A glass installation specialist has concluded Winlet glazing robots represent the best option on the market for productive and safe glass lifting.
21st Century Glaziers has invested in a Winlet 575 glazing robot and its teams are already impressed with the additional capability it is giving them.
Company director Adrian Rogers said: “The ability we have now to control large glass panels at height precisely, with minimum movement and handling, is changing the way we do our work. I believe the Winlet glazing robot is the be all and end all of glass installation. Nothing can touch it.”
Larger and heavier glass
21st Century Glaziers is a well establishing glass installation and repair specialist, based in Stafford, and operating across the UK.
Purchase of the Winlet 575 glazing robot is its latest response to a continuing trend of glass being used as an architectural building product to increase internal light and reduce weight and cost.
Installers are being asked to work with larger pieces of glass at greater height. The Winlet glazing robot is proving ideal for this purpose and has specific features transforming the way glass in handled.
The Winlet 575 glazing robot, supplied by Hird, Winlet’s authorised dealer in the UK and Ireland, has a maximum glass lifting capacity of 575kg.
Key feature – linear positioning
The key feature, for 21st Century Glaziers, is the Winlet glazing robot’s ability to hold glass panels in the same plane while final movements are made to place it in an aperture.
“With the Winlet, we can align the glass with the aperture and then make final linear movements side to side, up and down, and the glass will stay in perfect alignment with the space we’re fitting into,” said Adrian Rogers.
“On top of that, the controls are super-smooth and allow glass to be positioned with millimetre precision, which eliminates breakage risks and creates a perfect finish, especially when fitting glass to glass.
“With other systems on the market, making final adjustments moves the glass through an arc, so the panel must be realigned, requiring further repositioning and manual handling.
“This increases the risk of damage to the glass, manual handling injury or even a fitting error. Linear control with the Winlet gives us better productivity, supports first time fit and improves operator safety.
“I know, with the Winlet, we can arrive at site with a three-person team and install a 500kg piece of glass at height, with no problem. Having this capability and confidence is going to do wonders for selling our services.”
Simple and intuitive controls
21st Century Glaziers’ installation teams appreciate the simple and intuitive touch button remote-control, which allows all aspects of a lift to be controlled from the best position to manage the lifting process safely.
The Winlet 575 has a maximum lifting height of 3.6m (with a lifting capacity of 575kg) and can side carry panels weighing up to 275kg.
Extension arms can be used for large or irregular loads. Special vacuum pads can be fitted to lift non-smooth materials, such as glass reinforced concrete.
Winlet has developed a range of glazing robots, from the Winlet 350, with a lifting capacity of 350kg, to the Winlet 1000, which can lift panels weighing 1,000kg.
There is also a Winlet 350 TH, which can attach to the forks of a telehandler, and a Winlet 1000 TRX tracked glazing robot.
For more information about Winlet glazing robots, call Hird. Telephone 01482 481 960 email: [email protected].
