A metal processing facility in Alabama needed to replace their existing sheet lifters. They requested a multiple sheet lifting device capable of accommodating lengths from 360" to 720", and widths from 42" to 102". The replacement lift had to be capable of lifting a stack weight of 45,000 lbs. The customer requested that the controls be integrated into their existing wireless crane pendant for ease of use.
Because of the extreme variations in length, the Hunter Lift engineering team determined that the lifter should have different attachments to properly support the varying sheet metal lengths. The five (5) sets of lifting beams, ranging in length from 192" to 600", were designed to be changed out quickly. This flexibility will maintain operator safety while allowing the line to process different sheet sizes in a timely and efficient manner. Due to the load added by the lifting attachments, a hydraulic cylinder was used to operate the legs (electric motors would not be effective at this weight). A rack and pinion system was implemented to keep the four (4) separate cylinders in sync. We designed and fabricated a rack to store the lifting beams while not in use.