Glass installation contractors are investing in Winlet glazing robots to overcome a shortage of skilled glass handling operatives and scale up the services they can offer to clients.
They are finding the robots are so effective they can still take on more challenging projects without needing extra operatives, which is helpful if the installation must be carried out at short notice.
Hird is the UK and Ireland authorised distributor for Winlet products and is finding glazing contractors are impressed with the range of advantages, including being able to use smaller installation teams.
Full control
As one contractor said: “We can punch above our weight by using Winlet glazing robots. We keep a small core team on the books for standard glazing work and bring in a Winlet for larger projects.
“Using a Winlet vacuumation robot is like having a larger glass installation team with you because it eliminates much of the manual handling needed while still keeping you in full control of the process.
“I’d rather use a Winlet glazing robot rather than take on untried or inexperienced glazing operatives because they can trigger risks as well as be helpful. Winlet glazing robots are consistently excellent.
“Using a Winlet glazing robot, I can take on projects to install large or multiple panels of glass with confidence, supported by just one trusted operative.”
Clients also like to see the Winlet glazing robot being used because they appreciate the efficiency and safety advantaged the machine delivers, said the contractor.
Impressive to see
Winlet robots are proved to accelerate the installation process while reducing the risk of damage to the panel and surrounding structures, as well as improving work team safety.
The contractor said: “It’s a win-win. It’s also impressive to see in action. Everyone stops to watch when the Winlet gets to work.”
Hird has an extensive Winlet glazing robot hire fleet, with maximum glass lifting capacities ranging from 350kg to 1,000kg.
There is a vacuum cup adaptation kit for lifting curved glass panels weighing up to 560kg.
Meanwhile, the Winlet 350TH is a glazing robot with a 350kg capacity that can be attached to the forks of a telehandler for glass installation at extra height, above obstacles, or across particularly difficult ground.
Winlet glazing robots are battery electric powered, so have a small carbon footprint and deliver low-noise operation. They have powerful suction cups that hold glass safely in place while it is placed in an aperture.
A highly versatile manipulator head can rotate or tilt panels and even place them horizontally directly overhead.
Confined spaces
An advanced gyroscopic system holds panels in precisely the same plane when being moved from side to side or up or down so they can be placed with millimetre precision in any aperture.
A wired remote control unit allows the operator to stand in the best location to safely and most effectively control the lift.
One of the most popular glazing robots in Hird’s hire fleet is the Winlet 575. It has a lifting capacity of 575kg, with a side carrying capacity of 275kg for transporting glass to an installation site.
As with all glazing robots, the Winlet 575 is excellent for installing glass in confined spaces and on busy worksites.
It is just 890mm wide in its standard format, 2580mm long, and 1600mm high, so can be carried in a construction site lift and weights just 1,300kg, with counterbalance weights included.
Vacuum failsafe
Despite this compact size, the Winlet 575 glazing robot’s hydraulic arm can lift loads to a height of 3600mm and out to a distance of 1800mm from the front bumper.
It can also be used to lift sheets of glass, steel, or plastic. It can also be used to lift sheets of glass-fibre reinforced concrete (GRC) by fitting it with specialist suction cups.
When operating across uneven or unstable ground, the two front wheels can be easily upgraded to a twin-wheel system to provide additional stability.
As with all Winlet glazing robots, the Winlet 575 has an intelligent load monitoring system that controls the lift to optimise safety and battery use, and a dual circuit vacuum system that acts as a failsafe if one vacuum circuit develops a fault.
Find out more
Talk to Hird’s glass lifting experts about how investing in Winlet glazing robots can transform glazing services, making them safer, more effective and more profitable, with smaller installation teams.
Email : [email protected]. Telephone : 01482 481 960.
