News

We were recently tasked with finding a reel handling solution for a manufacturer of medical equipment.

They were about to start production of large 80kg reels (800mm x 270mm) - too heavy and bulky to lift manually.

To complicate matters, the customer needed to lift three reels at a time, straight from the production line, and to store them on a dolly. There was no 'off-the-shelf' solution available, so Mechandling set to work!

We designed a totally bespoke powered lifter (on the right above), capable of lifting over 240kg, with a curved lifting arm which slotted neatly into the 320mm core of the three reels and offered support and stability during transport.

For the next stage in the production process, we designed a similar, but smaller powered reel lifter (on the left above) to transfer single 80kg reels from the dolly onto a production mandrel. The front legs of this device had to fit around the circular base of the production machinery - not a problem, as all our lifters are 100% bespoke and made to suit our customers' exact specifications!

The end result? A lifting system that does exactly what the customer needs, all in GMP, easy-to-clean stainless steel. An otherwise awkward and potentially dangerous reel handling process has been transformed into an effortless and safe operation.

If you are tired of struggling with equipment that is not fit for purpose, see how Mechandling can improve your Health & Safety and Productivity with a custom-designed, hand-built lifter today!

Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time.

As everything we make is 100% bespoke, tailored to our customers' precise specifications, we can help when you can't find what you need in a catalogue or online.

Take these two recently manufactured GMP Stainless-Steel Powered Lifters. Both raise and lower IBCs in pharmaceutical, clean-room environments - one lifting 50kg, the other 400kg!

The forks were designed to suit perfectly the individual IBCs and how they need to be manoeuvred in the production area. Whatever IBC, valve, drum, reel or other component you need to move, Mechandling are there to make sure you get the perfect lifter!

Both these lifters have now transformed a previously dangerous and imprecise procedure into a safe, smooth and efficient operation. The 400kg IBC lifter was fitted with a variable speed control to give extra precision when docking the IBC into position (see video below).

If you are tired of struggling with equipment that is not fit for purpose, see how Mechandling can improve your Health & Safety and Productivity with a custom-designed, hand-made lifter today!

Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time.

We were recently asked to design a manual lifter for a major chemical manufacturer. It needed to raise and remove a cutting table, weighing 180kg, from the production line. Unsurprisingly, nothing was available from the standard catalogue suppliers. So, once again, Mechandling came to the rescue!

The easy-action pump lever raises the head of the lifter with minimal effort and when set to 'Lower', the head descends gently under gravity. The customer asked us to fit a mechanical stop on the mast as an extra security feature and we were happy to oblige.

This model was in highly visible bright yellow, but as with all our lifters, it could have been powder coated in any RAL colour, or made from fully GMP stainless steel.

A previously dangerous manual handling process, involving several members of staff, has now transformed into a safe one-man operation. Glad we could help!

As everything we design is hand built to our customers’ exact specifications, we can easily adapt our design to suit anything you might need to lift and transport.

Why not see how Mechandling can help you with your tricky lifting requirements?

Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time.

Mechandling are proud to announce the completion of our latest Bespoke Stainless-Steel Drum Tipper.

The device was designed and hand built around the customer's exact specifications, in order to solve a potentially dangerous material handling operation.

Here is the result - a hygienic, easy-to-clean machine, suitable for a pharmaceutical production environment. The lifter can handle multiple sizes of drum and weights of up to 300kg. It can invert a drum to almost 180 degrees in either direction to ensure all contents are removed, and it features a 2-button safety operation to prevent accidental unclamping of the drum.

As all our lifters are custom-built to suit our customers’ exact specifications, previously risky tasks can be handled safely. Lift height, Safe Working Load and angle of rotation can be designed around your precise needs.

Why not see how Mechandling can help you with your tricky lifting requirements? Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time.

Mechandling are delighted to announce the recent completion of their 1000th custom-built lifter!

This totally bespoke, fully welded stainless-steel scissor trolley was designed with the customer to meet their exact specifications and hand built by our highly skilled welder/fabricators here in Congleton.

It was designed to lift a mixing bowl into a very tight space within in a pharmaceutical production environment, but the design could be easily adapted to suit any production component.

At Mechandling, we pride ourselves on being versatile and helping customers with whatever they ask for. Making the right lifter for you is what we care about!

Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time to see how Mechandling can help you improve your efficiency and safety.

