When a railway museum needed to replace its aging glazing to enhance natural light and showcase its antique collection, UNIC stepped in with a solution. With expertise in challenging lifting tasks and a range of specialised equipment, they were well-equipped for the job.
UNIC selected the 295 and 546 Mini Spider Cranes, along with two Glass Vacuum Lifters, after careful site surveys, a lift plan, and risk evaluation. This ensured our crane could navigate tight angles, overhangs, and fixed brackets with ease.
In order to replace an internal glazing panel, the 295 was specifically chosen. This resulted from a round post being placed in the window opening where it would hinder crane access from the outside. Since the building is listed, the post could not be temporarily removed.
UNIC was required to exercise extra caution when navigating the crane inside the listed building and other obstructions during the installation’s internal portion. Despite the low 4.6m headroom, the 295 was configured with a searcher hook and the MRT4 to facilitate easy lifting. Because of the searcher hook, it was possible to employ a 4.5-metre hook height and yet have the glass lifter come near to the window opening. This was necessary since the glass had to clear the steel door frame and soffit, as well as be lifted over the bottom brackets with the top of the glass behind the soffit.
Following the internal glazing unit installation, our team went outside to configure the 546. Using a searcher hook in conjunction with a 1.2-metre overhang and an 11-metre radius for the farthest unit, the 546 provided the accuracy and strength required to install the 240 kg maximum glass units. The searcher hook was utilised to overcome the difficult overhang when replacing the higher units, and the main hook block was used for the lower units.
This job was successfully completed by the lift team of UNIC using Mini Spider Cranes and our cutting-edge lifting equipment.
