Glossary of handling technology

ASME B31.3

Also: ASME B31.3 Process Piping · Process piping code · B31.3

ASME B31.3 is an internationally used code for process piping, particularly in the chemical and petrochemical industries. More on this

ATEX

Also: Explosion protection · Hazardous area · Directive 2014/34/EU

The framework for equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres. The zone defined by the operator in the explosion protection document determines the required equipment category; explosion group and temperature class are added. Pneumatic units are often the simpler route here because no electric drive sits in the field. More on this

Articulated arm

Also: Jointed arm · Articulated jib · Knickarm

A two-section arm system with a joint in the middle. It folds and extends and thereby reaches, from one fixed position, points that are hidden on a straight line. That is why articulated arms are used wherever guard doors, machines or racking are in the way. More on this

Automation technology

Also: Industrial automation · Semi-automation

Technology that carries out processes without continuous human intervention. In handling there is a broad middle ground: semi-automated units in which the operator guides and the technology holds. It is more economical wherever variants, rework or visual inspection are involved. More on this

Balancer

Also: Rope balancer · Weight compensator · Zero-gravity balancer

Device that compensates the weight of a load through a rope or chain so that it stands almost weightless in the air. It holds the load but does not guide it: lateral forces remain with the operator. For free lifting, transferring and long strokes the balancer is the fastest solution. More on this

Bellows expansion joint

Also: Metal bellows · Metallic expansion joint · Bellows

A bellows expansion joint absorbs movement through the elastic deformation of one or more metal bellows. Its spring rates and allowable movements have to be included in the pipe stress analysis. More on this

C-hook

Also: C-frame · Coil hook · C-Haken

A C-shaped lifting attachment that reaches sideways into an opening – above all into coils, bundles and reels. Because the load hangs on one side, the centre of gravity has to be set via a sliding suspension, or the hook tilts. Sizing is not by weight alone but by the bending moment in the arc and the surface pressure at the contact. More on this

CE marking

Also: Machinery Directive · Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 · Declaration of conformity

The visible result of complete technical documentation: risk assessment to EN ISO 12100, design records, test reports, operating instructions and the EU declaration of conformity. From 20 January 2027 the Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies in place of Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. More on this

Centre of gravity

Also: Centre of mass · Load centre · Schwerpunkt

The point at which the whole mass of a part can be thought of as concentrated. With the suspension point above it, the part hangs still; off centre, it tilts until the two align. For asymmetric parts – motors with terminal boxes, housings with attachments – a sliding pick-up point is therefore basic equipment, not a special option. More on this

Chain hoist

Also: Electric chain hoist · Pneumatic chain hoist · Kettenzug

A hoist that lifts the load on a round steel chain. The chain runs over a chain wheel and is stored in a chain box, which makes the lift almost any length. Chain hoists are robust, insensitive to dirt and cheap to maintain; their headroom is greater than a wire rope hoist, and without additional control they allow no sensitive hand guidance. More on this

Changeover time

Also: Setup time · Tool change time · Rüstzeit

The time between the last good part of one series and the first good part of the next. It is pure downtime and therefore the starting point of every economic calculation in handling technology. Where a tool or roll change today ties up two people and an overhead crane, the changeover time saved is usually the bigger item than the physical strain saved. More on this

Cleanroom

Also: Cleanroom class · ISO 14644 · Reinraum

An environment with limited airborne particle concentration, classified to ISO 14644. For lifting equipment it means low-particle materials, enclosed guides, extracted drives and no open lubrication points. Because every movement generates particles, the design aims at as few friction points as possible – a requirement that belongs in the design early. More on this

Coil handling

Also: Strip handling · Bundle handling · Coilhandling

Handling of coiled strip and sheet material in steelworks, cold rolling mills and downstream processing. The task is usually solved with a mandrel or C-hook, because the coil allows a form-fit pick-up. Critical points are edge protection, centre of gravity and securing against unrolling. More on this

Cold spring and preload

Also: Cold spring · Cold pull · Preload · Pretension

Preload is a force or deformation applied deliberately before the operating condition – in piping as cold spring, and as the presetting of spring hangers and expansion joints. More on this

Competent person

Also: Qualified inspector · Sachkundiger

The person permitted to inspect a work equipment item. TRBS 1203 requires suitable vocational training, practical experience with that class of equipment and recent activity in the field – plus freedom from instruction in making the assessment. The older German term “Sachkundiger” means the same. A competent person may be an employee of the company; what counts is not affiliation but qualification and freedom from pressure over the outcome. More on this

Connection loads

Also: Interface loads · Equipment loads · Terminal point loads

Connection loads are the forces and moments a piping system transmits to connected equipment, machinery, valves or supporting structures. More on this

