Realising glass-construction projects efficiently: mini cranes and vacuum lifters at Luibl Rental

Glass façades, steel-and-glass structures and laminated panes for atriums, office towers and factory halls rarely fall below the 500-kilo mark these days. Triple glazing in an aluminium frame for a standard-sized office building quickly reaches 380 to 600 kg per element; special panes for lobbies and showrooms regularly exceed 800 kg. Anyone who has to bring such loads to the installation position on the fifth floor through a stairwell or across a courtyard fails with a mobile crane at the set-up area, with a lifting platform at the load capacity, and with muscle power at the DGUV.

The answer lies in the combination of mini crane and vacuum lifter – two machines that each have their speciality when viewed individually and, in interaction, become the only economical solution as soon as the place of use becomes cramped, the ground sensitive and the load demanding. Luibl Rental holds a coordinated rental offer ready for precisely this application profile. The mini-crane fleet is based on the Maeda series with models from the 600 mm-narrow MC104C to the heavy-duty MC815C with over 8 tonnes load capacity. The matching vacuum technology is provided by the sister brand Uplifter within the Luibl Group – glass lifters with 1- and 2-circuit systems up to 1,200 kg load capacity, which can be hung seamlessly on the load hook of any Maeda crane.

This pillar page provides the in-depth overview: which technological synergy between crane and lifter determines project success? Which load-capacity reserves are actually usable at which outreach? And what does practice look like with an 800-kg façade element in the inner-city area?

A mini crane alone lifts – a glass lifter alone holds. Only the connection of both systems allows what counts in glass construction: the low-contact, precisely guided positioning of large glass elements under cramped conditions. Three technological properties must reliably harmonise between crane and attachment.

Proportional control as a prerequisite for millimetre work

The first key is the proportional control of the crane. On a Maeda MK3053CB, for example, all radio-remote-control joysticks can be regulated steplessly between standstill and maximum speed. In glass construction this is not a comfort function but a basic prerequisite. A 600-kg laminated safety glass pane hanging on a vacuum lifter at the crane nose swings out with every jerky movement of the lifting winch – with an inertia that releases several hundred joules of kinetic energy in a pendulum radius of half a metre. A single contact of the swinging pane with the steel frame or an adjacent glass edge leads to breakage.

The crane's proportional radio remote control allows the operator to guide lifting, lowering, slewing and boom movement in the finest speed gradations. Maeda calls the system on its models „fully proportional control with HBC radio“ – a standard established in the industry that the operator masters precisely after a short familiarisation period.

Vacuum safety circuit: 1-circuit versus 2-circuit system

On the lifter side, the number of independent vacuum circuits determines the permissible area of use. A 1-circuit system generates the vacuum via a single pump and a common tank for all suction pads. It is light, low-maintenance and sufficient for indoor installations under supervision.

However, as soon as lifting takes place over persons, traffic routes or above more than 2 metres lifting height, DGUV Information 209-013 „Suction lifters for building elements“ prescribes the 2-circuit system. Here two completely separate vacuum circuits work with their own pumps, their own tanks and their own pressure gauges – if one circuit fails, the second continues to hold the load safely. The Uplifter models of the UPG series from UPG600 onwards, as well as the Glassworker GW1125, have this redundancy as standard with a mains-independent battery power supply. This is the minimum standard for every external installation on façades.

Pick & carry function: moving loads while travelling

The third synergy point is the pick & carry function of the crane. Conventional mobile cranes support themselves with outriggers and lift from a standstill. A Maeda MC405C-3, on the other hand, can transport a load while travelling if it lies within the free load chart – with a retracted boom and the machine standing in travel mode. This makes it possible to bring glass elements from the delivery point at the site fence directly to the installation position, without having to temporarily store or reposition them in between.

In combination with the low ground pressure of the rubber tracks – on the MC405C-3 it is 0.52 kg/cm² – a system arises that passes even freshly laid parquet, marble or natural-stone floors in foyers and showrooms without pressure marks. The combination of pick & carry and low ground pressure eliminates the intermediate steps that, with conventional lifting technology, consume the majority of the installation time.

Load-moment limitation: the invisible protective layer

Every Maeda mini crane in the Luibl fleet has an electronic load-moment limitation (LML) that compares the product of load and outreach in real time with the permissible load moment of the respective boom position. If the value is exceeded, the system automatically switches off the critical movement – typically the further extension or lowering of the boom. On models with an articulating boom such as the MK1033CW1 or MK3053CB, the LML additionally monitors the articulation angle, because at the articulation edges the load-moment curve behaves non-linearly and the greatest risks of overload situations arise there.

The LML is not a comfort function but mandatory equipment in accordance with DIN EN 13000 and a prerequisite for the UVV inspection. At Luibl Rental, no mini crane leaves the depot without the LML having been verified with calibrated test weights as part of the recurring inspection in accordance with DGUV Vorschrift 52 „Cranes“.

