Handle Sheet Metal with Care

Allowing a single person to quickly, safely, and efficiently lift, transport, and precisely place even bulky and awkward loads, FIPALIFT Expert tube lifters from FIPA Inc. (Cary, NC) significantly improve the economy and productivity of sheet metal processing applications. Developed to enable fast, efficient, and ergonomic material logistics workflows, manually guided FIPALIFT tube lifters are available in three options: Basic, Smart, and Expert. Expert vacuum tube lifters allow a single person to safely lift, transport, and precisely position up to 639 lb (290 kg) of sheet metal in a short cycle time and with minimal physical exertion, and can handle structured, smooth, oily, dry, non-magnetic, and even hot metal sheets without the risk of dents, scratches, or exposure to paint-impairing substances.

Characterized by their ease of use, uncomplicated handling, sturdy construction, high reliability performance, and vast customization capabilities, FIPALIFT Expert tube lifters eliminate laborious, accident-prone, and economically inefficient manual handling processes in harsh production environments, even for heavy or awkwardly shaped sheets that would otherwise require the combined efforts of two or more people or expensive robotic lifting equipment.

“CNC laser cutting systems, punching machines and other sheet metal processing equipment are highly efficient. However, the loading and unloading of the metal sheets fed into these machines is still typically conducted by hand, which is both inefficient and dangerous. So, we designed this technology to extend the same high efficiency and improved productivity performance benefits to the material logistics portions of sheet metal processing operations,” said Rainer Mehrer, the president of FIPA. “The FIPALIFT also eases the physical demands on employees in such operations, which both significantly improves working conditions and results in higher economy – very important, since recent research shows that one in every 17 people employed was unable to work for some duration due to back problems.”

The standard version of the Expert tube lifter has a standard controller, a lift height of 8.2 ft (2.5 m), a single suspension and a lifting capacity spanning 66 lb (30 kg) to 507 lb (230 kg), but is available with several additional options, including a double unit that increases the lifting force to 639 lb (290 kg), automatic shutoff of the vacuum supply, a wireless remote control for shutting off the vacuum supply, rust-resistant stainless steel designs for use in the corrosive environments and the food industry, a silencing box to reduce the noise level at the vacuum pump, and both fixed and flexible elongated control units and accessory and fitted crossbeams for handling large plates. Fixed elongated controllers are available in lengths spanning 19.65 in to 47.24 in (500 mm to 1,200 mm), and flexible versions measure up to 62.99 in (1,600 mm).

The Smart option is ideal for the rapid relocation of light to medium weight loads and is especially suitable for palletizing and picking cartons and boxes. The Basic option extends the safety and efficiency benefits of the technology into smaller operations as a result of its flexibility and affordability. All three tube lifters are extremely customizable and are compatible with the entire range of FIPA vacuum, gripper, and End-of-Arm-Tooling (EOAT) technology, accessories, and adapters, which allows them to handle nearly any conceivable load in an almost unlimited range of industries and applications in sheet metal processing.

FIPA also offers new SM-OF and SM-OB Series oval suction cups that were developed especially for the dynamic, slip-free handling of both dry and oily metal sheets in a variety of automotive and metal processing applications, these oval suction cups deliver unbeatable quality and exceptionally long lifetime performance at competitive prices. Their robust design utilizes multi-part, anti-slip cleats together with anti-slip supporting ribs that provide a high degree of slip resistance, effectively absorb shear forces — even when handling oily sheets, and prevent the deformation of thin sheets, which is critical in applications like auto body manufacturing. Oval cups deliver significantly greater suction force than round cups of equal width, and the flat SM-OF and bellows SM-OB cups are also wear resistant to provide exceptionally long lifetime performance, which contributes to significant savings in operating costs over time.

These suction cups are PWIS- and silicone-free and feature a flexible sealing lip that provides reliable, leak-free suction on ridged, curved, elongated, and cylindrical workpieces with minimal surface area, such as rails, tubes, and bolts. “The sheet metal and metal processing industries place rigorous demands on suction cups, requiring high holding force, dependable slip resistance, the absence of silicone and paint-wetting impairment substances, and an extremely long operating life,” noted Mehrer. “Our entire line of suction cups for sheet metal handling, including these new SM-OF and SM-OB Series oval suction cups, not only satisfy these requirements, but also provide shops with unbeatable quality at competitive prices.”

Rated for working temperatures spanning -22 deg F to +194 deg F, new oval NBR suction cups from FIPA are available with six different styles of robust aluminum connection threads to ensure maximum compatibility and provide shops with the opportunity to quickly and easily optimize even third-party systems. The SM-OF flat oval suction cups are available in seven sizes (56 mm x 16 mm, 66 mm x 23 mm, 96 mm x 32 mm, 86 mm x 40 mm, 106 mm x 50 mm, 126 mm x 60 mm, and 146 mm x 70 mm) with various profile heights spanning 18 mm to 34 mm. The SM-OB oval bellows suction cups are available in four sizes (67 mm x 32 mm, 87 mm x 42 mm, 118 mm x 57 mm, and 148 mm x 72 mm) with profile heights spanning 27 mm to 42 mm, and feature bellows with 1.5 folds and a geometry that both enables the efficient handling of three-dimensional shaped sheets and ensures excellent attenuation when placed on a workpiece.

FIPA Inc., 1855 Evans Road, Cary, NC 27513, 919-651-9888, Fax: 919-573-0871, sales.us@fipa.com, www.fipa.com.