Constant hanger

Also: Constant spring hanger · Constant support · Constant effort support

A constant hanger supports a pipe over a larger range of movement with an almost constant supporting force. More on this

Conveying technology

Also: Lifting and conveying technology · Continuous conveyor · Discontinuous conveyor

The technology of continuous or indexed transport of goods – belts, roller conveyors, chain conveyors, cranes. It bridges distances, while handling technology works at the transfer points. Both fields are considered together in material flow planning. More on this

Crane logbook

Also: Inspection logbook · Test book

The record of all inspections of a crane, kept with the installation and required by DGUV rule 52. It records the date, the inspector, the findings and the rectification of defects. For hoisting and traction equipment under DGUV rule 54 – chain hoists, balancers, manipulators – no logbook is prescribed, but a record of the inspection is. A lost logbook does not make a unit unusable; the installation is surveyed and the record started afresh. More on this

Cycle time

Also: Takt time · Cycle · Taktzeit

The time available to a work step in a cycled production. It is the sharpest selection criterion for a lifting aid: a device that slows the cycle gets bypassed, however ergonomic it may be. Sizing therefore covers not only the lifting time but also picking up, regripping and returning to the home position. More on this

DGUV Regulation 52

Also: German crane accident prevention rules · BGV D6 · DGUV Vorschrift 52

The German accident prevention regulation for cranes. It governs construction, equipment, operation and inspection – including periodic inspection by a competent person at least once a year and inspection after substantial modifications. It does not apply directly to hand-guided manipulators and balancers; there the Industrial Safety Regulation and the manufacturer instructions apply. More on this

Dead weight

Also: Tare weight · Attachment weight · Eigengewicht

The weight of gripper, beam and adapters added to the payload. It is regularly underestimated: a vacuum beam with six cups soon weighs 40 kg, a clamping gripper with a rotation axis more. Sizing counts the sum of payload and dead weight – and for the tipping moment both with their respective distance from the pivot. More on this

Demoulding

Also: Stripping · Removal from the mould · Entformen

Releasing a part from its mould or formwork. The timing is a compromise: early demoulding shortens the mould cycle, late demoulding protects the part. For handling this means the mount is sized to the strength at the moment of demoulding – fresh concrete or warm plastic permit different surface pressures from the cured part. More on this

Depalletising

Also: Unstacking pallets · Pallet unloading · Depalettieren

The reverse of palletising: taking a pallet down layer by layer. Ergonomically it is the harder half, because the height of the layer to be gripped falls continuously and the operator moves from an overhead reach into deep trunk flexion. A lift table solves the height question but not the weight of the individual pack. More on this

Design load case

Also: Design case · Design conditions · Design pressure and temperature

A design load case is the combination of pressure, temperature and other actions that governs the dimensioning of a piping system. More on this

Destacking

Also: Separating · Stack breakdown · Entstapeln

Separating the top part from a stack of like parts. With sheets, panels and nested containers this is harder than it sounds: oil, trapped vacuum and interlocking make two parts stick together. The usual answers are offset suction cups that angle the part, strippers, or double-sheet detectors that catch the wrong pick before it does damage. More on this

Discard criteria

Also: Ready for discard · Wear limit

The condition in which a load-bearing medium has to be replaced – regardless of whether it still carries. On round steel chains this is essentially the loss of nominal diameter and elongation of the pitch; on wire ropes the number of broken wires per reference length to ISO 4309, plus strand failure, birdcaging, kinks and corrosion; on load hooks a ten per cent opening of the throat against the new dimension. A broken strand or birdcaging means immediate discard, whatever any count says. More on this

Dynamic piping analysis

Also: Dynamic analysis · Dynamic pipe stress analysis · Piping dynamics

A dynamic analysis examines time-dependent loads, for example from pressure surges, earthquakes or pulsating forces. More on this

EN 13480

Also: EN 13480 metallic industrial piping · BS EN 13480 · European piping standard

EN 13480 is a European series of standards for metallic industrial piping, covering materials, design and calculation, fabrication, inspection and testing. More on this

EN 14238

Also: Standard for manually controlled manipulators · DIN EN 14238

The European standard for manually controlled load manipulating devices. It sets the safety requirements for equipment where the operator guides the load while the device carries it – covering actuating forces, load-holding devices, behaviour on loss of power and marking. It is the reference against which the design of a manipulator has to be measured. More on this

EN 1591

Also: EN 1591-1 · Flange calculation to EN 1591 · Bolted flange joint calculation

EN 1591 contains calculation methods for bolted flange connections. They are used to assess the loading of the components and the tightness of the joint. More on this

