Technology allows pipes to be lifted using vacuum power instead of chains and straps, making it safer for workers.
Climbing up and down on a truck bed full of pipe can be dangerous. Yet when new pipelines are installed, a worker often has to climb to the top pipe and wrap a strap or chain around it while another worker does the same at the other end.
“Some type of cables or straps and chains have been the most common things contractors have used when lifting pipes,” says Randy Hayes, corporate sales director for Vacuworx International. “That was until the vacuum lifting application became available.”
Vacuworx, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, manufactures material handling equipment that uses a vacuum seal to lift pipes of all sizes and materials, such as concrete, steel, ductile iron, plastic, fiberglass and PVC.
The Vacuworx pipe handling systems have been used to stockpile and load rail cars, handle pipe without endangering personnel in close quarters at in-plant operations, fit concrete and cast iron pipe together in a ditch, and move heavy construction materials into staging areas.
“We’ve seen a lot of people in the oil and gas industry now requiring contractors to use vacuum lifting just because it’s so much safer and faster,” Hayes says. “It requires less personnel. One guy can load, unload or string pipe by himself without having to climb on pipes and trucks and stand under the pipe.”
LIFTING EQUIPMENT
The vacuum lifting equipment from Vacuworx can be attached to a wide range of equipment, including excavators, backhoes, loaders, cranes, forklifts and more. The company has six models on the market that can lift objects in various dimensions weighing 6,600 to 44,000 pounds.
“The most common equipment to attach it to is an excavator, and we can attach it to any brand,” Hayes says. “Until recently, the majority of our vacuum lifters have used a diesel engine to drive the vacuum pump to create the vacuum on whatever object the operator was trying to lift.”
The latest series of vacuum lifters are hydraulically driven. The vacuum pump is powered by the hydraulics of the excavator. “It eliminates the noise generated by the diesel engine and eliminates fuel requirements, as well as any maintenance requirements for the engine. This has also allowed us to reduce the overall weight of the vacuum lifter,” Hayes says.
Vacuworx lifting systems feature a hydraulic rotator that allows for 360 degree rotation and is fully self-contained. Vacuum pads can be easily changed in a matter of minutes to allow the end user to adapt from one pipe size to another. The unit is operated by wireless remote, but Vacuworx also provides an emergency hardwired kit in case the wireless remote becomes damaged or cannot be used for any reason.
“The system pulls a vacuum between the pad and the object to be lifted, providing a powerful, positive seal,” says Paula Bell, marketing manager.
The lifting system can operate in weather conditions from snow to extreme heat. “We have proven the use of the technology in all conditions,” Bell says. “Our vacuum lifters can even lift pipe in unclean conditions and on somewhat uneven surfaces.”
Vacuum lifting technology doesn’t damage materials or bonded coatings and eliminates the need for cribbing and spacers for pipe. Using the lifting system can eliminate costly repairs that occur when handling pipe by other methods such as straps or chains.
CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY
One of the biggest changes in the pipe lifting technology has been the addition of wireless remote operation.
“The systems are operated by wireless remote control from the cab of the host machine,” Bell says. “Because it is operated from the cab, and because the operator has such precise control over the movement of the load, there is no need to have people on the ground in harm’s way.”
The company has also developed lifting tools for plates, slabs, concrete barriers and horizontal directional drill stems.
“Oil and gas has been the primary market for us the last several years,” Hayes says. “Now we’ve started to move into other markets since we can handle a wide variety of pipes and other materials. We’re getting into water and sewer rehab work, mining, road and bridge construction applications, as well with the plate and slab lifting applications.”
Vacuworx is confident that its equipment is helping make heavy-duty material handling safer. “Owners and workers are looking for safer and more efficient material handling solutions in all industries,” Hayes says.
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