 To paraphrase (Edmund) Burke:

The worst thing you can do is to do nothing, for fear that the little you can do will not be enough.

Mechandling may not have a particularly high carbon footprint in the overall scheme of things, but we do recognise our responsibility for the impact we have on the planet - the planet that our children and our children’s children will inherit... Consequently, we have recently asked Oblong Trees (https://www.oblongtrees.com) to plant 175 trees on our behalf. And we are committed to plant at least as many again for each of the next 10 years going forward.

“Our” trees on their own will not reverse global warming, but if every business in the UK were to make a similar pledge, the results would be incredible. The Committee on Climate Change have said that the UK needs to plant 1.5 billion more trees to be carbon neutral.

So come on!

Will you join in as well?

(PS If you don’t hold the purse strings personally, ask whoever does. Please don’t assume they’ve heard of Burke before).

Phil Chapman

Director

25/10/2021     

Mechandling take over the unit next door 

Despite the unusual last eighteen months we have all had, demand for our lifters has continued to grow. To keep up, we have recently doubled our number of production staff and knocked through into the unit next door.

See the transformation of the new unit below, from a tired, empty shell into our bustling new production workshop!

This will give us the capacity we need to meet rising demand and the space to continue to grow for years to come.

At Mechandling, we pride ourselves on being versatile and helping customers with whatever they ask for. Making bespoke, hand-built lifting equipment is what we care about!

We were recently asked to design a lifter that would grip and raise heavy steel rods of various thicknesses to eliminate a potentially dangerous material handling operation. Not long after delivery, we received great feedback. The operator, who uses it daily, says -

“The lifter has vastly changed the process and effort needed to handle this heavy bar. It makes lifting and moving the bar from the floor to the chamfer machine and then on to the bar magazine a much less strenuous exercise, which in turn, removes the concerns of multiple injury risks I had using our old lifting and handling methods. It’s well built and a very sturdy unit which gives you confidence when using the lifter. It is also surprisingly easy to manoeuvre, even loaded with a heavy bar. I am also impressed how fast the battery charges. Overall I am very happy with our lifter, it has made a massive difference for me at work. I no longer dread the thought of having to haul those heavy bars onto the machine magazine. Many thanks to you and the team.”

As all our lifters are custom-built to suit our customers’ exact specifications, previously risky tasks can be handled safely. Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time to see how Mechandling can help you.

Creating one-off bespoke designs to help customers overcome dangerous and inefficient lifting situations is what Mechandling do best. When you can’t find what you need in a catalogue or online, see how we can help!

We were recently asked by a major pharmaceutical company to design a powered GMP stainless-steel drum tipper, capable of lifting to almost 4 metres in an ATEX area. The custom telemast we designed safely achieves this lifting height, whilst also handling other key requirements. To avoid obstructions in the production area, we limited the rotation angle of the drum to 105 degrees when the mast is fully extended, whereas an angle of 135 degrees is available at lower heights.

The custom-made girdle locks to provide a perfect grip on the drum and the clip-on 316 stainless-steel hopper and Jacob valve ensure the controlled, hygienic flow of contents.

As the lifter functions in an ATEX area, all components are certified as compliant with ATEX regulations. For safe charging of the battery, the plug-in charger is designed to be located in an appropriate safe room.

Watch the video below to see the Telemast Drum Tipper in action.

As all our lifters are bespoke and designed to suit our customers’ exact specifications, previously impossible issues can be overcome safely. Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time to see how Mechandling can help you.

We were recently asked to design a fully GMP Reel Gripper/Rotator to pick up reels standing in a core-vertical position on a pallet, rotate them by 90 degrees and to place them directly onto another pallet in the core-horizontal position.

The design of our Offset ‘Claw’ Head means that, unlike standard reel grippers and rotators, reels up to 600mm in diameter by 1000mm in height (weighing up to 300kg) can be deposited directly onto the floor or pallet in the core-horizontal position.  Push-button controls are mounted on the enclosed mast – Raise, Lower, Rotate, Unrotate, Clamp and Unclamp. To improve the safety of the lifter, there is a 2-button process required to Unclamp the reel and avoid accidental release.

Watch the video below to see the Reel Gripper/Rotator in action.

Every lifter we make is different. Contact Mechandling now to see how we can help you overcome your lifting issues. Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time.