Equipment finder

Also: Product finder · Selection guide · Configurator

Our tool for the first step: describe the handling task in your own words and you receive a shortlist of suitable units with reasoning. It does not replace the conversation with an engineer, but it shortens it considerably. More on this

Ergonomics

Also: Workplace ergonomics · Key indicator method · Manual handling regulations

The design of work around human characteristics. For handling the rule is: German manual handling regulations set no limit value but require a risk assessment – the key indicator method of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health provides the score from weight, frequency, posture and working conditions. More on this

Expanding gripper

Also: Internal gripper · Expanding mandrel · Spreizgreifer

A gripper entering an opening and clamping from the inside outwards – into sleeves, cores, tubes and bores. It holds without touching the outer surface and is therefore the right choice for delicate or coated barrels. Sizing follows the permissible internal surface pressure: cardboard cores and thin-walled plastic centres take far less than steel. More on this

Expansion joint

Also: Pipe expansion joint · Compensator · Flexible joint

An expansion joint absorbs relative movement within a piping system. Depending on its type it can take up axial, lateral or angular movement. More on this

Expansion loop

Also: Pipe expansion loop · U-loop · Expansion bend

An expansion loop absorbs thermal changes in length through the elastic deformation of the pipe itself and so reduces the forces caused by restraint. More on this

Feeding technology

Also: Feeding systems · Part feeding · Presentation

Technology that brings parts to the place of processing in the right orientation and on takt. In hand-guided handling it mainly means that the pick-up position has to be arranged so the gripper reaches it in a single movement – otherwise you create the time that is later blamed on the unit. More on this

Flange load

Also: External flange loads · Flange loading · Flange bending moment

Flange loads are forces and moments that act on a flanged joint in addition to internal pressure and can affect its strength or tightness. More on this

Friction locking

Also: Force fit · Frictional engagement · Kraftschluss

Holding by friction: clamping jaws, suction cups and magnets transmit the load through a contact or holding force. This connection depends on the friction coefficient, the surface condition and the supply, and so has to be sized with a safety factor. Where friction locking is unavoidable, reservoir, check valve and warning device are basic equipment. More on this

Gripping technology

Also: Gripping systems · Grippers · Greiftechnik

Everything that sits between the unit and the load. Four working principles are distinguished: vacuum, friction via clamps, form fit via the part geometry, and mandrel or hook. The choice of principle determines pick-up time, process reliability and the dead weight on the arm – and thus the success of the whole project. More on this

Handling systems

Also: Handling equipment · Handhabungssysteme · Handhabungssysteme

Term for matched assemblies of supporting, lifting and gripping units that together solve a handling task. Unlike “device”, it stresses that rail system, manipulator, gripper and control are designed as one system. In English-speaking markets “handling systems” is the usual collective term. More on this

Handling technology

Also: Handling engineering · Assembly and handling technology · Handhabungstechnik

Umbrella term for all technical means by which loads are picked up, moved, positioned and set down within a workstation or plant. It covers hand-guided equipment such as manipulators and balancers as well as semi- and fully automated systems. It is distinguished from conveying technology, which handles continuous transport, and from robotics, which replaces the operator rather than supporting them. More on this

Headroom

Also: Height above the load · Head dimension · Bauhöhe

The space a hoist occupies above the load and which is therefore lost to the stroke. In existing halls headroom is often the real constraint: sometimes only centimetres remain between the underside of the truss and the highest part position. Low-headroom lift axes and short-stroke units are the answer where a chain hoist with a hook no longer fits. More on this

Heavy load handling

Also: Heavy-duty handling · Heavy-load manipulator

Handling of loads above the range covered by hand-guided standard units. Honest demarcation matters here: above roughly 125 kilograms either a special design or a crane with a suitable lifting device is the right answer – a manipulator is not a crane substitute. More on this

Hoisting mechanism

Also: Hoist unit · Lifting mechanism · Hubwerk

The assembly generating the lifting movement – motor, gearbox, brake and load-bearing medium. In crane engineering the hoist is classified into mechanism groups deriving expected service life from load spectrum and running time. Too low a classification is the commonest reason a device shows unexpected wear after two years of three-shift operation. More on this

Hygienic design

Also: Cleanable design · EHEDG design · Hygienic Design

A design principle for equipment in food and pharmaceutical production: smooth surfaces, no open sections, no blind holes, sloped surfaces for water to run off and welded rather than bolted joints in the product area. For lifting equipment it means stainless steel, enclosed drives and a construction that withstands wet cleaning with detergents. More on this

IP rating

Also: Degree of protection · IP code · Protection to EN 60529

The marking of how well equipment is protected against foreign bodies and water – as a two-digit IP code. In handling technology it decides usability in foundries, precast plants, food operations and outdoors. For high-pressure wet cleaning IP54 is not enough; there IP65 or more is required, and the choice affects drive, control and price. More on this