The selection of the right mini crane for a glass-construction project is not a question of gut feeling but a calculation from three variables: maximum load in kg, required lateral outreach in m and lifting height in m. In addition, transport width, ground pressure and drive type come in as knock-out criteria as soon as door openings, sensitive floors or low-emission indoor areas are involved.

Maeda rental fleet at Luibl Rental – key data of the main models

Maeda MC104C – the ultra-compact indoor specialist

• Maximum load capacity: 990 kg at 1.1 m outreach

• Maximum lifting height: 5.5 m

• Maximum reach: 5.1 m at 200 kg

• Transport width: 600 mm – fits through standard doors and into goods lifts

• Drive: electric motor, emission-free

• Deployment profile: indoor installation in lobbies, stairwells, atriums, renovated old buildings

Maeda MC174C – more power in a compact form

• Maximum load capacity: 1,720 kg

• Maximum lifting height: 5.5 m

• Maximum working reach: 5.2 m

• Transport width: 590 mm

• Deployment profile: heavier glass elements in cramped interiors, steel-girder installation in existing buildings

Maeda MK1033CW1 – articulating-boom specialist with a slim body

• Maximum load capacity: 995 kg at 11.3 m lifting height and 9.9 m working range

• Fully automatic articulating boom for work over obstacles

• Transport width: 750 mm

• Deployment profile: glass installation behind projections, in courtyards, over roof overhangs

Maeda MK3053CB – battery-powered professional with an articulating boom

• Maximum load capacity: 2,800 kg at 1.8 m outreach

• Maximum lifting height: 16.95 m

• Maximum working range: 14.3 m

• Drive: battery, fully electric, emission-free

• Radio remote control with fully proportional control

• Deployment profile: medium-weight façade installation, emission-sensitive areas, courtyards

Maeda MC405C-3 – all-rounder for outdoor construction sites

• Maximum load capacity: 3,830 kg

• Maximum hook height: 16.80 m

• Ground pressure: 0.52 kg/cm² – protects sensitive coverings

• Climbing ability: 20°

• Travel speed: up to 3.3 km/h

• Deployment profile: heavy façade elements, external installation on sensitive ground

Maeda MC815C – heavy-duty class

• Maximum load capacity: 8,090 kg at 2.4 m outreach

• Maximum hook height: 19.6 m (optionally with a hydraulic jib up to 25.5 m lifting height)

• Maximum working range: 18.8 m at 340 kg load

• Dead weight: 9,460 kg

• Deployment profile: large-area façade elements, heavy special glazing, industrial-roof continuous rooflights

The articulation-edge issue: what the load chart conceals

A frequently underestimated topic with articulating-boom mini cranes are the so-called articulation edges in the load chart. While the chart suggests continuous load-capacity curves over lifting height and outreach, in reality there are transition ranges in which the permissible load changes abruptly – namely everywhere the articulating boom changes its geometry (folded versus unfolded) or where the main boom passes a critical angle threshold.

In practice this means: a Maeda MK3053CB can lift an 800-kg load at 5 m outreach without problems, but only 650 kg at 5.5 m outreach with the same boom angle, and at the transition to articulating-boom use the permissible load drops to 580 kg at an identical geometric position. The LML protects against overload, but an experienced operator plans the lifting sequence so that these articulation edges are not passed through in the critical load range – this prevents unwanted shutdowns in the middle of the movement.

At Luibl Rental, the handover of every articulating-boom mini crane includes a machine-specific operator instruction with the original load chart. Anyone who takes over a mini crane without this instruction takes on a risk that has no place on the construction site.

Vacuum lifters of the Uplifter sister brand – load-capacity classes

The vacuum technology within the Luibl Group network comes from Uplifter, the German specialist for vacuum lifting technology, which has worked on a project basis with Luibl Rental's fleet since its takeover by the Luibl Group. The most important glass-lifter models for the combination with Maeda mini cranes:

Uplifter UPG350

• Load capacity: 350 kg

• Attachment to almost any device with a load hook

• 1-circuit system

• Deployment profile: standard glazing in interiors, window installation

Uplifter UPG600 / UPG1000

• Load capacity: 600 kg / 1,000 kg

• 2-circuit system with redundant vacuum supply

• Battery power supply for mains-independent operation

• Deployment profile: medium-weight façade elements, external installation

Uplifter glass lifter UPG1200

• Load capacity: up to 1,200 kg

• 2-circuit system with up to 12 suction pads

• Suction pads variably positionable via extensions

• Radio remote control with an electric tilt unit

• Silicone-free suction pads (no marks on the pane)

• Deployment profile: heavy glass façades, laminated safety glass, special glazing

Uplifter Glassworker GW1125

• Load capacity: max. 2,000 kg

• Motorised rotation through 360°, hydraulic tilting through 90°

• Two independent vacuum circuits with double safety per circuit

• Reserve vacuum tank, mains-independent 12 V battery power supply

• Deployment profile: large-format glass façades, industrial glass, heavy metal plates

Anyone who rents a Maeda mini crane from Luibl receives, on request, the matching suction system in one delivery via the Uplifter sister company. The combinations are technically validated and follow the applicable safety standards.

