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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.
A vacuum lifter does not pull the load. It removes air from the space between suction cup and surface; ambient pressure then presses the load against the cup. Holding force is therefore simply pressure difference times effective area: F = Δp · A.
Two things follow. No more than ambient pressure is ever available – and at high altitude it is lower. And any leak between lip and surface reduces the pressure difference and with it the force.
The device comprises the vacuum generator – ejector, pump or blower –, the suction cups with their sealing lips, lines and valves, a check valve, a vacuum reservoir, a vacuum gauge and a warning device. The release control is designed so that the load cannot be dropped by accident, usually through a two-hand or two-step action.
A suction cup with an effective diameter of 100 mm has an area of about 78 cm². At a vacuum of 0.6 bar this gives roughly 470 N in theory. Only part of that is used: for lifting with the suction face horizontal a safety factor of 2 is customary, for tilting or a vertical suction face a factor of 4.
The difference has a physical reason. With the suction face horizontal, the pressure force carries directly. With it vertical, only friction between lip and surface carries – and that depends on the surface condition. In addition, the cup layout must support the load against sagging.
Four cases account for almost all problems.
If power or compressed air fails, the load must not drop immediately. EN 13155 therefore requires vacuum lifting attachments to maintain the vacuum from a reserve and to trigger a warning before it falls into the danger range. In practice this means a check valve, a reservoir and vacuum monitoring with a visual and audible signal.
The holding time is a reserve for setting the load down safely, not an operating state: nobody stands under a suspended load.
What Entracon offers here is on the matching page.
See what we offer| Surface | Suitability | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Glass, painted sheet, coated board | very good | clean, dry surface |
| Oiled sheet metal | limited | oil-resistant lip, higher reserve against slipping |
| Raw chipboard, cardboard, concrete | limited | high flow rate, large suction area |
| Chequer plate, rough-sawn timber, natural stone | limited | soft or foam sealing |
| Perforated parts, gratings, mesh | usually unsuitable | choose a different gripping principle |
In theory, area times vacuum: at 100 mm diameter and 0.6 bar about 470 N. With the customary safety factor, half of that is permissible for lifting with a horizontal suction face and a quarter for tilting.
A check valve closes, the reservoir maintains the vacuum for a limited time and the warning device signals the drop. The time is there to set the load down. How long it lasts depends on how tight the surface is.
Yes, if it is designed for it: with a generator that delivers a high flow rate and with sufficient suction area. The holding time on loss of energy is much shorter with porous material and has to be determined on the real part.
Only with a device built for it. During tilting the load on the cups changes from tension to shear, and holding force then depends on friction. Sizing and safety factor have to cover that case.
The last hour of the shift should look like the first.
View IndustryLarge, heavy, delicate – and still one person.
View IndustryBreakage is not scrap. Breakage is an injury.
View GuidesThe unit lifts. The gripper decides whether it works.
View GuidesVacuum is the fastest pick-up – as long as the surface plays along.
ViewOne short conversation usually settles more than three quotations. Call or write — you will reach an engineer directly.
Start typing – for example “balancer”, “SAP” or “pipe stress”.
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