Inspection interval

Also: Test interval · Inspection period

The period between two recurring inspections. It is not a fixed figure from a table but is set by the operator under section 3 of the German Industrial Safety Regulation in the risk assessment – from design, duty, environment and the consequences of failure. The accident insurers’ rules name a minimum of one year for lifting equipment. The common answer “once a year” is therefore often correct but never automatically justified. More on this

Intralogistics

Also: Internal logistics · Transport technology

The organisation and technical realisation of all material and goods flows within a site. Lifting aids and balancers are used here above all at picking, packing and transfer stations, where high repetition at moderate weights creates the strain. More on this

Joining

Also: Assembling · Inserting · Fügen

Bringing two parts together into a defined position – plugged, bolted, pressed or hooked in. For handling technology, joining is the decisive word: as soon as parts are joined, lateral forces and moments arise that a swinging rope cannot take. Where joining happens, the rigid arm is the right design; where things are only lifted and set down, a balancer suffices. More on this

Key indicator method

Also: KIM · BAuA assessment method · Leitmerkmalmethode

A method of the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for assessing physical strain. Load value, posture, execution conditions and time weighting produce a score with four risk bands. It explains why eight kilograms overhead weigh more than twenty at hip height – and is therefore the usual tool for evidencing the need for a lifting aid. More on this

Lifting aid

Also: Lifting aids · Lifting device · Hebehilfe · Umschlaghilfe

Collective term for all equipment that relieves people when lifting and guiding loads – balancers, manipulators, lifting axes and vacuum lifters all belong here. The term says nothing about the design, only about the purpose. It is more common in occupational safety than in engineering. More on this

Lifting axis

Also: Linear axis · Z axis · Lifting column

A vertically working guided axis that raises and lowers the load rigidly. It is slim, torsionally stiff and particularly suited to joining tasks in which the load has to be guided exactly vertically. More on this

Lifting beam

Also: Spreader beam · Load beam · Traverse

A beam between hoist and load that distributes the load over several attachment points and brings the sling angle to zero. It prevents long or floppy parts from being pulled together and keeps them level. Lifting beams are lifting accessories in the sense of the machinery regulation: they need their own marking, a declaration of conformity and periodic inspection. More on this

Lifting device

Also: Load lifting attachment · Lifting beam · C-hook · Lastaufnahmemittel

A component between lifting equipment and load that is not part of the lifting equipment itself – for example a beam, tongs, a vacuum lifter or a C-hook. Non-fixed lifting devices fall under standard EN 13155 and require their own conformity assessment as well as recurring inspection. More on this

Lifting equipment

Also: Hoisting equipment · Winches, lifting and pulling devices

A legally defined term for equipment used to raise loads. Lifting equipment is work equipment under German industrial safety regulations and is subject to recurring inspection under DGUV Regulation 54 – as a rule annually, by a competent person. More on this

Lifting technology

Also: Lifting and conveying technology · Hoisting technology

The field concerned with raising and lowering loads – from the chain hoist through the balancer to the crane. In practice the term is often paired with conveying technology, because both interlock in a plant’s material flow. More on this

Load chain

Also: Round steel chain · Hoist chain · Chain wear

The round steel chain a chain hoist lifts with. It wears in two places at once: the nominal diameter reduces at the contact point between links, and the pitch elongates. Both values are measured, not estimated – a chain still looks fine when it is ready for discard. As a guide, around ten per cent loss of nominal diameter or about five per cent elongation; the manufacturer’s figure prevails. If the chain jumps over the sprocket, as a rule both parts have to be replaced. More on this

Load hook

Also: Crane hook · Hook throat · Safety latch

The component the load hangs from, standardised in DIN 15400 and DIN 15401. Its most important discard criterion is the opening of the throat: ten per cent against the new dimension means replacement. It is measured between two punch marks set on the new hook – where these are missing, assessment is considerably more laborious. Added to that are deformation, cracks, and a safety latch that has to close and not merely be present. More on this

Local stress analysis

Also: Local stress evaluation · Nozzle stress analysis · Detailed stress analysis

A local stress analysis examines individual highly stressed areas – a nozzle, a branch, a welded attachment – in more detail than the global beam model of the piping system can. More on this

Magnetic gripper

Also: Lifting magnet · Permanent magnet gripper · Magnetgreifer

A lifting attachment holding ferromagnetic parts by a magnetic field. Permanent magnets need no power and so cannot fail; electromagnets can be switched but drop the load on power loss unless a backup supply exists. Holding force depends strongly on material, sheet thickness, air gap and surface condition – rust, paint and scale reduce it considerably. More on this

