Loading structural parts
Placing shells, frames and panels into drilling and assembly fixtures without letting them twist.
Industry
Handling technology for aerospace manufacturing
Composite structural parts weigh little and are still barely handleable: several metres across, floppy, delicate at every edge – and each part is so valuable that damage is counted not in hours but in weeks.
- Part length in structural assembly
- 6000 mm
- Positioning accuracy at the fixture
- 0.5 mm
- on one beam
- 12 pick-up points
01 — Applications
Light is not easy. Large and light is hard.
Typical handling tasks in Aerospace — and what they demand technically.
Removing from the mould
Lifting cured composite parts out of the tool, picked up in a distributed way and without local pressure.
Setting interior parts
Installing large, light linings and modules in the right position, often overhead and in confined space.
Loading test rigs
Bringing parts to non-destructive testing and setting them down correctly oriented.
Changing fixtures
Changing heavy drilling and clamping fixtures when a different variant is produced.
02 — What matters
What Aerospace demands of handling technology
The load is distributed, not concentrated
A six-metre panel may weigh sixty kilograms – but it must not be loaded locally anywhere and has to stay in shape over its whole length. So we work with beams distributing ten or more pick-up points along the part contour. Sizing is not about capacity but about deflection, surface pressure and making sure the part does not twist as it is set down.
Composites forgive no point load
A knock on a composite structure often leaves no visible trace and still a delamination inside. That is exactly what makes handling delicate: the damage cannot be seen but is found in ultrasound – and then the part is scrap. Mounts are therefore made large-area and soft, with defined pressure and stops that rule out knocks by design.
Everything is evidenced
In aerospace manufacturing traceability is mandatory, and it does not end at the part. Material certificates for the mount, documented inspections of the lifting accessory, defined maintenance intervals and instructions that match the work instruction: that belongs to the scope of supply. We plan the documentation effort from the start instead of catching up at the end.
03 — Device catalogue
Start the device finder
Equipment for Aerospace
Design, payload and reach — the shortlist for this industry.
Lifting equipment · Conveyor systems
01
Rail System
The whole area covered – in X and Y.
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Lifting equipment · Manipulators
02
Articulated Arm Hoist
The jointed arm for millimetre-precise handling.
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Lifting equipment · Lifting axes
03
I-GO Lifting Axis
Compact power for vertical lifting.
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Lifting equipment · Balancers
04
Skyline Rope Balancer
Weightless handling – floating instead of lifting.
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04 — Services
From analysis to inspection
01
Design
CAD design in 2D and 3D – from requirements analysis to production-ready drawings.
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02
Sizing & Custom Solutions
Load, reach, cycle time – plus grippers for anything without a catalogue entry.
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03
Technical Documentation & CE
Operating manuals, risk assessment and CE conformity – legally sound.
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04
Lifting Technology
Lifting equipment, manipulators and balancers for industry, medical technology and logistics.
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05 — Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions from Aerospace
How many pick-up points does a large panel need?
The deflection calculation answers that, not experience. At six metres length and thin-walled structure, eight to twelve points are usual. What matters is that the points follow the stiffness – more at the frames, fewer in the fields.
Do suction cups hold on composite surfaces?
On painted and smooth surfaces yes. On untreated, textured surfaces the holding force drops; there we use larger cups with softer lips and increase the reserve. We always test on the actual part, not from a table.
What about traceability of the lifting accessory?
Every lifting accessory gets its own identification number, marking with capacity and dead weight, and an inspection record. Changes to load-bearing parts are assessed, calculated and documented – here that is not optional.
Can one device take several part variants?
Yes, via sliding pick-up arms with labelled detents. With strongly differing contours a change frame with a quick coupling is the better answer – changeover in minutes instead of rebuilding for hours.
07 — Guides
Read more
9 min
01
Sizing a manipulator
It is not the payload that decides, it is the moment.
Read the article
9 min
02
Grippers & lifting devices
The unit lifts. The gripper decides whether it works.
Read the article
10 min
03
Calculating payload
It is not the load that tips the unit. The lever does.
Read the article
Contact
We do not know your shop floor yet — but we know the task.
One short conversation usually settles more than three quotations. Call or write — you will reach an engineer directly.