Mounting curved sheets of laminated safety glass in Munich

The company Glas Zange (http://glas-zange.de/) was faced with the demanding challenge of implementing modern architecture, which involved mounting a total of 40 sheets of shaped 12 mm laminated safety glass on an office building in Munich.

These convex and concave shaped laminated safety glass sheets still had, in part, straight run-out ends with a length of up to 1200 mm. The radii range between 720 and 1890 mm. The heaviest sheets weigh 300 kg with a height measuring 3030 mm. The curved laminated safety glass sheets are produced by Franz Döring GmbH & Co. KG  (http://www.doeringglas.de/) based in Berlin, Germany.

During the early stages of this construction project, the Weiden-based glass specialist, Glas Zange, did not have available a suitable vacuum lifting device for this task. The company therefore turned to Pannkoke Flachglastechnik GmbH with its problem and added a vacuum lifting device, the Kombi 7211-CeDeG, to its range of machinery.

The Kombi 7211-DS3 supplied by Pannkoke was used effectively to quickly mount the remaining 1800 m² of Sanco insulation glass sheeting and 2000 m² of supplementary sheeting made from laminated safety glass 12.

Vacuum handling equipment conforming to the safety standard EN 13155 is required for glazing applications on construction sites within the EU. The vacuum lifting device supplied by Pannkoke meets these demanding requirements down to last detail.

Illustrating this point based on this vacuum lifting device: For a maximum load bearing capacity of 300 kg, the device must be capable of holding this load with a safety factor of 2 in the event of one of the vacuum circuits failing. In the case of the Kombi 7211-CeDeG, one vacuum circuit alone must be capable of holding 600 kg. Pannkoke Flachglastechnik GmbH is a manufacturer who offers such vacuum handling equipment and has perfected its range of vacuum lifting devices with a backup vacuum system.

Complying with the safety standard EN 13155 proves to be particularly problematic when handling curved glass sheets. Conforming to the required degree of safety is not a straightforward task, as it is necessary to adapt the suction cups to the radius while at the same time doubling the number of required suction cups. In connection with heavy weights, this can be achieved only by the use of more intricate vacuum technology, involving 4 independent vacuum circuits. Pannkoke, the Luebeck-based specialist offers effective solutions also to this problem, making full use of the 50 years of experience gained in the manufacture of vacuum handling equipment and lifting devices.

The vacuum lifting device, the battery-powered Kombi 7211-CeDeG, ordered from Pannkoke by the company Glas Zange provides the option of turning through +/-90° and is designed to a maximum load bearing capacity of 300 kg. The two rows of suction cups can be adjusted to radii of 710 mm through to flat surfaces. The suction cups are designed in such a way that they can be individually locked in position, thus making them much easier to adjust and check. The crane eye is also designed such that it is adjustable to ensure perfect alignment of the glass sheet. The special actuation system for the solenoid valves conserves power, thus helping to achieve optimum battery runtime. The entire control configuration, including the battery charger, is housed in a sturdy steel enclosure.

Since Glas Zange attaches the utmost importance to safety, only safe and reliable vacuum lifting devices are used. The range of machinery operated by the company Glas Zange already includes a large selection of 2-circuit vacuum lifting devices supplied by Pannkoke such as the Kombi 7211-VT, Kombi 7211-CeDe with the counterweight unit Balance, the Kombi 7211-DS3 and now the Kombi 7211-CeDeG.