Maintenance management

Also: DIN 31051 · Servicing, inspection, repair

The umbrella term for everything that keeps a work equipment item functional. DIN 31051 divides it into four basic measures: servicing delays wear, inspection establishes the condition, repair restores the target condition, improvement raises reliability without changing the required function. The distinction is not cosmetic – have only inspection done and you will reliably learn when your equipment failed. More on this

Mandrel gripper

Also: Pick-up mandrel · Reel mandrel · Dorngreifer

A mount that enters the core of a reel on a cylindrical mandrel and holds the load positively or by expansion. Because the reel is carried at the core alone, the web stays untouched. Sizing covers bending in the mandrel and surface pressure in the core; for long reels a support at the free end is added to limit sag. More on this

Manipulator

Also: Industrial manipulator · Handling device · Articulated-arm manipulator

Hand-guided device with rigid kinematics that carries the load while the operator only guides it. Unlike a balancer, the rigid arm also absorbs lateral forces and tilting moments – which makes it the right design as soon as parts are joined, rotated or worked against a stop. Common types are pillar, articulated-arm and lifting-axis units. More on this

Manual Handling Regulation

Also: LasthandhabV · German manual handling of loads regulation

The German regulation on the manual handling of loads. It obliges the employer to avoid manual handling where it presents a risk and, where it is unavoidable, to provide suitable means. It deliberately names no weight limit: what is assessed is the whole of load, posture, frequency and execution conditions. More on this

Material flow technology

Also: Material flow · Conveying technology · Internal transport technology

The planning and technology of the route material takes through a plant – from delivery through processing to despatch. Handling devices are the nodes of that flow: they take over wherever material is transferred, turned or handed on. More on this

Material handling

Also: Materialhandling · Material flow · Materialfluss

The movement, storage, protection and control of material within a plant. The term is broader than handling technology and includes storage, conveying and transport operations. In international tenders “material handling” is the usual collective term. More on this

Nozzle load

Also: Nozzle loads · Nozzle forces and moments · Allowable nozzle loads · Equipment nozzle loads

Nozzle loads are the forces and moments that a piping system transmits to a nozzle of a vessel or other equipment. More on this

Occasional loads

Also: Occasional load case · Short-term loads · Wind and seismic loads

Occasional loads occur only temporarily or rarely. They include, for example, wind, earthquake and certain dynamic loads. More on this

Operating load case

Also: Operating case · Operating condition · Thermal case

An operating load case describes a specific condition of a piping system with defined temperatures, pressures, contents and, where applicable, further loads. More on this

Order picking

Also: Picking · Order assembly · Kommissionierung

Assembling articles into an order. What is demanding here is rarely the individual weight but the sum: 800 parcels per shift add up to several tonnes. Lifting aids keep the pick rate constant across the shift – the effect that appears in no accident statistic. More on this

Outreach

Also: Reach · Jib length · Ausladung

The horizontal distance between pivot and load attachment. Outreach enters the tipping moment linearly and is thus the second half of every specification: a device for 100 kg at 2 m outreach is a completely different one from 100 kg at 4 m. Naming only the capacity does not yet describe the enquiry. More on this

Palletising

Also: Palletisation · Stacking on pallets · Layer building

Stacking packs onto a pallet layer by layer to a set pattern. By hand it is one of the most strenuous tasks in production: the bottom layer lies in deep trunk flexion, the top one above shoulder height, and both repeat a hundred times a shift. Hand-guided palletising aids are the step between pure manual work and a palletising robot. More on this

Parallel gripper

Also: Clamping gripper · Jaw gripper · Parallelgreifer

A gripper with two jaws moving in parallel, clamping a part from outside. It is the simplest and most robust design and tolerates positional variation. Because it holds by friction, clamping force is sized from the friction coefficient and every acceleration occurring in the sequence – not from weight. A check valve keeps the clamp closed on pressure loss. More on this

Payback

Also: Payback period · Return on investment · Amortisation

The period after which an investment has paid for itself from the costs saved. In handling technology it comes from three sources: shorter cycle and changeover times, less handling scrap and fewer absences from musculoskeletal disorders. The calculation only becomes robust once all three are backed by figures from the plant itself. More on this

Payload

Also: Rated capacity · Working load limit · Traglast

The mass a unit may guide at the tool interface – including gripper, adapter and attachments. Figures quoted without the tool are worthless in service, because the gripper adds between eight and thirty kilograms depending on its design. More on this

Pillar jib crane

Also: Pillar slewing crane · Column-mounted jib · Säulenschwenkkran

A floor-anchored pillar with a slewing jib serving a circular working area. The design is simple, inexpensive and quickly erected – but it needs a load-bearing foundation, because the whole tipping moment from load and outreach passes through the base into the floor. Where several stations are to be served as one area, a rail system is usually more economical. More on this

