Electrical Manipulators

Electrical Manipulators:
Powerful Lifting Equipment for Easy and Efficient Manipulation of Heavy Loads

When it comes to our lifting tools – electrical manipulators, manual manipulators and non-manipulators – there’s a clear hierarchy of complexity in terms of design and operational features.

Generally, electrical manipulators are more complex than manual ones. However, both electrical and manual manipulators are more advanced and multifaceted than non-manipulators.

All our lifters, regardless of the attached tool, can move a load up and down along the lifter column. When this range of movement is sufficient for a lifting task, we usually recommend a non-manipulator. Non-manipulators, as lift equipment, are static and only support vertical movement of the load.

In contrast, manipulators – whether electrical or manual – offer more degrees of freedom, giving you additional movement options for handling the load.

This page focuses on electrical manipulators. For more general information on how electrical manipulators work and their advantages, please continue reading past the next section. If you’re looking for details about a specific electrical manipulator, please follow one of the links below.

Our Selection Electrical Lift Equipment for Load Manipulation

Need to Do More than Just Lift Something Up and Down?
– Our Electrical Manipulators Offer Three Ways to Move (Manipulate) a Load

In addition to the vertical movement provided by the lifting machine itself, electrical manipulators may perform a variety of different movements of a load such as e.g:

1) Sideways rotation (with our ERU – Electric Rotation Unit)
2) Forward tipping around the centre of gravity of the load (with our ETU – Electric Tipping Unit, ERM – Electric Roll Manipulator, and ERG – Electric Reel Gripper)
3) Forward tipping around the rear of the lifting tool (with our ELU – Electric Leveling Unit)

Often a Manipulator Needs a Helping Hand (or Grip) from from a Non-Manipulator

Most of these manipulators (the ERU – Electric Rotation Unit, the ETU – Electric Tipping Unit and the ELU – Electric Leveling Unit) merely perform the movement (manipulation) and offer no ways to grip a load.

Manipulator tools such as these need to be combined with other tools such as e.g. non-manipulators for gripping purposes. For example, when there is a need to grip and turn a box, drum, or roll, we may add a non-manipulator such as a manual or electric clamp.

However, some of our electrical manipulators do perform both manipulation and gripping:

Our Electrical Manipulators Can Grip a Load From the Inside or the Outside

In addition to their ability to move a load in various ways, some of our electrical manipulators can also grip the load in different ways, depending on the application.

This is achieved through:

– Gripping the load by holding the outer perimeter or surface, using tools like our ERG – Electric Reel Gripper.
– Gripping the load through the inner core with tools such as our ERM – Electric Roll Manipulator.

Sometimes the Best Moving and Gripping Solution is a Combination of Electrical and Manual Elements

Not only does it sometimes make sense to combine non-manipulators and manipulators, but it may also be beneficial to mix different types of manipulators. Thus in some cases, combining electrical and manual functions in the same manipulator can offer significant advantages.

For example, when lifting a medium-heavy container, a manual clamp might be sufficient.

However, if you need to tip it while holding it at a distance from its center of gravity, it makes sense to add an electrical tipping function to reduce physical strain.

Thus there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Every situation is unique, and we carefully evaluate all options to provide the best solution tailored to your needs.

How Electrical Manipulators Are Powered and Controlled:
– The Benefits of Combining Power and Strength with Ease and User-Friendliness

As mentioned earlier, electrical and manual manipulators share many characteristics.

However, what sets electrical manipulators apart from manual ones is how they are powered and controlled.

Electrical manipulators:

– Are powered electrically, using batteries and motors.
– Perform their functions through components like actuators, sensors, and switches.
– Are controlled via a remote control, which also operates the lifter.

These features give electrical manipulators significant power and strength, along with precision and ease of use.

Not Sure When Electrical Lift Equipment Is a Good Idea?
– Here Are the Situations Where Electrical Manipulators Prove Advantageous

Compared to lift equipment such as manual manipulators, electrical manipulators offer several advantages:

– Very high lifting capacity.
– Faster manipulation of heavy loads.
– Easy and safe manipulation of oddly shaped objects or loads with uneven weight distribution. For example, the further a load is from its centre of gravity, the more power and precision are needed. This is often the case with long cylindrical objects or containers with unevenly distributed contents.
– Handling loads in hard-to-reach positions. For instance, grabbing a roll or drum high up on a shelf in a warehouse or storage facility.
–Handling loads in tight spaces. This is ideal for situations where there’s no room for the operator, like e.g. inserting machine parts inside machines or gripping boxes in narrow passages.
– Easy and precise static positioning of loads. If you need to tip something to a certain angle, e.g. for the purpose of emptying a drum, box or another type of container, an actuator can do it safely, easily, and with a high level of precision.

Enhancing the Safety of Lift Equipment with CE Approved Hold-to-Run Applications

While equipment that runs with the simple push of a button is convenient, it can also present significant safety risks. To minimize these concerns, we’ve implemented a hold-to-run feature on all our electrical solutions.

This functionality is not only a safety measure but also a requirement under EU regulations (CE).

In practice, the hold-to-run system means that the lifting and manipulation mechanisms will only continue to operate as long as the button is held down. Once you release your finger, the lifter or manipulator will stop moving.

A Perhaps Surprising Side Note Regarding Cost
– Electric Doesn’t Always Mean More Expensive

Most people would naturally assume that a lifter with an electrically powered manipulator is more expensive than one with a manually powered manipulator. In most cases, this is a correct assumption – especially for our standard solutions.

However, there are times when electrical solutions can actually be more cost-effective than manual ones.

The reason for this is that designing a special mechanical solution using only standard lift equipment components can be quite complex. It often requires more parts, and sometimes custom, non-standard elements that need to be specifically designed. When this happens, the solution becomes more time-consuming and ultimately more expensive than an electrical one.

Regardless of what your needs may be, we are just a phone call away, ready to answer any questions you may have.

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