We designed this Twin Column Static Lifter in 304 Stainless Steel. Bolted to the floor for stability, both columns work in unison to lift up to 1000kg. Our sleek yet sturdy design is highly effective and simple to operate.  A wired remote allows operators to control the lifter from an appropriate distance and for extra safety, a sounder mounted on one column alerts those nearby that the lifter is in use.

Manufactured to fully GMP standards, suitable for pharmaceutical applications, all welds are fully blended and hollow sections are capped. The masts are fully enclosed, with a vertical frame housing twin strips of PVC plastic to cover the lifting slots.

Another job well done! 

Watch the video below to see the lifter in action.

Of course, every project we take on is different. Contact Mechandling now to see how we can help you overcome your lifting issues. From simple everyday lifters, to highly complex ground-breaking designs that lift drums, reels, valves, IBCs, paint tubs – even coffee sacks and vending machines, Mechandling are here to help!

At Mechandling, we make all our lifters by hand. Designing a completely bespoke machine that will do the job perfectly is both a challenge and a pleasure. We specialise in innovative solutions where standard ‘catalogue’ lifters just can’t meet clients’ expectations.

We were recently tasked with replacing an outdated manual process, which had involved the operator repeatedly climbing a set of stairs to empty tablets into a hopper. Space was tight and there were numerous hurdles to overcome to design the lifter to perform as required.

This machine is our solution – a bespoke powered GMP lifter designed to tip tablets in a very restricted space up against the ceiling. The customer asked for an observation window to monitor the tablets as they are emptied and there was also an integrated dust-extraction collar to fit into the process as the tablets were tipped.

Rotation of the tablet bin is restricted until it is at the appropriate height for tipping, but with our maintenance key option, it can also be rotated at low level to assist with the cleaning process. All lifting and rotation are controlled by the operator-friendly buttons on the mast.

This is the end result and it was very well received. Watch the machine in action in this video.

Speak to us to see how we can help with your tricky lifting issues.

Oh Boy – alignment and accuracy the order of the day

At Mechandling, we make our material handling machines by hand and so designing a completely bespoke machine is always a pleasure.

Take the machine on the left. We aren’t allowed to show either end of the object we’re lifting but suffice to say it was a very delicate (and expensive) piece of kit that needed to be picked up, rotated and then docked into a port quite high up and at quite a long reach. The docking has to be very controlled, and very accurate. Any untoward movement could spell disaster.

The build was challenging – even the inherent play in the gearbox had to be compensated for – but the end result ticked all the customer’s boxes.

You’re welcome…

See the machine in action below

Take the machine on the left. We recently exported this ATEX rated Drum Lifter to a customer where space was at an absolute premium. They needed to pick a 250kg drum up off the floor, transport it into an enclosed process area, and then manoeuvre it up and into an isolator cabinet.

The end result was designed specifically around the available space and worked a treat. Our pleasure.....

See the machine in action below (albeit on a chequer plate floor. Remember, the drum weighs 250kg. It runs easily on the smooth floor of the customer)

This month we had the pleasure of making 2 of our Ultralite Reel Push Turners to some unusual specifications. At Mechandling, we make our material handling machines by hand and so customising them to exactly meet a customer’s requirements is our bread and butter.

Take the machine on the left. Due to multiple obstructions on the floor, it wasn’t possible to have a symmetrical chassis. You will notice the right leg is demonstrably wider than the left (relative to the mast). This wasn’t because of an error in cutting out, it was designed this way.

And the machine to the right? The customer only needed to raise the reel up to 1150mm so why have a mast that’s taller than necessary? Our operator isn’t an NBA player, he’s a respectable 5’9” (176cm) tall, yet see how easy it is for him to see over the lifter.

See below to see the machines in action

We are often engaged to help customers with designing and fabricating a solution that turns a difficult or tricky lifting task into a user friendly routine. We specialise in innovative solutions for bespoke lifters where standard versions are not quite right. A full design and build service is offered to ensure you get the right lifter every time. This is one such example. A 350kg vessel needed lifting via a custom “mating plate”, moving within a very confined space, and then placing on an elevated platform. Enter a custom version of our Twin Slot Vessel Lifter….

See below to view the machine in operation

At Mechandling, all our lifters are hand made to order, tailored to your precise needs and built to last in tough working environments. When you can’t find what you are looking for in a catalogue of standard lifting equipment, contact us to see how we can help.  At Mechandling, we love a challenge!