Pipe anchor

Also: Anchor · Fixed point · Fixed support

An anchor prevents defined movements of a pipe and transmits forces and moments into the supporting structure. More on this

Pipe guide

Also: Guide · Guided support · Lateral restraint

A guide limits the lateral movement of a pipe while normally allowing movement along the pipe axis. More on this

Pipe stress analysis

Also: Piping stress analysis · Piping flexibility analysis · Stress analysis of piping systems

Pipe stress analysis is the calculation and assessment of the mechanical loading of piping systems under weight, temperature change, internal pressure, external loads and the action of supports and connections. More on this

Pipe stress calculation

Also: Piping stress calculation · Code stress check · Stress check of piping

A pipe stress calculation determines stresses, displacements, forces and moments in a piping system under various load conditions and assesses them against the code. More on this

Pipe support

Also: Piping support · Pipe hanger · Pipe restraint

Pipe supports carry, guide or anchor piping and transfer the resulting loads to steelwork, buildings or other structures. More on this

Pipe support spacing

Also: Support span · Pipe span · Span length

Support spacing is the distance between two pipe supports. It influences deflection, pipe stresses and support loads. More on this

Pipe wall thickness calculation

Also: Wall thickness calculation · Minimum wall thickness · Pressure design of straight pipe

The pipe wall thickness calculation determines the minimum wall thickness required for pressure, temperature and material under the rules of the applicable code. More on this

Piping class

Also: Pipe class · Piping material class · Pipe spec · Piping specification

A piping class defines suitable materials, components, pressure ratings and design requirements for a specific range of operating conditions and fluids. More on this

Pneumatic drive

Also: Compressed air drive · Air motor · Druckluftantrieb

A drive generating lifting and gripping movements from compressed air. It is the norm in handling technology: compliant rather than rigid, insensitive to dust and damp, inherently overload-safe through the compressibility of air and usable in explosive atmospheres without elaborate ignition protection. It demands treated air and costs more to run than an electric drive. More on this

Positioning technology

Also: Positioning systems · Fine positioning

Technology that does not merely move a load but brings it into a precisely defined position and holds it there. In hand-guided handling that means low-reaction movement, a limited final speed and an arm that leaves the load standing as soon as the hand releases it. More on this

Positive locking

Also: Form fit · Positive engagement · Formschluss

Holding by shape instead of by force: the gripper reaches under a rim, into a hole or around a contour, so the load cannot fall out even without contact pressure. Positive locking is the safer solution and always preferable where the geometry allows – it does not fail on pressure loss and is independent of surface condition. More on this

Pressure surge

Also: Hydraulic transient · Surge pressure · Fluid transient

A pressure surge is a short-term change in pressure caused by rapid changes in flow conditions, for example when valves or pumps are operated. More on this

Pressure test

Also: Hydrostatic test · Hydrotest · Proof test

In a pressure test the piping system is subjected to an increased test pressure. The additional weight of the test fluid can create a separate static load case. More on this

Primary stress

Also: Sustained stress · Load-controlled stress · Primary membrane stress

Primary stresses result from external forces and moments and from internal pressure. They are not self-limiting; excessive primary stress can lead to plastic collapse. More on this

Pump nozzle loads

Also: Allowable nozzle loads · Pump flange loads · Piping loads on pumps

Pump nozzle loads are the forces and moments that connected piping transmits to the suction and discharge nozzles of a pump. More on this

ROHR2

Also: Pipe stress software · Pipe stress analysis program · Piping analysis software

ROHR2 is a program system for the structural analysis of piping systems, covering stresses, displacements, support loads and nozzle loads. More on this

ROHR2fesu

Also: Finite element substructure · FE analysis of piping components

ROHR2fesu allows a detailed finite element investigation of selected areas of a global ROHR2 model, such as nozzles or special components. More on this

Rail system

Also: Light crane · Light crane system · Crane runway · Monorail · Overhead track

A girder structure on which a handling device travels, allowing it to reach every point of a line or area. Designs include the single-girder system for one line, the area system of main and cross girders, and the monorail with switches. From roughly three similar workstations it is usually cheaper than individual units. More on this

Recurring inspection

Also: Periodic inspection · DGUV Regulation 54 · UVV-Prüfung

The recurring inspection of lifting equipment and slings by a competent person – as a rule annually. It has to be documented in the inspection log; without documentation it counts as not having taken place. The exact interval is derived from the risk assessment. More on this

