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Quality Products

Astrolift offer New Zealand's most extensive range of warehouse equipment and are dedicated to consistently enhancing the quality and variety of our product offerings.

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We care deeply about Our Valued Clients & are always striving to offer reliable, knowledgeable & easy operational solutions.

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Astrolift provide Prompt & reliable backup service throughout NZ & carry a huge range of spare parts – Our goal is to minimise your machine downtime.

The Beak-Grip Drum lift attachment is easy to attach to a forklift for lifting single drums.  It has a galvanized finish making it ideal for handling a wide range of steel or plastic drums.  The parrot beak grip holds the drum tightly so that the operator does not have to leave the forklift.

 

The Drum Cradle is a manual cradle designed for 200 litre drums and this drum cradle can easily decant contents from the drums, taking all the hard work out of the tipping operation.  Quick and easy work is made of the tipping process with this drum cradle.

 

The Drum Dolly comes in a range of carrying capacities and is either powder coated or galvanized which makes them strong and durable for all weather conditions.  They have wheels or castors for fast and easy wheeling once the drum is positioned on the drum dolly.

 

Advantages of Drum Lifters

Drum Lifters make light work of lifting and carting drums and they have angled wheels making them suitable for larger drums and for picking up drums off pallets.  Drums can be lifted and shifted in confined spaces and there is an option for an electric drum lifter as well.  With the angled legs the drum lifters can be rolled or wheeled up to the corner of the pallet to pick up or put down the drum making it easy to lift drums on and off the pallets.

All this drum lifting, drum tipping and decanting handling equipment is time saving and stress free for moving, lifting, emptying, storing, weighing, rotating and pouring of liquids, powders and grains from drums in various types of industries such as chemical and petroleum industries, shipping yards, cosmetic companies, pharmaceuticals, grain handling companies and any industries where drums need to be shifted, filled or emptied in a safe and efficient manner.  Where there is no such equipment available in the workplace the employees and workers are more prone to injuries from mishandling of heavy drums, therefore creating more downtime in the working environment.

 

Drum Lifter spade and strap type drum – the drum lifter spade can be lifted with the forklift and the driver does not need to leave his seat as this drum handler can lift a drum up to 200 litres without any hydraulic or electronic connections.  The winding handle on the drum lifter spade attaches securely to the forks when picked up.  The drum lifter with plastic strap has a stabilizing foot plate for securely lifting awkward drums, especially drums that do not have a lip or rim at the top.

 

The Drum Rotator forklift attachment makes easy work of decanting drums with a forklift.  Once the drum is secured with the ratchet strap it can be lifted and the crank wheel can rotate the drum sideways to decant.  This drum rotator forklift attachment makes light work of decanting and tipping the contents of the drum in a safe and effortless manner.

 

 

Drum Handling Safety

Drums need to be handled by trained workers as mishandling of drums can lead to serious injury or can even be fatal depending on the contents of the drum.  Full drums should not be rolled across the floor area or down a ramp as they can quickly gather speed and get away from the operator.  Some drums are very difficult to grip and can be slippery to hold so need the straps or drum lifters to safely move them.  One person should never try to lift or shift a full drum without the use of a drum lifter or drum tipper.  Never overload a vehicle with drums whether full or empty as this can cause injury to unsuspecting people in the area.

 

How should drums and barrels be lifted?

Handling drums and barrels can be dangerous. Do not handle drums and barrels without training. Use lifting equipment or assistance devices whenever possible. Use mechanical aids whenever possible. Do not attempt to raise a full drum alone. Most commonly, different types of barrels are stored on pallets. A mobile drum lifter enables you to underride these pallets, grab the barrel with an electric drum tong and subsequently pick it up. This procedure does not entail any physical strain for the user, as the grabbing and lifting movements are directed by a simple remote. The drum lifter takes care of grabbing, lifting, and moving the drums from start to finish. Once you have fastened it on the grabbing device, you can easily transport the drum to its destined location. The lifter thereby functions as a drum trolley, and drum turner at the same time.

What are the types of Drum Handling?

There are different types of drum handlers available in today's market; forklift attachment, hydraulic drum lifter, mobile drum handler, below-hook drum handler and drum rotator. Forklift Attachment is a type of drum handler that is designed to easily slide into a forklift truck. This type of drum handler is used to efficiently and safely load and unload different sizes and types of drums. Once inserted into forklift trucks, operators can easily clamp, lift and transport drums anywhere. Forklift drum handlers are available in different models such as forklift mounted, carrier with tilt function, carrier without tilt function, waist type, rim type and multi-drum carrier. Mobile Drum Handler is a stand-alone type of drum handler. Unlike the forklift attachments, mobile drum handlers have built in wheels so you can easily maneuver it anywhere. This type of drum handlers is made with stainless steel and also has a wide heavy duty jaw that can grip the top rim of standard drums. There are two types of mobile drum handler; manual and hydraulic powered. Drum dollies, palletizer, vertical lift pourer and spotter are good examples of mobile drum handler. Hydraulic Drum Lifter is a stand-alone piece of drum handling equipment that uses a wheeled trolley combined with a vertical lifting mast and drum gripping system. Often operated by a hydraulic pump with manual user pedal input or an electric motor. An example product is the VanMate. Below-hook drum handler is commonly used to lift, tilt and pour drums. It is made with premium grade stainless steel and features hydraulic powered lifting mechanism with chain puller. It features a grip which holds the drum below the third ribbing or underneath. It also has lifting eyes or fork packets for added support. Examples of below-hook drum handler are drum pourers and drum lift carriers. Non Sparking Monel Drums are widely used in hazardous environments exposed to flammable particles or corrosive chemicals. Drum rotator is used to invert and rotate drums as well as transfer contents from one container to another. This type of drum handler features ring gear and rotator that can either be electric powered or hydraulic powered. Examples of drum rotators are tumblers, drum rollers, portable rollers and stationary drum rollers.

What are the best practices when storing Drums and Barrels?

Drums should be stored indoors away from potential contamination. This would include dust, humidity from process steam and washdown areas. Do not keep drums on the factory floor or in the machine shop, since contaminants like metalworking or welding particles and production dust could easily find their way into the drums. Temperature variations in the storage areas will cause the oil drums to “breathe.” During the heat of the day, the air and liquid will expand, while at night when things cool down, they will contract. This contraction will pull microscopic particles of dust and moisture into the drum. Either of these types of contamination can severely diminish your lubricant’s performance and in turn will affect the life of your machinery.