We were recently asked to design a lifter capable of raising and safely rotating a metal reel weighing over 600kg.  To start, we gave the lifter a self-propelled chassis to assist operators with manoeuvrability.  On our unique head, the actuator-driven linear guide rail reel-clamping system is suitable for reels up to 1000mm in diameter and up to 300mm in height, gripping reels securely as they are raised and rotated. Once raised into position, the reel can be rotated by 90 degrees and placed onto a production mandrel.

To improve the safety of the lifter, there is a 2-button process required to Unclamp the reel and avoid accidental release.

Watch the video below to see the Heavy-Duty Reel Rotator in action.

Every lifter we make is different. Contact Mechandling now to see how we can help you overcome your lifting issues. Call Tim on 07828 135388 any time.

This static drum tipper was designed to receive drums from a conveyor and tip the contents into a booth.

Ordered as illustrated here with a manual gearbox to rotate the drum through 135°. The 35:1 ratio eliminated the risk of backlash if the operator accidently released the handle. Approx. 10 turns to invert the drum. Powered version also available if required.

Highly manoeuvrable crane with extending Jib Arm options. Comes in manual or powered variants. Fabricated in Stainless Steel or Powder Coated Mild Steel depending on your work environment. Makes lifting and moving difficult items easy.

A fully designed, bespoke lifter for very narrow aisles (820mm) with a kick plate below the bottom shelf preventing a normal type chassis access.

With no access under the racking for a chassis to enter we designed a completely new machine with a side entry, sliding head unit to hold and lift 25kg drums.

The bottom shelf was 200mm high, the top one 1850mm, both sides of the aisle.

An innovative manual design, it has proven so useful that a second lifter has been ordered in a sister factory.

Drum Handling has been a cornerstone at Mechandling Limited since we began over 30 years ago. During this time we have designed and fabricated many different versions to always match the customers’ lifting requirements. From manual to powered versions with bespoke head attachments (Girdle or Clamp) to suit the lifting job.  Designed to lift your drum and rotate or tip your Drum as you require.

The Ultra Drum Tipper can lift a drum using a girdle grip (for use with a single sized drum). It can then lift and rotate the drum to tip or access the contents of the drum.

Can be specified with an integral hopper or chute to funnel the contents if desired (Manual version available)

Also available with removable spacers (for use with a second diameter drum) or a Clamp grip (for use with multiple sized drums)

This bespoke vessel lifter is based on a Toyota Self-Propelled chassis, fully clad in 304L Stainless for GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice).

Designed to safely pick up, transport, raise and rotate a 250kg IBC 2.5m in the air.

We have the ability to design and clad any machine to GMP for clean room environments to make cleaning easier and eliminate dust traps.

See the Self-Propelled Vessel Lifter in action below

Fully designed bespoke sample trolley for outdoor use.

The trolley was fabricated with a 304 Stainless Steel frame supporting a 3mm thick acrylic body. Broadly weatherproof, and fitted with four large swivel castors - braked versions on the rear.

The chassis has channels to enable the trolley to be lifted and transported by a fork lift truck.

Wide opening, lockable doors enable access to the inside.

The bottom section features a bespoke rack to hold three of the sample bottles; the top section will have a shelf and the sample rig itself.

As is often the case in manual handling, this lifter was created to replace / improve an existing process that carried an unacceptable level of risk.

A 30kg door in the roof of a confined crawl space had to be removed at 3 month intervals as part of the hygiene regime. Our client had identified the unassisted procedure in operation as an unacceptable level of risk. As there was no market solution available, they asked for our assistance in designing a bespoke solution to provide mechanical support for the door throughout its removal and replacement.

The result shown above was a manual scissor trolley with integrated safety locks made to GMP that would address their concern.

This trolley supported the entire weight of the door while allowing the engineer access to the bolts holding the door in place. They could then safely lower the door and wheel it, still on the trolley, out of the crawl space for inspection and cleaning. Replacing the door was a straightforward reversal of the process.

This animation shows the improved process

Bellows keep the column lifter enclosed.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you with your lifting requirements.

Mechandling’s GMP Rack Jack Lifters are always in high demand.

This one is an ideal solution for presenting charge vessels with passive valve attached to production, although we have also done a version recently for safely supporting drive motors during removal and refitting.

