Plastic crate lifting: grippers and lift assist

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FullSharp · since 1991

Quick answer: A full plastic crate is often just 10–30 kg, but lifting it hundreds of times a shift is what wears people out. There are three tool types: handle hooks, pneumatic rim clamps and 2–3 crate stack grippers. Choose the lift assist by travel distance first (jib crane, rail or mobile base), then the gripper.

A crate is light. Lifting it all shift is not

"Each crate is only twenty kilos, anyone can carry it" is what we usually hear on our first visit. True, a plastic crate full of parts, vegetables or meat is often just 10 to 30 kg. But one person at the end of a line may lift it several hundred times a shift, mostly from floor level up to the fifth or sixth crate in a stack. By the end of the shift people are tired, crates get dropped, rims crack and the product inside gets bruised.

So when we survey a site we do not start with the crate weight. We count lifts per hour, measure the lowest and highest stack height, and watch how far the operator twists. Those three numbers decide which gripper to use and which lift assist to hang it on.

Hook, rim clamp or multi-crate gripper

Crate tools come in three common types. A hook tool has two bars that go into the crate handles; it is simple and cheap and suits crates with strong handles. A rim clamp uses pneumatic cylinders to press both sides of the crate, so the operator just presses a button on the handle. A stack gripper picks two or three stacked crates in one lift, which suits busy warehouses.

Tool type	Best for	Advantage	Watch out
Handle hook	Crates with strong handles, few sizes	Compact, light, low cost	Hooks must line up, slower than a clamp
Pneumatic rim clamp	Several crate sizes, continuous lifting	Push a button to grip, hands off the product	Needs a stable compressed air supply
2–3 crate stack gripper	Warehouses, pallet building	Fewer lifts per shift	Crates must be the same size and stacked straight
Rotating clamp	Tipping onto conveyors or mixers	Tilts and empties without carrying	Check the center of gravity when full

These tools are listed under clamps and hooks for baskets and plastic crates. Most of our customers pick the pneumatic rim clamp because their plant usually runs two or three crate sizes.

Which lift assist carries the tool

The tool only holds the crate; the lift assist above carries the load. For a fixed station such as the end of a line, a floor or wall mounted pneumatic jib crane is enough: the crate floats and the operator only guides it. To travel along a long row of racks, hang the tool on a rail system so it can go further than the jib reach.

In food plants and packing areas that move with the season we often use an air balancer on an articulating arm and a mobile base. The base needs no floor drilling and can be moved with a pallet truck, so a station can be relocated in a morning. Clean rooms without compressed air use a stainless electric lifter with a crate hook.

Choose in three steps

First, record the crate: size, full weight, whether it has handles, and the highest stack. If a full crate is heavier than about 25 kg or the stack goes above shoulder height, a lift assist is worth planning now.

Next, the travel distance. Lift and swing in place calls for a pneumatic jib crane; travel along a line calls for a rail; a station that moves often calls for a mobile base. Only then choose the gripper by crates per lift and how the crates are placed. Doing it the other way round, tool first, often ends with an arm that cannot reach the stack in the corner.

Safety notes for plastic crate handling

Old crates crack at the rim, so a rim clamp needs adjustable grip force: firm enough to hold, not so hard that it breaks the crate. With stack grippers the stack must be straight and the crates the same size; an offset crate can slip when the tool swings. The air circuit should have a holding valve so the tool keeps its grip if air pressure is lost.

Last is the set-down height: design it so nobody reaches above the head or bends to the floor. That is why many plants see output go up even though each lift is not much faster than by hand: people can keep the same pace all shift.

Real projects installed by FullSharp

Air Balancer on a Mobile Base with Height-Adjustable Column and Plastic Tray/Crate Hook Tool

80 kg Pneumatic Jib Crane with a Plastic Tray Lifting Tool

Fixed-Base Pneumatic Jib Crane with Plastic Tray Gripper

Articulating Jib Crane with Air Balancer and Plastic Tray Gripper on Mobile Base

Suspended Pneumatic Jib Crane on 5T Rail with 200 kg Plastic Tray Gripper

Rail-Mounted Pneumatic Crane with a Plastic Tray Hook Tool for Cleanrooms

FULLSHARP Stainless Steel Electric Lifter with Plastic Tray Hook for Cleanrooms

All-pneumatic plastic crate lifting solution for warehouses

Equipment in operation (videos)

Gripping and moving stacked crates

Gripping three plastic crates at once

Crate gripper with tilting for food plants

Frequently asked questions

How heavy should a crate be before using a lift assist?

Weight is not the only factor. A 15 kg crate lifted several hundred times a shift above shoulder height already justifies one. Above about 25 kg full, a lift assist is almost always needed.

Can several crates be lifted at once?

Yes, a stack gripper lifts 2–3 crates of the same size stacked straight. For mixed sizes or uneven stacks, use a single crate clamp.

What if there is no compressed air?

Clean rooms or plants without air can use a stainless electric lifter with a crate hook, or an electric hoist on a jib crane.

Will a rim clamp crack the crate?

Grip force is adjustable, so it holds firmly without breaking the crate. For older crates we use wide clamp pads to spread the force.

Does installation require floor drilling?

A floor mounted jib crane is bolted down. If you prefer no drilling, use an air balancer on a mobile base that a pallet truck can move.

Send us the crate size, full weight, stack height and a few photos of the work area, and FullSharp will suggest the right gripper and lift assist.

Request a site survey See plastic crate projects

Plastic crate lifting: choosing a crate gripper and lift assist