A special-purpose lifting machine, incorporating a Hiab loader crane, has been used to install what are claimed to be some of the largest sheets of glass ever to be installed in the UK. The machine, called RALF (Robotic Articulated Lifting Frame), was designed, developed and built by London and Rochdale based GGR Glass Services specifically for installing overhead glazing and cladding.
On site at the Standard Life offices in London’s Finsbury Circus, RALF lifted 26 panes, each 7.2m high by 1.6m wide and weighing 550kg. Using vacuum-operated suckers RALF lifted the panes from their horizontal delivery position on the back of a truck, swung them through 90° into a vertical position and raised them at the side of the building.
The brief for GGR was to produce a complete system, as opposed to just a simple lifting unit. “Glazing and cladding units are finding increasing use in a range of construction and refurbishment projects,” says GGR managing director Gill Riley. “We set up our handling service in 1995 to work specifically with glass and other materials. The need for specialist lifting equipment has evolved to include machinery that is also suitable for installation.” The traditional installation system for large glazing panels has been to use a tower or mobile crane and a vacuum lifting frame, with a team of installers actually positioning the glazing or cladding prior to fixing. This can be time consuming and costly, particularly where the crane also serves other trades on site.
With RALF the glazing can be picked up and positioned by one operator, and a fixing team is then free to attach the glass without having to manhandle it into position first. “A conventional crane is compromised on a number of sites, not least when it comes to positioning glass under a canopy,” Riley says. “But a critical issue is safety. Handling large and heavy items on site is always a hazard. With RALF, personnel need only enter the immediate fit area when the glass is positioned.” RALF has a cab, stabilisers and a tracked undercarriage. The lifting element is a Hiab 026T loader crane. A patented manipulating head is fitted to the crane which was chosen for its 4.6m reach and lift capacity at maximum radius. For flexibility the head gimbles 80° to the left and right and also up and down, so combined with 360° rotation, the vacuum lifter can be manipulated into virtually any position, it is claimed.
Power for RALF comes from a battery pack or a 110V 36A mains supply so it can work both inside or out. The whole unit is also claimed to be compact enough to be moved between floors in a goods elevator.
GGR has a full time training person to work with customers, mainly using their own vacuum lifting frames, but RALF is hired out with operators. “They have the expertise to safely handle large items and can place them with millimetre precision. This saves time and reduces overall costs”, claimed Riley. Glazing units range in price from £400 ($600) to more than £5,000 ($7,500), and the bespoke nature of sealed units brings an additional hazard. If one gets broken, it can take several weeks to get a replacement.
“In terms of cost per hour, RALF will typically be two-thirds of the price of a crane, vacuum lifter and fitting gang. In terms of productivity, RALF has a more definite edge. It is a dedicated tool, purpose-designed to handle glass and cladding materials”, Riley says.
