GGR’s new heavyweight vacuum lifter, the powerful Ultra-Clad 1000, proved that it has the ability to handle other materials besides the oversized cladding units it was originally designed for. This 1000kg capacity lifter came to the rescue when large-format glass panels with rough textured surfaces needed to be installed in a number of recent jobs.

GGR’s Ultra-Clad lifter was hired to fit a 650kg floor glass panel in the courtyard of a Birmingham university campus building, allowing natural light into a window-less classroom below.  The specialist foam pads and powerful vacuum system of the Ultra-clad meant it was perfect for safely lifting the glass floor panel which had been coated with a specialist textured surface to create a suitable grip for people to walk over it.

The Ultra-Clad 1000 has 30 closed cell foam seal pads across its 3.2 metre wide lifting frame so a secure vacuum could be created against the uneven surface of the glass.  Suspended by a Mobile Gantry Crane 2000, the Ultra-Clad moved the panel into a horizontal position using its 90° powered tilt function.

The Ultra-Clad was used to install another panel of non-slip floor glass at a London home recently. With some help from a large mobile crane, the Ultraclad safely lifted the glass up and over the rooftops to reach the back of the house.  The glass was then easily manipulated into position to create a ceiling over a basement extension at the back of the house.

At another job in the capital where lack of space was an issue, the Ultra-Clad was lifted by a truck mounted crane to vertically install bulky ridged glass panels onto a temporary wall.

The use of vacuum lifters to handle textured glass is subject to stringent testing by GGR’s technical team in our nationwide depots. To find out more about how we can find a specialist lifting solution for your job contact GGR today.