News & Guides

Safety

How to Lift and Carry Large Glass Panes Safely on Site

Lift large glass panes with a planned method: assess weight first (a sheet runs about 2.5 kg per square metre per mm of thickness), keep hands away from edges, use suction cups for small panes and a vacuum lifter once weight passes safe manual limits, and clear the travel path before moving.

Guide

How to Choose a Glass Lifting Machine: Capacity, Reach and Power

Choose a glass lifting machine by matching four things to your work: lift capacity against the heaviest pane (a 2,000 x 3,000 mm / 79 x 118 inch IGU can top 500 kg / 1,100 lb), reach and height to your install, power type (battery or manual) to your site, and vacuum redundancy to your safety case.

Guide

Glass Suction Cup or Vacuum Lifter: Which Do You Actually Need?

Hand suction cups are fine for light, short carries up to roughly 100 to 130 lb (45 to 60 kg) per pair on clean, flat glass. Anything heavier, awkward, overhead, or repeated all day needs a powered vacuum lifter with a pump, gauge, and reserve vacuum for safety.

Technology

Window Suction Cups: How They Work and What They Can Hold

A window suction cup grips glass by pressing a rubber pad against the surface and pumping out the trapped air, creating a vacuum that holds through atmospheric pressure. A single hand cup typically holds around 55 to 120 lb (25 to 55 kg) on clean, flat glass.

Safety

How Much Glass or Stone Can One Person Safely Lift?

Under ideal conditions, NIOSH caps a single-person lift at about 23 kg (51 lb), and that ceiling drops fast with awkward posture, reach, or frequency. Australia sets no fixed limit but flags 16 kg (35 lb) as where injury risk climbs. Most structural glass and stone panels exceed these figures, so mechanical lifting is the safe default.

Guide

Granite vs Marble vs Quartzite: Weight and Handling Compared

Granite, marble, and quartzite weigh roughly the same per slab: about 13 to 14 kg per square metre for each 10 mm of thickness (2.6 to 2.9 lb per square foot per 3/8 inch). The real handling difference is hardness and fragility, not weight. Quartzite is hardest, marble softest and most fracture-prone.

Guide

How Much Does Glass Weigh? Weight by Thickness and Pane Size

Glass weighs about 2.5 kg per square metre for every 1 mm of thickness, which is roughly 0.51 lb per square foot per millimetre. So a 10 mm pane weighs 25 kg/m2 (5.12 lb/sq ft), and a 1.2 x 2.4 m sheet comes to about 72 kg (159 lb).

Guide

Sheet Metal and Steel Plate Lifters: Handling Panels on Site

A sheet metal lifter uses vacuum suction to grip flat panels and steel plate, letting one or two operators move loads that would otherwise need a crew. Vacuum lifters handle smooth, non-porous sheet up to several tonnes safely, both in the workshop and on site, with no edge marking or sling damage.

Safety

How to Move Heavy Stone and Granite Slabs Without Cracking Them

Move stone and granite slabs upright, never flat, supporting the full face so bending stress cannot build. Use a vacuum lifter rated above the slab weight, lift slowly, keep the load close, and clear the crew from underneath. Most cracks come from flex and point loads, not weight alone.

Technology

What Is a Slab Lifter? How Vacuum Lifters Move Stone and Granite

A slab lifter is a machine that grips and moves heavy stone, glass, or metal slabs using vacuum suction or mechanical clamps. Vacuum slab lifters seal suction pads against the slab face, then a pump removes air so atmospheric pressure holds the load, letting one operator place panels safely.

Guide

How Much Does Marble Weigh? Slab Weights by Size and Thickness

Marble weighs about 170 lb per cubic foot (2,720 kg per cubic metre). A polished 2 cm slab runs roughly 12.8 lb per sq ft (62 kg per m2), and a 3 cm slab about 19 lb per sq ft (93 kg per m2). A full 3 cm jumbo slab commonly weighs 900 to 1,100 lb (410 to 500 kg).

Guide

How Much Does a Granite Slab Weigh? Sizes, Weights and Safe Handling

Granite weighs about 13 lb per square foot at 2 cm thickness (54 kg/m2) and about 16.6 lb per square foot at 3 cm (81 kg/m2). A standard 3 cm full slab (3000 x 1900 mm) weighs roughly 1,000 lb (462 kg), heavy enough that mechanical lifting is the safe option.

Guide

What is a Glass Suction Cup?

Product Launch

Australian Window Association news

On behalf of the AWA and its members, and in support of our primary customer base, I attended a gathering at the National Press Club in Canberra in May to...

Technology

Beefing up the Mule

  With the combination of ever increasing weight of high performance window and door systems, a major focus on WHS and operating efficiencies,...

Technology

Glaziers can handle 400 kg (880 lbs) glass on-site with ease

Quattrolifts has released the Nomad and Rotating Head which is a portable glass installation system that assembles in minutes and allows fewer glaziers...

Safety

Holmesglen’s Industry Alliance Contributes to Workplace Safety

HOLMESGLEN INSTITUTE OF TAFE in Chadstone has proudly assisted in the development of a safety device that is now in line to win a number of awards....

Guide

How Does A Glass Vacuum Lifter Work

A glass vacuum lifter is a piece of technology that creates a vacuum suction between the machine and the glass for a bond, allowing for easy maneuverability...

Guide

How to Lift Glass Safely

A practical safety guide to lifting glass panels manually and with a glass vacuum lifter. Covers weight calculation, vacuum cup technique, and equipment selection for handling glass up to 1,800 lb.

Guide

How To Lift Out A Sliding Glass Door

We all know that sliding glass doors are popular for homes and businesses. They’re easy to open and provide a lot of natural light. However, if...

Product Launch

Introducing the Vector 800

Quattrolifts is proud to introduce their latest machine the Vector 800. To meet the challenge of handling heavier and bigger loads a greater investment in...

Case Study

JAJ Construction Masters Replacement of 13 foot x 6 foot windows

JAJ Construction Masters Replacement of 13 foot x 6 foot windows. SPECIAL TO DOOR AND WINDOW BUSINESS – June 1, 2015 developers and financing partners...

Case Study

Nomad installs 500 kg (1100 lbs) plate

Quattrolifts were commissioned by Regal Glass NSW to manufacture a Nomad to lift 500 kg (1100 lbs). 3 glaziers were required to unload, transport and...

Technology

OMNI 800 On-site

The OMNI 800 is easily attached to a forklift and can be used inside and outside a building envelope to allow for safe and efficient glazing of glass and...

Product Launch

Quattrolifts Launches the New Vector 500

            Quattrolifts have just launched their new Vector 500, featuring the latest in innovative glass lifting technology....

Product Launch

Quattrolifts releases new Glass lifter for Polishing Machine

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Guide

What Is a Steel Plate Lifter?

’What is a steel plate lifter?’ you might be wondering. It’s a lifting device designed specifically to lift steel sheets in commercial and...