The theory is decided on the construction site. A representative constellation from urban glass construction illustrates where the real value of the mini-crane-lifter combination lies.

Initial situation

An office building in the inner-city area is receiving a new shop-window front made of laminated safety glass on the ground floor. Six elements of 3.20 m × 2.10 m, each element weighing 800 kg, are to be installed during the ongoing business operations of the adjacent retailers. Delivery takes place from the street via a low-loader that may only stand under a 30-minute parking permit. Between the low-loader and the installation position lie 18 metres, a 90-degree bend, a cobblestone area and the building's entrance area with a sensitive natural-stone floor.

Setting up a mobile crane is ruled out: the usable carriageway width is 4.2 m; a complete closure of the street cannot be permitted during business hours. A lifting platform is out because the load capacity is lacking. Manual installation with suction crossbeams and personnel is out of the question anyway due to the load and the DGUV requirements.

Solution approach

Luibl Rental dispatches the combination of a Maeda MC405C-3 (3,830 kg load capacity, low ground pressure) and an Uplifter UPG1200 glass lifter (1,200 kg, 2-circuit system, radio remote control). Delivery of both machines with a dedicated low-loader from the Luibl fleet, joint logistics, one handover date.

Step 1 – delivery and positioning: the MC405C-3 is driven off the low-loader; with a folded boom it crosses the entrance foyer (ground pressure 0.52 kg/cm² – no pressure mark in the natural stone). Set-up inside the building next to the installation location.

Step 2 – glass-element pick-up: the UPG1200 is attached to the crane's load hook. The radio remote control allows independent control of lifting, slewing and lifter tilting. The first 800-kg element is taken off the low-loader; the MC405C-3 uses the pick & carry function: with the load attached, the crane travels at reduced speed to the installation position.

Step 3 – positioning: at the installation position, the UPG1200 hydraulically tilts the glass element from the horizontal transport position into the vertical installation position. The electric tilt unit allows this in a controlled movement. Via the crane's proportional control, the element is set onto the mounting bolts on the steel frame – tolerance ±2 mm.

Step 4 – repetition: the five further elements follow the same procedure. Total installation time for six elements: 4.5 hours including two break periods for the battery care of the UPG1200.

Result

What with a mobile crane and a street closure would have cost several permit days and a complete shutdown of the shops was, with the Maeda-Uplifter combination, half a working day. The low-loader stop at the site fence stayed within the 30-minute window. No ground damage, no noise nuisance for the residents – the Maeda MC405C-3 works diesel-powered but can also be supplemented in the electric operation of the battery machines when the indoor phase has to run without exhaust fumes.

Glass installation is, in accordance with DGUV Information 209-013 and the BetrSichV, a process requiring a risk assessment. Three components must be documented before work begins.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

For everyone involved in the lifting operation the following applies:

• Cut-protection gloves of class F (highest protection level against cuts, EN 388)

• Safety shoes S3 with a puncture-resistant sole and a toe cap

• Safety helmet EN 397

• Safety goggles for work under the load or for grinding/drilling work on the glass edge

• Fall-arrest harness and holding rope for work in fall-hazard areas from 2 m height in accordance with DGUV Regel 112-198

For external installation in fall-hazard areas, a separate rescue plan with a defined recovery scenario is additionally required.

Acceptance protocols before the start of lifting

Before the first load pick-up, the following points are compared in writing and countersigned by the responsible operator:

• Current UVV inspection of the crane with a valid inspection sticker in accordance with DGUV V52 (competent-person inspection at least annually, expert inspection every four years)

• Current inspection of the vacuum lifter in accordance with DGUV Information 209-013 with a documented function test of both vacuum circuits

• Load chart of the crane for the planned lifting configuration (outreach, lifting height, boom angle)

• Load-weight confirmation of the glass manufacturer in written form

• Set-up-ground assessment: load-bearing capacity of the ground in kg/cm², comparison with the machine's ground pressure at full load

• Weather protocol: wind speed (critical value for glass installation typically 6 m/s near the ground, deviating depending on the wind-attack area of the pane), precipitation, visibility conditions

• Operator qualification: crane operator proof in accordance with DGUV Vorschrift 52 as well as vacuum-lifter instruction

Luibl Rental delivers every mini crane with a current inspection protocol and a short safety briefing at the handover location. Responsibility for the site-specific risk assessment remains with the executing company – Luibl supports with templates and advice through the training centre.