Retrofit

Also: Upgrade · Modernisation · Modification

Adapting existing equipment to a changed task or to current technology instead of replacing it. Typical cases are a new load attachment, a renewed control, more reach or retrofitted explosion protection. Almost always the cheaper answer, because the load-bearing structure is long-lived and a different make brings modifications at the workstation with it. What has to be settled beforehand is whether the work counts as a substantial modification – in which case the operator becomes a manufacturer. More on this

Rilsan coating

Also: Food-grade coating · Polyamide powder coating

A food-grade polyamide powder coating that forms a closed, pore-free film. It is impact resistant and withstands the alkaline and acidic cleaners common in food production – and, unlike ordinary paint, offers germs no foothold. More on this

Risk assessment

Also: Risk analysis · Hazard analysis · Risk assessment to EN ISO 12100

The procedure by which a manufacturer identifies, evaluates and reduces the hazards of a machine. It stands at the beginning of the design, not at the end: only the risk assessment decides which protective measures are solved by design, which are safeguarded technically and which go into the instructions. Without it there is no valid declaration of conformity. More on this

Robotics

Also: Industrial robotics · Industrial robot · Cobot

Programmable kinematics that performs a defined movement independently. It is superior when the same movement repeats very often and the process stays stable. As soon as variants, rework or short runs appear, the hand-guided manipulator is usually the more economical choice. More on this

Roll handling

Also: Reel handling · Spool handling · Rollenhandling

Handling of film, paper, non-woven and cable reels as well as rolls in printing, packaging and converting. Setting a reel onto the mandrel is the classic two-person task – and one of the cases in which a lifting aid pays for itself fastest. More on this

Rotation unit

Also: Rotary drive · Swivel unit · Dreheinheit

An axis between device and lifting attachment that rotates the part about one or more axes. What matters is where the axis sits: through the centre of gravity, a few newtons of hand force turn the whole way and the part stays put in any intermediate position. Off centre, the load has to be held – the commonest sizing error in turning tasks. More on this

Safety factor

Also: Design factor · Capacity reserve · Sicherheitsfaktor

The ratio between the calculated bearable and the actually occurring load. It covers what the calculation does not know: material scatter, wear, dynamic allowances and operator error. For friction-based attachments it is markedly higher than for positive ones, because there the friction coefficient varies as well – oily, dusty or damp surfaces hold worse than the data sheet assumes. More on this

Secondary stress

Also: Displacement stress · Self-limiting stress · Thermal expansion stress

Secondary stresses arise from imposed deformation, for example restrained thermal expansion. They are usually self-limiting but can be relevant to fatigue. More on this

Seismic load

Also: Earthquake load · Seismic action · Seismic design of piping

Seismic loads result from earthquake accelerations. In pipe stress analysis they can be considered, for example, through acceleration values or response spectra. More on this

Sheet and panel handling

Also: Panel handling · Sheet metal handling · Blechhandling

Handling of large-format sheets, panels and boards. The problem here is not the weight but the area: the material sags and the edge strikes. That is why it is gripped across the surface with suction beams, which must be sized for the worst surface that occurs. More on this

Sliding support

Also: Pipe shoe · Resting support · Slide bearing

A sliding support carries the pipe while allowing defined relative movement, for example due to thermal expansion. More on this

Spring hanger

Also: Variable spring hanger · Variable spring support · Variable effort support

Spring hangers support piping that moves vertically. Their supporting force changes with the spring travel. More on this

Stress intensification factor

Also: SIF · i-factor · Stress intensification factor of piping components

The stress intensification factor accounts for the increased local loading of piping components such as bends, tees and branch connections. More on this

Stroke

Also: Lift · Lifting height · Hubweg

The distance between the lowest and highest position of the load attachment. It is rarely needed in full, but the two ends decide: at the bottom the deepest pick from a pallet or pit, at the top the highest transfer. Stating only the middle working range produces a device that falls short at exactly the two critical points. More on this

Substantial modification

Also: Modification and CE · Operator becomes manufacturer

A modification that legally turns the operator into a manufacturer – with risk assessment, conformity assessment, operating instructions and CE marking for the modified equipment. Typical triggers are an increased capacity, a changed function or a new hazard that cannot be controlled by simple protective measures. Where the threshold lies in a given case is a matter of judgement – and the question is usually asked too late, namely after the work. More on this

Suction cup

Also: Vacuum cup · Suction pad · Saugerteller

The part that makes contact with the load. The sealing lip decides whether a vacuum lifter works: soft lips compensate unevenness, hard ones transmit shear better. Material and shape follow surface and temperature – oily sheet, textured decors and porous materials each demand a different design and a higher sizing reserve. More on this

Support reaction

Also: Reaction force · Support load · Restraint load

Support reactions arise at supports, anchors and connections as the response to the loading and deformation of the piping system. More on this

