WORKING WITH AND LIFTING BULK BAGS
Dealing with big bags on worksites can be a nuisance and cumbersome but they are important and used quite frequently, bulk bags or big bags are a convenient way to store debris or waste and transport other materials on your worksite but knowing what attachments to lift these big bags with will help you handle them better and will make your worksite a more efficient and productive site. Ideal for an overhead crane hook or an overhead lifting hook on a forklift to handle these attachments.
There can be various widths of the bags but these attachments come in a range of sizes to fit different bag sizes. Understanding your bag dimensions will determine what size lifter you will require. In this post I will give a brief overview about big bag lifters, who uses them and some tips for using big bag lifters.
In this post I will answer questions such as:
- What are bulk bags or big bags built for?
- What are the Benefits of Using Big Bag Lifters?
- What's Used To Lift Big Bag Lifters?
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Some easy maintenance checks
WHAT ARE BULK BAGS OR BIG BAGS BUILT FOR?
They are mainly used for transporting goods in large amounts, these bulk bags are built from strong plastic based material which is flexible and can hold weights of up to 2000kg. They are a lightweight product which allows them to be suspended easily, usually having 1, 2 or 4 loops for handling of these bags, this makes it efficient for many process industries out there.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING BIG BAG LIFTERS?
Big bag lifters can be found on many industrial and non industrial sites such as steel fabricators, construction sites, mining sites, quarries, agricultural sites and factories. They are a convenient and efficient way when it comes to dealing with large bags of sand, gravel, feed, waste or other materials as they can easily be transported in these big bags.
Lifters are important when it comes to safely moving and lifting these big bags, they can be attached to cranes and forklift mounted hooks for easy lifting. Using a forklift which has a hook attachment to carry these big bags is a common sense approach as forklifts are widely found across all worksites and businesses and being able to utilise them is always a cost effective method. The center of the bag lifter has a inner ring, this is where the hook can be attached for lifting and moving once the bag has been attached to all 4 sides of the lifter, ensuring the load is even and balanced.
EASE OF USE AND PERFORMANCE
They are robust and sturdy in construction easily supporting loads of up to 2000 kg on the larger attachments, large loads can be common and more so on certain worksites having a big bag lifter than can lift loads this heavy will undoubtedly be of benefit, lifting big bags of loose material such as salt, gravel, or sand must be done with proper lifting equipment.
The flexibility of these attachments comes from the ability of being used by various sorts of cranes and lifting devices with a hook, this makes it an ideal attachment as many worksites have a machine with a hook attachment. Whether its a forklift or telehandler these will easily do the job.
What these lifters offer is that by having 4 arms that attach to the bag, they keep the bag from compressing in on itself which would happen if one or two handles and arms were used to lift the bag, these lifters offer sturdiness of the load and stability, with four handles the bag is much less likely to swing or twist around when in motion. Avoiding swinging a big bag such as these ensures a safe operation, and using the appropriate bag lifter for the type of bag is the first step in ensuring little or no accidents occur.
COMPACT DESIGN AND MOBILITY
These big bag lifters are come in different dimensions and should match the width of the bags they will carry. With four arms on these lifters they carry bags with the equivalent amount of handles for attaching on to. When attaching a bag onto these lifters you must ensure the bag and its handle are securely tied on to ensure the load is balanced and will not come off.
These lifters also store away very easily given there small size, this makes it a great option for people who have limited space available to hold there lifting attachments and tools. To ensure you get the most use out of these products and that they last a long time, implementing good storage technique when not in use will help to protect these tools from the elements and bad weather.
COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
These big bag lifters are a great cost effective solution to carrying bulky loads, starting off from 558 euro for load capacities of 1000 kg and 827 euro for 2000 kg load capacity, if you are thinking of buying a product that needs to be able to lift up to 2000 kg then I would definitely recommend these lifters, all these lifters come CE marked and have full certificates.
AVOID POOR LIFTING METHODS…
Big bags should not be lifted by only the forks of a forklift alone, some people would use this method for a quick solution but it is not a safe method as the bag handles could slide off the forks when the forklift comes to an abrupt stop which can easily happen on a busy or hectic worksite, leaving pedestrians at risk. It is safer to use proper lifter attachments for big bags.
WHAT'S USED TO LIFT BIG BAG LIFTERS?
Cranes can be used to lift fertilizer bags, bulk bags and big bags, when the crane is the only solution it can work well as there are attachments for big bag lifters on too cranes extending the use of your big bag lifter making it a more valuable attachment to own.
Forklifts & Telehandlers
A common method of lifting big bags is either with forklifts or telehandlers, as these machines are some of the most common machines found on worksites, having a huge range of attachment options makes them a versatile and functional tool to have.
MAINTENANCE
We advise performing maintenance inspections for bulk bag lifters, this should be done on a regular basis and some of the checks carried should include checking the frame for any deformation on a straight edge, also checking the inside corners for cracks or deformation.
After prolonged use it is normal for parts to wear over time another area to check for stretching is the lug hole which holds a lot of the weight. Checking the end hooks and catches on the lifter for any signs of overloading to spot this if there is an increased hook opening size then this will be a sign of overloading. If there is too much damage due to these wear and tear, then it may be time to withdraw your lifter from service as safe operation will be compromised.
TAKING A LOOK AT CURRENT BIG BAG LIFTERS
The Camlok TTB Big Bag Lifter is available in 1000kg up to 2000kg lifting capacity. These Camlok big bag lifters are designed to lift and transport large bags securely and safely. They are built as a 4 point spreader beam which is in a fixed frame for added sturdiness. On the end of the 4 beams are 4 hooks that have safety latches to allow faster loading and unloading of loads.
This cruciform big bag handler is another 4 looped lifter that is built for cranes to lift or an over head lifting hook, the centralised shackle is made to easily attach too making for an easy attachment and capable of lifting 1000kg bags.The special loop retainers are carefully designed to ensure the bag handles cannot come accidently or get damaged easily. It is painted in yellow for added safety this ensures it is better seen when attached to an overhead crane hook.
This bag lifter can handle standard sized big bagsof up to 1000kg and utilizes the forks on a forklift truck. The bag handler will simply attach on to the forklift forks, allowing the bags to be picked up by the 4 bag loops. The bag claws that are situated on each corner of the forklift bag handler make for safe lifting, loading and quick unloading of bulk bags. This big bag handler makes lifting easier and ensures bags don't have to be lifted by the forks of a forklift truck which could damage the handles of the bag.
We also have a carriage mounted big bag handler available this can handle loads of up to 1000kg with carriage option of 2 and 3. The carriage mounted forklift bag handler offers more lift height than the other fork mounted versions, the tines are set at the top of the carriage plate on this attachment. The bags are easily picked up by the two tines, the loops on each corner of the big bags goes on the tines to lift the bag the handle stop on the end of the tines prevents the bags from moving forward when transporting them. The carriage mounted bag handler offers the perfect solution for big bag handling.
CONCLUSION
They are used and needed in a variety of industries and on a daily basis, big bags, bulk bags and fertilizer bags will continue to be used as they perform well and are a safe option when lifted with proper lifting equipment. For forklifts or telehandlers, big bag lifters make for a great addition to your attachments and also store away easily.
They are a sturdy product that will last many years and do not require heavy maintenance only regular checks, this makes it a cost effective product that will make lifting big bags a safer and more efficient operation. Whether you are looking at replacing an old big bag lifter or looking at upgrading your current tools we have a good selection of bag lifters available to check out on big bag lifter product range here.