Glass Handling A-Frame Stillages
Glass handing A-Frame stillages are a specialised type of stillage designed for lifting plate glass and window modules. As one of the largest suppliers in the industry, we design all our A-Frames to fit your requirements both in terms of size and safe working loads.
Although we specialise in larger production runs, we do have a range of standard sizes available, please enquire for details.
Anatomy of an A-Frame
Though there are many possible variations of Glass Handling A-Frame Stillages the majority of the units produced are variations of the theme shown above.
1 – Main Frame
The main frame is the substructure which provides the foundation of the A-Frame. Typically these members will be marked with a permanent welded serial number for tracking and certification purposes along with any stencilled details that are required which can include company markings/logos, SWL detail or the CE Mark if certification is required.
2 – Fork Guides
Fork guides are locating points to allow FLT operatives to lift the frame with a stacker truck. Though they add no structural strength they are an essential addition for any frame which needs to be lifted with a fork lift as they ensure the load is lifting in a safe and balanced manner.
3 – Base Board
The base board is the point of contact between the glass / window module and the frame itself. In the majority of cases Mesh Faced Board is used though some customers do specify marine grade ply. We can offer a wide range of base board materials as discussed in this blog post : Base materials for Stillages.
4 & 5 – Lashing Points
Some customers require lashing points which allow glass to be secured with webbing or other slings. It is important they are not confused with #6, lifting points as lashing points are not certified for lifting.
6 – Lifting Eyes
The lifting eyes are certified points where the stillage is permitted to be attached to a suitable lifting device. The lifting points are heavy duty steel attached by four full welds by our skilled welders. All our A-Frame designs are independently tested and certified by registered LOLER / LEAA engineers.
7 – Rear Boards
All our A-Frame stillages are equipped with a number of equally spaced softwood runners that protect the glass from damage.
8 – A-Frame Uprights
Most A-Frames use 4-5 uprights dependant upon the length of the stillage. These important structual elements transfer the lifting force to the heavy duty base and also allow the 5-6 degress incline as specified in section 3.1.2 of The Glass and Glazing Federation’s Code of Practice.
Examples of A-Frames
The A-Frames in the image below show some smaller A-frames loaded with products. As a volume manufacturer, all our A-Frames are bespoke and can be manufactured to your requirements.
This large heavy duty A-Frame is an atypical design requested by one of our customers. Not only is it very large at 3m tall by 3m long but it uses heavy duty 100×50 base members with custom cut fork pockets. As with all our stillages, the final product is finished with a one coat electrostatically applied paint. Though certified to 2000Kg, it was independently tested to over 4 tonnes in mass.
As with all of our stillages we can accommodate loading onto your own transport or our experienced team can help get your A-Frames to a specific site as required. If you require any help or advice with regard to Glass Handling A-Frame Stillages, please get in touch.
