has 24 vacuum lifter cups and can carry glass weighing up to 1.8 tonnes.
It is used to lift long sections of structural glass and proved vital during construction of London’s Bloomberg building.
Hydraulica 3500 super heavy vacuum lifter
Known as Brutus, this glass lifting behemoth can carry glass loads weighing up to 3.5 tonnes.
No wonder even experienced construction workers stop and stare when this glass vacuum lifter goes into action.
Find out more about glass manipulators from Hird
For more information about the Oktopus GL-CC777600 glass manipulator and other machines in our vacuum lifter hire fleet, call today.
We offer competitive vacuum lifter hire rates. We also provide accredited mini crane training and vacuum lifter training, so your operatives can use our glass lifting equipment safely and productively.
Hird can also provide crane and glass lifting operatives to support your glass installation projects.
Northern 01482 227333
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