HIGH-POWER CUSHIONS DELIVER GLOBAL BENCHMARKS OF LIFTING SAFETY

Pneumatic actuation, isolation and suspension specialist Air Springs Supply is offering globally proven answers to the problem of safe heavy lif ts in remote and awkward site conditions, including confined pipeline trenches, soft ground, uneven earthworks and vehicle accident recovery areas.

Such conditions – including wet and sandy conditions common throughout Australia and New Zealand – can create hazards for conventional lif ting technologies where there is insufficient room overhead to employ suitable cranes, even if they can be brought overland to a remote site. Sometimes also there is insufficient stability underfoot to employ lif ters that produce high point loads both on the ground and on the object being lif ted.

The latest Pronal range of CLT lif ting cushions from Air Springs Supply – which can be easily transported by 4WD or helicopter – is one of a range of Pronal elastomer products that can overcome the safety and difficulty issues by delicately raising irregular loads with optimum safety and flexibility. They can gently raise heavy and irregular loads ranging from road and rail vehicles, pipelines and plant, through to beams, bridge components, building components, machinery and resource development structures and maritime vessels and structures and machinery used in resource exploration and development.

The CLT cushions – which won the Best Practice in WH&S category of the latest national Australian Bulk Handling Awards – are part of a wider range of tough Pronal specialist lif ters from Air Springs Supply, ranging from ultra-thin bags ( just 20mm thick deflated) that can lif t weights of more than 60 tons, through to vulcanised cushions constructed from a specially formulated fabric coated with synthetic rubber. Pronal lif ters are also available in cylindrical, stackable and customised configurations to suit conditions on remote production and exploration sites.

“Pronal products are relied upon globally to function safely in the most arduous conditions. They are used by militaries and civil defence and industrial emergency services to hoist loads as difficult as damaged aircraft and immobilised locomotives and heavy trucks. So, they are engineered to top quality and strength standards,” says James Maslin, National Sales and Marketing Manager for Air Springs Supply, which is national distributor for Pronal products.

Pronal bags combine the advantages of high durability and power with gentle, precisely controlled lif ting that can spread the load over broader surfaces of the object being lif ted, rather than focusing the power on point loads.

Low- pressure cylindrical lif ting bags that can smoothly and continuously raise loads of up to 12 tons by as much as 1000mm are also being introduced by Air Springs Supply Pty Ltd for diverse industrial, resources and emergency uses.

Pronal CLC inflatable cushions offer stable continuous lif ting for tasks such as vehicle maintenance, moving and positioning machinery, turning over heavy loads, locking and holding machinery and on- site repair and rescue operations on soft ground, sand, irregular surfaces, mud and snow.

The readily portable and light (2-13kg, depending on model) lif ting bags require an insertion height of less than 50mm before being quickly inflated by low- pressure compressed air at 1bar to achieve high lif ting heights required for moderate loads including cars, trucks, 4wds, farm and service machinery and even small aircraft.

Easily transported to remote areas by helicopters, light aircraft, 4wd and automotive service vehicles, CLC bags feature robust neoprene coated construction ideal for rescue and recovery operations and repeated operation in remote and aggressive environments, including mining and energy exploration and production sites.

The four models of CLC low- pressure lif ting bags – 3, 5, 7 and 12-ton, all with handling straps – complement Air Springs Supply’s broader range of seamless inflatable Pronal lif ting bags, including CLT lif ting cushions, which can individually handle lif ting loads of 65 tons.

CLC LIFTING BAGS OFFER:

• Constant lif ting power during the entire lif t.

• Safety factor of 3 ( bursting pressure V working pressure).

• High burst pressure.

• Non- bulging, flat surfaces.

• ¼” inlet and safety relief vale.

• Accessories including deadman controllers, inflation hoses, adaptors, shut- off unit and pressure regulator.