The handling of boards, doors, flat packs and assembled cabinets in the woodworking industry has always been seen as the perfect place to install a Palamatic Vacuum Tube Lifter with its flexibility to cover large work areas allowing a single operator to handle boards up to 150kg in weight with minimum effort and back strain.

Palamatic provide vacuum lifting systems with extension control handles have always been used to minimise the need to bend over a large board to place the suction feet on the centre line of the board. Also where the lift required is to a high evel flexible extension handles have been part of the standard supply on the lifter.

The advantages of the New Flex

This is a new innovation from Palamatic that can bring significant improvement for the operator whose job it is to handle loads in the woodworking industry. When the work process that the operator has to perform means stopping down low to a pallet to pick the load then stretching up high to place the load use of a standard flexible handle system doesn’t offer the most ergonomically comfortable lifting system. Wheras, the new S Line Flex lifter incorporates a pivoted and cranked counter balanced handle complete with crossbar offering the following features and advantages:

The handle is pivoted on the centre-line of the lifter so the operator gains a much better control when positioning the suction feet. The suction feet remain horizontal and easy to locate on a board, doors, flat packs or assembled cabinets.

The handle is cranked so when working at high levels the lifter handle does not touch or cause damage to the load to be lifted. When working at a low level the  cranked handle does not make control more difficult as can be the case with standard flexible extension handles.

The handle is counter balanced which compensates for the weight of the control valve and crossbar assembly mounted at the end of the extended handle so the operator does not have to lift these parts when using the system which reduces strain on the operators torso.

The ergonomic advantage of the S Line Flex lifter is that the recommended working hand heights for the operator of between 900 – 1200mm is achieved effortlessly reinforcing the fact that the new Flex lifter is the answer to lifting and handling in the woodworking industry,

Suction feet for the S Line Flex lifter in the woodworking industry:

Suction feet and cups ideal for use with the Floex lifter are usually 4 footed units mounted on cross bars allowing wide spacing of the feet on large boards, flat packs, doors and assembled cabinets.

When handling doors on their side edges the use of narrow suction feet with the new spring loaded design of mounting ensures speedy grip at all times.

The introduction of the wider use of bellows suction feet have proven ideal for flat packs and boards due to their capacity to grip to any surface and also hold on to flat pack cardboard as it flexes during the lifting process.

S Line Flex Lifter – Assisted release feature

The use of large framed 4 footed units in particular with bellows suction cups makes the standard inclusion of the assisted release feature on a Palamatic S Line Flex lifter one of the greatest assists for the operator.

When the load is landed, by operating the assisted release mechanism, this ensures there is virtually no effort for the operator when disengaging the suction feet from the load. Without this feature the effort involved can be signnificant and not recommended for the well bring of the operator.