Vacuum lift tube technology differs from conventional vacuum gripping tools by combining lifting and gripping in one simple, safe system requiring no special interlocks or special safety devices.

Vacuum, or the presence of lower than ambient air pressure, creates a powerful holding force against porous or nonporous surfaces.  The larger the contact area and the greater the vacuum pressure, the higher the holding force.  Properly designed vacuum tools can be used to lift or hold many tons.  Vacuum is powerful when correctly applied.

Flow is equally important.  Vacuum without a high flow rate when applied to porous surfaces such as cardboard is not a very powerful force.  But as flow and surface area increases the force increases.  With proper design, vacuum can be used to hold or lift almost anything.

Vacuum Lifting

Palamatic lift tube systems use vacuum and flow to both lift and hold payloads.  The use of a hoist is not required.

Using vacuum lift tube technology to lift as well as hold requires design within an optimum range of flow, contact area, vacuum pressure and lift tube diameter.  This is why Palamatic offers three separate and distinct ranges of lift tube products:

• The ML or Mini Lift series for payloads 100 pounds or less
• The PL or Pal-U-Lift series for payloads from 50 to over 200 pounds
• The HCL or High Capacity Lift series for payloads from 200 to over 1,000 pounds

Lifter capacities within each series are dependent on tooling weight, payload porosity, available surface area for vacuum cups and the diameter of the lift tube or tubes.

Lift Tube Productivity

Vacuum lift tubes are well suited to delicate component as well as rugged containerized payloads.  Vacuum cups require a good seal to be effective and by their very nature are soft, compliant and non-marking.

Tooling can be designed to include powered or manual functions for pitching, turning or rotating payloads for optimum positioning.  Tooling can also be designed to handle multiple payloads in one lift.

Palamatic also offers quick change tooling that can covert a lifter from one application to another in 30 seconds or less.  Thus, for example, the same lifter could be used to handle bags and drums in the same work area.

Operators controls can be designed to extend the operator's vertical or horizontal reach, thus improving work area mobility, allowing reach across pallets or conveyors, increasing range of motion and ergonomic working postures.  Palamatic's range of operator's control options are the widest available.

Unlike hoists, lift tubes are 100% duty cycle lifting devices with infinitely variable speed lifting and positioning.  At optimally designed work stations operators can handle 5 or more payloads per minute with minimal physical exertion and fatigue.

Lift Tube Safety

Palamatic systems are designed to insure that more than twice the gripping force is available versus the payload weight, a minimum 2 to 1 safety factor.  The same vacuum flow is used for gripping as well as lifting.  Thus, if the gripping force cannot be generated, such as on a cardboard box with a tear or hole in the box, the load cannot be lifted.

In the event of a power failure, a built in vacuum safety valve enables the vacuum lifter to automatically lower the payload to the floor in a safe and controlled manner.

Lift Tube Versatility

Simply put, vacuum lift tube technology can be applied to all manner of handling situations where varying payloads need to be moved quickly and efficiently.

Palamatic Handling has a lifting solution for your application.  We are looking forward to working with you to improve the quality, safety and productivity of your handling requirements.

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