Product of the month – Hydraulica 900 Curved

Our Product of the Month for August has been designed to put a smile on your face. It could be called a mood lifter as well as a glass lifter.

The Hydraulica 900 Curved vacuum lifter holds curved glass. So, why the smile? In our estimation, it is almost impossible to look at a curved glass building without having at least a little smile, outward or inward.

There is something about a curved glass building, like the Emporia shopping centre in Malmo, or the ICA building in New York, that just looks a little improbable, and so makes people smile in wonder.

Curved vacuum lifter

Which means there have been a lot more momentary smiles in cities up and down the UK and across the world in recent years, because curved glass is a growing architectural trend.

It also means our Hydraulica 900 Curved glass vacuum lifter has been kept busy helping façade installation specialists create some of the most eye-catching buildings in the country.

A combination of architects always looking to try something new and advances in glass manufacturing is bringing curved structural glass into the construction mainstream.

To keep up, Hird is investing in new glass vacuum lifters that allow glazing installers to safely and efficiently lift glass panels with sweeping curves, along with a few bobbles and bumps.

30 vacuum cups

The Hydraulica 900 Curved, made by Kappel, has a maximum lifting capacity of 900kg. Its 30 vacuum cups can be adapted to accommodate irregular-shaped glass panels as well as curved ones.

Flexible lifting is enhanced with the ability to use two or four onboard vacuum pumps, providing dual-circuit suction, so if one circuit fails, the other will hold he load.

The Hydraulica 900 Curved glass vacuum lifter has 90-degree horizontal to vertical tilt, and 270-degree powered rotation, greatly minimising manual handling. That means the vacuum lifter can be uses by smaller glass installation teams, reducing cost.

It also makes glass lifting safer and more precise, both much appreciated attributes when curved panels are often bespoke, impossible to replace quickly if damaged and more expensive.

Smiles on faces

Cables remote control allows the vacuum lifter operative to get into just the right position to control the lift, enhancing safety and productivity still further.

Here at Hird, we have three Hydraulica curved glass vacuum lifters. Alongside the 900 Curved is the 1200 Curved, with a lifting capacity of 1200kg, and now the 1500 Curved, which can lift a mighty 1500kg.

Given their industry-leading performance, they even start putting smiles on faces before a single sheet of curved glass has been installed.

You just have to be a curtain wall installer to experience it.

If you need the Kappel Hydraulica 900 Curved to lift your glass, as well as your mood, call Hird.

The vacuum lifter can be combined with a wide range of Hird mini cranes, for example Maeda spider cranes or Valla pick and carry cranes. Hird can also provide accredited glass vacuum lifter training.

Email: info@hird.co.uk