Powr-Grip's® Innovative Products Improve Stone Handling
Let's face it--handling stone can be a challenging and sometimes hazardous job. That's why Wood's Powr-Grip is pleased to offer a broad range of hand-held vacuum cups, below-the-hook vacuum lifters, and other products that are specifically designed to make stone handling easier. Our vacuum cups are used to handle most kinds of smooth, nonporous stone, including marble and granite. We also manufacture powered vacuum equipment for lifting limestone, slate and even sandstone. With standard capacities to 3000 lbs [1360 kg], these vacuum lifters can efficiently lift, maneuver and transport large stone slabs between storage racks and CNC machines, slab saws or cutting tables. From the stone yard to final installation, stone handling is more efficient and less dangerous with vacuum cups, vacuum lifters and other products by Wood's Powr-Grip.
Hand-Held Vacuum Cups
Whether you are working in the shop or on the job site, hand-held vacuum cups provide a quick and convenient way to handle smooth, nonporous stone, tile and cultured marble products. With diameters from 3-1/4 to 10 inches [83 mm-25 cm], Powr-Grip vacuum cups can handle bath tiles, floor tiles, facade slabs or counter tops. Our wide variety of standard hand cups includes models with flat vacuum pads, for quick attachment to flat surfaces, and models with concave vacuum pads, for effective attachment to curved or irregular surfaces. Many Powr-Grip vacuum cups also come standard with rust-resistant parts, to withstand wet conditions associated with stone working. Our vacuum cups are used extensively to lift and position stone facades, counter tops and flooring, or to move appliances in and out of work areas during the installation of stone products. Setting and leveling of seams also is simplified with Powr-Grip vacuum cups. In all of these jobs, you can work with confidence, because Powr-Grip's patented red-line indicator shows when the vacuum cup is securely attached to the stone and will alert you if the vacuum level decreases.
Below-the-Hook Vacuum Lifters
These AC, DC or air-powered vacuum lifters move heavy stone with the aid of forklifts, cranes or overhead hoists. There is no need to wrestle with slings, tongs or hooks, because Powr-Grip vacuum lifters attach directly to the face of slabs, for easy one-person operation. We manufacture a full line of flat lifters, rotators, tilters and rotator/tilter combinations, in styles for stone installation or processing: Multipurpose rotator/tilters incorporate manual rotation and tilt movements with DC power systems for cord-free operation at the installation site. Powr-Grip rotators provide a quick and easy way to load and turn stone on vertically oriented edgers and bevelers. Our tilters increase speed and efficiency when transferring slabs between upright storage racks and cutting tables or horizontal processing machines. And Powr-Grip flat lifters are available in a wide variety of styles and capacities for lifting slabs or sheet materials in the horizontal orientation.
Powr-Grip uses innovative engineering throughout our vacuum lifter series to solve the unique problems of stone handling: By designing our vacuum lifters with many smaller vacuum pads, we minimize the consequences of leakage at any particular vacuum pad. In contrast, competitors' vacuum lifters that have a few large vacuum pads would experience a radical reduction of capacity in the same situation. Powr-Grip's vacuum lifters for stone handling also come standard with vacuum pads that are specially designed to resist abrasion from rough or contaminated stone surfaces. In addition, our MT5HV11, MT Series Stone Lifters and PT10HV11F Vacuum Lifters are all designed to address specific stone handling problems: MT Series tilters feature an above-the-center pivot point, so that slabs automatically hang in the upright position when lifted. Coupled with a remote power source, the resulting narrow profile allows these vacuum lifters to fit between tight, vertical storage racks. PT10HV11F Vacuum Lifters provide effortless power tilting and optimal support of heavy slabs, to prevent breakage when stone is tilted.
Vacuum lifters from Wood's Powr-Grip offer a variety of other standard features and options that are ideally suited to stone handling: All of our PT10HV11F and MT Series Stone Lifters come standard with Foam Pad Rings and Individual Pad Shutoffs: Foam Pad Rings enable vacuum lifters to seal onto honed, saw-cut and even flame-cut stone, as well as polished stone surfaces. And Individual Pad Shutoffs allow vacuum lifters to handle irregularly shaped slabs or counter tops with sink cut-outs. These features are optionally available throughout our other vacuum lifters for stone handling (see FRHV11 and CM1COWB options). To simplify slab handling within the stone yard, we offer forklift mounting options on selected vacuum lifters: MT Series vacuum lifters are suspended from a boom attachment, while the power system is mounted to the cage or back of the lift truck. And MRT4HV11DC Vacuum Lifters utilize a Forklift Adapter to mount directly to the forks (see LB7FAO option). When equipped with a Center Spool Lift Bar, MT Series vacuum lifters can also be used to install facades under overhangs, or for other low-clearance applications (see LB4CSO option). In addition, each Powr-Grip vacuum lifter can be equipped with a Vacuum Loss Warning Buzzer, which increases security by sounding an alarm if the lifter does not reach or maintain a vacuum level sufficient for lifting the stone (see EO3VLW option).
Other Stone Handling Products
In addition to hand-held vacuum cups and below-the-hook vacuum lifters, Wood's Powr-Grip manufactures other products to address stone handling needs: Because the Drill Press Vacuum Base attaches securely without damaging stone surfaces, it is indispensable when drilling holes for sinks or faucets in granite and marble counter tops. The Bridge-Style Vacuum Base offers all the advantages of other vacuum bases, while adding an adjustable mounting system that is capable of spanning counter top cut-outs, defects or other obstacles on the stone surface.
Environmental conditions can affect product performance and longevity; consult the product instructions or contact a Technical Sales Representative for more information.
Rev 4.1/10-07
Based on product information at time of publication.
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