See the Rack Jack Lift Trolley in action

The UltraLite Reel lifter with optional Push Action

Designed with the User in mind

• Safe Working Load  60 kilograms
• Built to Good Manufacturing Practice
• Highest Quality
• Simple to operate
• Light and easy to manoeuvre

In November we exported one of our Long Reach Reel Placers to the US.

The Long Reach Reel Placer does exactly as it sounds – it can pick up a reel from anywhere on a 1200mm pallet, including the farthest end, from any position on the pallet.  It can then move the reel to a production mandrel, trolley or other destination of the customer’s choosing. This one was supplied with pretty much all of our standard head attachments – a cam turner (to rotate the reel through 90 degrees), a single pin lifter for 3 inch cores, a dual pin lifter for 800mm reels, another for 400mm reels, and a 6 inch pin lifter. Plenty of toys for the new owners!

Made from Stainless Steel (Powder Coated Mild Steel is an option) this lifter will provide an ideal reel handling solution to this Pharmaceutical customer for many, many years to come.

Watch the video to see how this machine operates

In October we had an urgent call from a good customer of Mechandling. They had been chasing an export order with a new customer for some months and had finally landed it. Congratulations were due but there was no time - the end user had pushed for a very quick turnaround. A job that we would normally allow 6-8 weeks for was needed in 3! All hands to the pump (or TIG Welder to be precise)

On time and to budget we made a version of our Tri Tower Powered Lift Table (pictured). Utilising Linak supplied lifting towers we fabricated the framework for our customer to attach their Flexible Glove Bag and other items.

Made from 304 L Grade Stainless Steel, with a Safe Working Load in this instance of 300kg, this table is height adjustable through 600mm from a lowered height of 1200mm up to fully 1800mm (although can be tailored to different ranges in other applications). With heavy duty braked castors, the unit is maneuverable when required but stable when locked in position.

Our customer was delighted – not just with the speedy turnaround but also the quality of the table. Fingers crossed they secure more orders from their customer that we can also help with. Whilst we can’t always guarantee to turn jobs around in such a short time, rest assured that where we can, Mechandling deliver!

Here’s a quick example of a Ball Table that Mechandling recently supplied. Ball Tables are an excellent choice for turning heavy objects, such as drums, with ease. This one was designed to sit within an isolator cabinet but is removable for ease of cleaning.  In other Mechandling applications they have either been fixed into our roller conveyor systems, or built into cabinets where drums need to be maneuvered into position.

This one, made from 4mm 316 grade Stainless Steel to .5 RA finish on both sides, with a capacity of 200k.g. Containing 72 Stainless Steel roller balls (also in 316 grade) to allow ease of movement for the drum, in any direction.  The overall dimensions of this tray was 854mm x 614mm, however other sizes are available to suit.

Mechandling's brand new development for 2018, the Stainless Steel Clad Self Propelled Tele Mono Vessel Lifter / Inverter is designed for lifting Production Vessels on special purpose tabbed forks inserted within lifting tubes on the production vessel. This allows the vessel to be raised and inverted at the required height. This Self Propelled Telemono vessel inverter features mechandling's unique telescopic closed mast design allows for easy cleaning and compliance with GMP pharmaceutical requirements.

Introducing Mechandling's new Telemast Ultra Mobile Elevated Personel Platform. Providing the utmost reliability and flexibility the Telemast M.E.W.P is the perfect solution for working at height.

Mechandling are proud to announce that we now provide ATEX versions of our flagship Ultra range. Constructed from 316L grade stainless steel the ultra can now be used in zone 1/21 and 2/22 areas.

Mechandling introduce a new self propelled Lifter to join the powered Ultra range of lifting equipment.

The new model is based on a Toyota fork truck propulsion unit, which is housed within the new stainless steel exterior. It compliments the existing range of the popular Ultra models which are available in both powered and manual variations.

M.D. Stephen Young was presented with a bronze award from BAE Systems Air Combat division, who make the Typhoon Jet Fighter, for the two specialised Lifters Mechandling made for BAE in 2012.

The prestigious award was presented in recognition of the innovative design that created a solution to a problem previously thought to be unsolvable.

Mechandling can include the Offshore Oil industry amongst their list of clients. The Oil Heater Trolley can transport a 1.4 tonne Oil Heater mechanism through several decks on a offshore Oil Rig.

The trolley is mechanically self propelled can turn through sharp right angles using directionally controlled large swivel castors. It is also designed to be picked up by crane and moved to different deck levels.