Innovact Container Lifter

The brief was to move 20[ft] shipping containers, weighing 25[T], containing solar batteries that are required to be kept in the vertical position throughout the transit route. The starting point is under a canopy of solar panels and on a sloped uneven sealed surface, through a narrow gate and negotiate storm drains. From there a crane can take over and lift the unit onto a trailer. The crane has no access at the start point and there was no room for a heavy lift forklift.

The client was able to move the battery container fully loaded and onto a trailer for onward interstate transport. The container was moved slowly and safely down a sloped, sealed and uneven surface. The use of a small forklift that was attached to the Innovact Consulting designed towing arm that was required alongside a lot of care and attention to recently installed infrastructure that made the operating area extremely tight. The container corners were able to be adjusted independently to allow maximum stability for the internal battery fluids as the terrain required.

No other product currently exists on the market to achieve the same result. The Innovact Consulting Container Lifter exceeds the load lifting requirements of all others on the market and allows for four corner adjustments to keep the load level during operation. The design phase used 3D CAD and Finite Element Analysis to prove the concept before manufacture. The following local manufacturing processes were used; laser cutting, machining on lathe, CNC machining, welding, painting, overall assembly and testing.

A full data pack and operation manual was provided so the client could fully understand the delivered product. This is essential as the consequence of not following strict maintenance and pre/post use checks could have serious implications on personnel, equipment and infrastructure if used incorrectly. The client was very appreciative of the time and effort that went into manufacturing the Innovact Consulting Container Lifter and allowing them to safely move the fully loaded container without tearing down permanent recently installed infrastructure. This design can be used in other areas where a heavy unit is required to be lifted and there is no access for a crane or large forklift. This product could be used in factories or warehouses where space is limited so that containers can be delivered outside the business, factory and moved into tight spaces using standard forklifts (obviously with the correct load rating for the end weight of the filled container).