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The lifting device is only half the job
Customers usually call us about a jib crane, a rail system or an air balancer. But once we are on the shop floor, the conversation almost always ends up at the hook: where do you actually hold this thing? Cement sacks are soft, cartons have weak edges, film rolls have a hollow core, wheels roll in your hands, batteries must not tilt. The lifting device takes care of up and down; holding the load firmly, placing it in the right spot and releasing it cleanly is the tool's job.
That is why almost every FullSharp order comes with a custom tool or gripper. This article collects 73 installed projects, one real photo each, grouped by load type so you can find a case like your own plant.
Five questions before drawing a tool
First, the load: maximum weight, size, whether the surface is dry or oily, rigid or soft, and whether it has a core, lugs or holes that can be gripped. Second, the centre of gravity. If the load is off-centre and the hanging point is wrong, it tilts as soon as it leaves the floor and the operator has to fight it the whole time.
Third, what happens after lifting: just moving it, or turning, flipping 90 degrees, sliding onto a machine shaft, placing into a mold. Fourth, the power available in the plant: compressed air, electricity, or a purely mechanical tool. And last, the question we never skip: what happens if air or power is lost while the load is hanging? A good tool does not drop the load in that situation.
One way to hold each type of load
| Load | Typical holding method | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Carton boxes | Suction on top, or clamp both side walls | Heavy, full boxes hold better clamped than sucked |
| Sacks and bags | Usually vacuum; body gripper for special sacks | Soft, tear easily, must release cleanly |
| Plastic trays and baskets | Hook into lugs, rims or holes | Built around the customer's actual tray |
| Film, paper, fabric and copper rolls | Core gripper, clamp both faces | Often need turning to go onto a machine shaft |
| Wheels and rims | Rim or centre bore clamp | Keep the wheel square, stop it spinning |
| Drums, cans, bottles | Rim clamp, handle hook | Liquid shifts the centre of gravity |
| Billets, steel pipe, metal blocks | Usually vacuum; also mechanical, pneumatic or magnetic grip | Must not slip if air is lost |
| Glass, wood, metal sheets | Vacuum lifter with turning mechanism | Sheet orientation when feeding the machine |
Album: 73 custom tool and gripper projects by FullSharp
Click any photo to see the project details: the lifting device used, the load and how it works.
Carton box clamps and lifters (5)
For boxes under about 50 kg with a flat top, suction is the neatest option. For large boxes over 80 kg with full, rigid contents we switch to clamping both side walls.
Sack grippers (3)
Sacks are soft and sag to one side when lifted. Most of the time we choose vacuum for sacks; for special sacks we build a gripper that wraps the body without tearing it and releases cleanly onto a pallet or into a hopper.
Plastic tray and basket hooks (8)
Trays and baskets have different lugs, rims and holes depending on the make. We build the hooks around the customer's actual tray, some for one tray, some for several stacked trays at once.
Roll core grippers, clamps and turners (16)
Rolls are the group we build most: film, paper, fabric and copper wire. Some are held by the core, some must be clamped on both faces, and many have to be turned from upright to horizontal to go onto a machine shaft.
Wheel and rim grippers (4)
Wheels are heavy, round and want to spin in your hands. The tool grips the rim or the centre bore and keeps the wheel square for loading into a machine or onto a vehicle.
Drum, can, bottle and paint pail tools (5)
Drums, cans and bottles hold liquid, so the centre of gravity shifts when they tilt. We have rim clamps, handle hooks, tools that lift several paint pails at once, and an extra-slow lowering version for chemical bottles.
Billet, pipe, metal block and scrap grippers (7)
Metal is heavy for its size. We usually choose vacuum; where the shape cannot be sucked we use mechanical clamps, pneumatic clamps or a manual-release magnet, always designed so the part cannot slip out if air is lost.
Battery grippers (2)
Batteries are heavy, contain acid and must not tilt or bump. The tool clamps both sides of the case and keeps the battery upright the whole way.
Mold hooks, long-reach furnace tools, assembly tools (5)
These are nearly all one-offs: mold hooks for loading machines, long gripping arms for working at a hot furnace mouth, motor grippers, and clamps for transformer assembly parts.
Sheet tools that lift and turn glass, wood and metal (5)
For sheets, vacuum gives a firm hold without marks. The hard part is turning: flat to upright, 90 degrees, sometimes a full 360 degrees to feed the sheet into a cutter the right way round.
Other special tools (13)
Steel cages, foam sheets, servers, pouring pots, duck-bill clamps, tools that clamp and suck at the same time... Whatever odd item a customer brings, we start with the same question: where can it be held firmly?
From survey to handover
We ask for the real part, or at least photos, dimensions and the weight of the heaviest item. Our engineers draw the tool and send it to the customer to agree the holding method before machining. The finished tool is tested with real parts, usually at the customer's plant, because only real parts show whether the grip is firm, the release is clean and the operator finds it comfortable. Anything that is not right is adjusted on site.
Custom does not always mean starting from zero. In many cases we reuse a tool frame that has already proven itself in an earlier project and only change the jaws to fit the new load, which saves both time and cost.
Equipment in operation (videos)
Frequently asked questions
Can FullSharp build a tool for our own specific part?
Yes. Almost every project includes a tool made for the customer's own load. Send us a sample or photos, dimensions and the heaviest weight.
Will the tool drop the load if compressed air is lost?
We always design for this: the tool must keep holding and not release on its own if air or power is lost.
Can a tool be fitted to our existing lifting device?
Usually yes, if the device has enough capacity for both the tool and the load. We check this during the site survey.
Is vacuum or clamping better?
Most of the time we choose vacuum, including for sacks and metal blocks, because it is quick, neat and leaves no marks. Clamps or hooks are used when the load is perforated, very soft or a shape that cannot be sucked, or for heavy, full carton boxes.
Send FullSharp photos of your load, its dimensions, the heaviest weight and what needs to happen after lifting. We will survey your site and propose the right tool, free of charge. WhatsApp +84 817 888 198.