A Great Lifting Solution

PlasmaCam Hardware discussion forum
Post Reply
User avatar
Joe Jones
5 Star Elite Contributing Member
5 Star Elite Contributing Member
Posts: 3041
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 2:33 pm
Location: Franklin, KY., USA
Contact:

A Great Lifting Solution

Post by Joe Jones »

Many PlasmaCam owners struggle with moving large sheet metal and steel plates. Usually there is NO ONE around to help you with the task, and a mishandled sheet of steel can chop off your toes faster than you can say, "CLUBBED FOOT!" Sheets of 1/4" plate steel are UNMANAGEABLE! 1/2" plate is IMPOSSIBLE without a forklift or something else.

Believe it or not, the solution SUCKS!!!! :Wow

Either as a JIB mast that rotates, to pick up steel laying on the floor (or on saw horses, etc.) near your table and swing it over to the CNC table surface, or pick up a sheet from a distance, and use a ceiling mounted trolley or a gantry crane to roll it to the table.

Advantages:

1. Lifts ONLY the top sheet, where magnets tend to grab more than one sheet of thin material.
2. A simple vacuum motor is all you need.
3. The suction cups can be purchased or MADE using your CNC table and some rubber material.
4. You can lift a sheet that is VERTICAL in a rack.
5. The weight limit is only set by what supports the pod assembly.
6. Pod positions can be moved, like the arms of a vehicle lift, to accommodate different sizes of material.
7. With a little bit of REDNECK ENGINEERING you can actually BUILD this!

Joe

K D Metalwerks
3 Star Elite Contributing Member
3 Star Elite Contributing Member
Posts: 355
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:39 pm

Re: A Great Lifting Solution

Post by K D Metalwerks »

I fabricated a roller table for my 4'x10' sheet steel. It is approx 6 1/2 long and 3 feet wide with the height being the same as the open end on my 4'x'4 cut table. I found some roller sections that I mounted on the top. Now all I have to do is roll that table to the door of my shop, slide a 4x10 sheet off my fork lift and roll it back to my table. Works great and gives me some extra area to stack pieces until the whole sheet is cut up.
K D Metal Werks
PlasmaCam DHC2
Hypertherm Power Max 45
Hobart Handler 190 Mig
Niagara 3"x 36" Slip Roll 14ga
Driess/ Krumph 4' box & pan brake 16ga
Hossfeld #2 Bender Ridgid 700 threader
Pexto 137-1 16ga. Stomp Shear
MADE IN USA
User avatar
Joe Jones
5 Star Elite Contributing Member
5 Star Elite Contributing Member
Posts: 3041
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2014 2:33 pm
Location: Franklin, KY., USA
Contact:

Re: A Great Lifting Solution

Post by Joe Jones »

If you have the space, I advise people to set up a boom arm next to the table. Place the stack(s) of sheet metal on the floor and use either a vacuum lift or magnets to lift a sheet to height and rotate it around to the center of the table, to lower it onto the grates. You can get creative and use a trolley system suspended fromt he ceiling to grab the edge of a sheet and lift it, carry it to the table, set the lower edge on one side of the table and then tilt the sheet down as the cable lowers the top edge. Lots of way to do it.

Joe
Post Reply

Return to “PlasmaCam, Samson, & Go Torch Forum”