Surface pressure

Also: Contact pressure · Permissible pressure · Flächenpressung

The force per unit area at the contact between gripper and part. It decides whether a mount leaves marks: thin-walled plastic parts, cardboard cores, fresh concrete and lacquered surfaces take little. The answer is rarely less force – that is needed to hold – but more area: larger jaws, softer pads, additional contact points. More on this

Telescopic lift axis

Also: Telescopic mast · Telescopic column · Teleskopachse

A lift axis of nested profiles achieving a long stroke with low headroom. It is the answer to low ceilings: where a chain hoist and hook need too much space above the load, a telescopic axis extends. Stiffness and guidance clearance change with every stage, so the number of stages is limited and the guidance is decisive. More on this

Theoretical service life

Also: FEM 9.755 · General overhaul · S.W.P.

The calculated operating life of a serial hoist up to a general overhaul, determined under FEM 9.755 from operating hours and load spectrum. Once reached, the unit is not used up – it has to be overhauled and the counter reset: strip the hoist, replace wear parts, overhaul brake and gearbox, load test, documentation. The same unit then runs another cycle at a fraction of the cost of a new one. More on this

Thermal expansion

Also: Thermal expansion of pipes · Pipe expansion · Thermal growth · Linear expansion

Piping changes its length with temperature. If this movement is restrained, considerable forces and stresses can arise. More on this

Tilting moment

Also: Outreach · Load moment · Bending moment at the base

The product of load and reach, transferred into the floor at the base of a pillar-mounted unit. It determines design, pillar section and anchoring – and matters more than payload alone: 60 kg at 4 m is more demanding than 120 kg at 1.5 m. More on this

Torque arm

Also: Reaction arm · Nutrunner suspension · Drehmomentstütze

An arm that absorbs the reaction forces of a nutrunner or drill instead of passing them into the operator’s wrist. It is the answer for all high-torque fastening and wherever a balancer cannot help by its very principle. More on this

Transfer technology

Also: Transfer systems · Handover technology · Workpiece transfer

Technology for handing workpieces between stations, machines or conveyors. It is the point at which many production lines still work by hand – and therefore the most common place where a lifting aid becomes economical. More on this

Trolley

Also: Travelling trolley · Runner · Laufkatze

The running gear that guides a hoist along a rail or beam. On hand-operated systems its smoothness decides whether an installation feels pleasant: ball-bearing wheels with a plastic tyre run quietly and start with little force. Wheel material, guidance and end stops are sized from load, rail profile and travel distance. More on this

Turning device

Also: Turner · Tilting device · Wendevorrichtung

A lifting attachment rotating a part about a horizontal axis – usually by 90 or 180 degrees. The quality of a turner is decided by where the axis sits relative to the centre of gravity and by its damping: a well-sized turner moves with two fingers and stays put in any intermediate position, a badly sized one pulls and has to be held. More on this

Vacuum generator

Also: Ejector · Vacuum pump · Vakuumerzeuger

The unit generating the vacuum – as an ejector from compressed air or as an electric vacuum pump. Ejectors are small, low-maintenance and instantly available but need a constant air supply; pumps are more economical in continuous duty. The safety-relevant point is the same either way: reservoir, check valve and warning device, so the load does not drop immediately on failure. More on this

Vacuum lifter

Also: Vacuum gripper · Suction lifter · Suction beam · Vakuumhebegerät

A lifting device that holds the load by negative pressure against a tight surface. It is the fastest method for cartons, panels, sheet metal and glass, but reaches its limits on porous, damp or strongly curved surfaces. Under EN 13155 it has to hold the load on loss of energy or set it down under control. More on this

Vibration analysis

Also: Piping vibration analysis · Vibration assessment · Modal analysis of piping

Vibration analysis examines the dynamic motion of a piping system and is used, among other things, to assess resonance and cyclic loading. More on this

Wall-mounted jib crane

Also: Wall jib · Bracket crane · Wandschwenkkran

A slewing jib fixed to a load-bearing wall or column, so it occupies no floor space. It serves a half circle rather than a full one. The decisive question is the capacity of the connection: wall or column have to take the full tipping moment, which with aerated concrete, sandwich facades and retrofitted anchors rarely works without structural evidence. More on this

A hoist that winds a wire rope onto a drum. Compared with a chain hoist it has lower headroom, runs quieter and can be controlled more sensitively – which is why it is the basis of every rope balancer. In return it demands clean rope guidance and regular visual inspection for broken wires, corrosion and strand deformation. More on this

Workpiece handling

Also: Part handling · Component handling · Werkstückhandhabung

Picking up, turning, positioning and transferring workpieces in production – typically at machines, fixtures and assembly stations. It places higher demands on accuracy and orientation than pure material handling, because the workpiece has to be brought into a defined position. More on this

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