Palamatic is a leading supplier of vacuum tube lifting systems to the woodworking industry for handling wood products up to 350kg. With 35 years’ experience, thousands of the company’s solutions are in use on a daily basis.
A Palamatic vacuum tube lifter uses a single-power medium – vacuum – to grip and lift heavy or awkward loads. An electrical vacuum pump (or vacuum ejector pump) creates a vacuum level when a suction pad or gripping device is placed on an object load. The resulting low pressure makes the tube contract vertically, and the object load is lifted.
The operator controls the vacuum flow using a simple, finger-touch operating valve, making the work physically easier and safer. Increasing the vacuum draws air out of the tube and the load is lifted. Reducing the vacuum allows air to enter the tube and the load is lowered. It really is that simple.
Safety of the lifting system is always a priority for Palamtic. The combination of the lifting and gripping functions requires no special interlocks or devices. A quick-acting non-return valve and a suction force-vs-lifting force safety factor of 2.5 x, prevent the load from being inadvertently dropped – even in the event of a mains power failure.
Applications Palamatic regularly provides equipment for include loading and unloading vertical panel saws, beamsaws, dimension saws, flatbed CNC stations, edgebanders and laminators, paint lines and tilt tables.
The most common wood materials handled by its lifting systems include Trespa Jumbo boards, Spandrel panels, MDF, MFC, chipboard, wood, plywood, Sterling board, plasterboard and polycarbonate. Weights up to 350kg can be picked up.
Palamatic is also frequently asked to rotate boards through 90° or 180° for loading and unloading purposes. Another request it gets is to grip doors by their edges, instead of using suction on the flat face – for example, to avoid wet paint/glue – which Palamatic systems can do with ease.
Woodworking facilities are at a high risk of fires and explosions due to the unavoidable presence of flammable material in the form of wood and wood products, sawdust, etc. In response to this risk, Palamatic has developed a range of ATEX-suitable lifting systems and upgrade packages for existing vacuum-lifting equipment, to give companies the peace of mind and confidence to operate safely within hazardous environments.
With its 22,000ft2 factory in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the company is well placed to visit customer sites, and for customers to send samples to test prior to Palamatic manufacturing a vacuum tube lifter. The company has a skilled field engineering team to install the systems, and comes in to train customers’ operators.
Due to the high demand for lifting systems in the woodworking industry, Palamatic recommends companies take up a service contract to ensure their systems are kept in good working order.
For companies which have an application they would like Palamatic to come and look at, refer to the company website or contact Palamatic directly.
01246 452054
[email protected]
www.palamatic.com
