Northampton, United Kingdom – TAWI, the inventor of the vacuum lift (also known as a vacuum tube lifter), has launched a new, portable vacuum lifter designed to be used inside of any ocean freight or box truck to reduce manual lifting of materials during the loading or unloading process. This solution enables a more flexible workforce by reducing the need to team lift heavy objects while minimizing the opportunity for injury. This is a faster, safer, and easier material handling method compared to individual or team lifting materials by hand.

TAWI’s Container Unloader comprises a vacuum lifter integrated with an operator platform and conveyor capable of lifting materials up to 110 lbs (50 kg). With its trigger-style controller, the operator can lift and move products without exerting any lifting force and at a faster rate than when performed manually. The Container Unloader features a patented jib arm for low overhead spaces, capable of horizontally gripping packages or materials to remove them from the top of a container or box truck. The unit is free-standing, completely mobile, and powered by either a 3-phase electrical or an optional battery pack for cordless mobility. Operators can use the remote control to drive the unit and the controls on the control panel. This mobilization allows operators to manoeuvre the Container Unloader in and out of docks and shipping containers and move around your facility. It can be deployed for applications beyond container loading and unloading.

“Many businesses are seeing workforce issues in today’s complex economy. This can include locating, training, and retaining qualified material handling employees,” states Nick Hajewski, North American Marketing Director for TAWI. “A vacuum lift reduces this issue of locating human capital by reducing the number of material handlers needed to perform an existing task – especially when team lifting is required. It also opens these heavy lifting applications up to employees not physically capable of manual handling such weights, as the lift does the lifting for the operator – all the operator needs to be able to do is squeeze the control handle. So that’s the secret – less labour required, faster performance due to a lack of physical fatigue. Everyone is safer because they are not physically lifting the materials themselves.”