Demag displays new handling devices

Mannesmann Dematic has launched what it calls the KBK ergo system, an ergonomic supplement to the KBK crane construction kit.

The ergo components allow loads to be handled which are well outside the range of the suspensions without using separate counterweights. Loads of several hundred kilograms can be moved by manipulator, extended and extending cranes, and can be turned, tilted, lifted and lowered, offering much greater versatility than the standard KBK system which has been in use for decades.

The new components were shown at the Hannover Trade Fair in Germany earlier this year. Also on show there was Mannesmann Dematic’s new parallel gripper system, PGS, which is designed for lifting not only containers fitted with lifting shafts for gripper operations but also small-load carriers and those with normal lifting recesses.

The parallel grippers form part of a system for ergonomic materials handling and are compatible with the Manulift DKM chain hoist. They can therefore be exchanged for other load suspension devices by a quick-change coupling.

They can also be used in combination with the Demag KBK crane construction kit.

Both of these developments from Mannesmann Dematic have been driven by the introduction in 1996 of European Union load handling regulations, which stipulate that employers must take suitable measures to protect worker safety.