Operator qualification: what is required

For operating a mini crane, a training course in accordance with DGUV Grundsatz 308-008 „Cranes“ is required in Germany, supplemented by the specific equipment instruction for the respective model. In Austria, the analogous regulation of the AUVA M-plus 815 applies, supplemented by the annual instruction in accordance with the AM-VO. Anyone working with a vacuum lifter additionally needs instruction in the suction-lifter system in accordance with DGUV Information 209-013.

Luibl Rental offers both training courses via its certified training centre. The operator certificate is valid for 12 months and must be renewed through the annual company instruction.

The Maeda mini cranes are not standard machines – their dead weight of between 1.9 tonnes (MC104C) and 9.5 tonnes (MC815C), as well as the special dimensions, require adapted transport solutions. Luibl Rental operates its own low-loader fleet that brings equipment and vacuum technology in one delivery to any place of use in Europe.

The delivery areas comprise Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary and further European markets. Via the network of more than 200 locations and group branches, Luibl also responds to short-notice enquiries with delivery times within 48 hours. For large projects and long-term rentals, conditions with integrated UVV inspection and annual maintenance are available – no additional effort for the hirer, no downtime due to expired inspection intervals.

During the rental period, an on-site service is available. In the event of technical problems or operating questions, a technician can come to the construction site within a few hours. For longer projects with high machine use, a dedicated operator can also be requested – an experienced operator accompanies the project and takes over the lifting operations.

For the vacuum technology, the parallel logistics of the sister brand Uplifter apply: glass lifters are delivered directly with the mini crane; technical advice on lifter selection and safety equipment is provided by the Uplifter team in close coordination with Luibl Rental.

An honest classification is part of every consultation. The combination of a mini crane and a vacuum lifter is the right solution when at least three of the following conditions apply:

• Glass elements over 200 kg have to be installed

• The place of use is inaccessible for mobile cranes (interiors, courtyards, listed building fabric, narrow access routes)

• The ground is pressure-sensitive (natural stone, parquet, freshly laid coverings, underground-garage ceilings)

• The installation must take place with low emissions or low noise (clinic, residential area during night work, sensitive customer areas)

• A 360° pick-and-carry movement is required, in which the load reaches the installation position from the delivery point without intermediate repositioning

The combination is not the right solution when the glass element weighs under 80 kg and can be safely installed manually with a hand suction lifter by two persons, when a mobile crane can be set up without problems (open-air industrial construction, free large construction sites) or when the lifting height is well over 25 m – here classic cranes or Roto telehandlers are the more economical choice. For lifting heights between 15 and 30 metres, a look at Luibl's Roto telehandlers as an alternative is often worthwhile as well.

The requirements for glass installation are internationally harmonised. EN 13000 governs the safety requirements for mobile cranes, EN 1492-1 the sling inspection, EN 13155 the requirements for non-fixed load-lifting attachments – glass lifters fall directly under this standard. Anyone working in Austria, Switzerland or beyond the EU borders must comply with these standards anyway – the DGUV regulations implement them for Germany.

On the construction site, the trend towards emission-free drives continues to gain momentum. Luibl Rental keeps pace with the electric variant of the MC104C, the battery-powered MK3053CB and, in perspective, further hybrid models. For inner-city construction sites with municipal noise-protection requirements and for emission-sensitive areas such as food production or clinics, these machines are the only legally compliant solution.

Glass construction is precision work under physical boundary conditions that rarely leave any leeway. The choice of the right lifting technology is not a question of the rental price per day but a question of project safety, compliance with DGUV and BetrSichV requirements and, ultimately, economic efficiency over the entire construction phase.

With the Maeda mini-crane fleet and the vacuum technology accessible via the sister company Uplifter, Luibl Rental offers a coordinated overall system that is unrivalled in the German-speaking rental landscape. Over 200 locations, own low-loaders, integrated UVV inspection for long-term rental and a certified training offer are not marketing terms but operational reality – and exactly what makes the difference between project success and an insurance claim with an 800-kg glass element on the fifth floor.

Enquiry and advice: contact the Luibl team via the contact form. For vacuum technology and glass lifters, the contact is forwarded directly to the Uplifter specialists – one contact, one offer, one delivery process.

What load capacity do I need for a standard glass-façade pane?

A 3-pane laminated safety glass pane with dimensions of 3.0 m × 1.5 m weighs approx. 280 to 360 kg, depending on glass thickness and aluminium frame. With a safety factor of 1.5, the lifter should manage at least 540 kg, the crane at least 600 kg at the required outreach. The specific configuration is carried out using the load chart in advance of the rental enquiry.

What does it cost to rent a Maeda mini crane per day?

The daily rental for a Maeda MC104C starts in the range of compact models and rises significantly up to the heavy-duty class of the MC815C. Specific daily prices depend on the rental duration, delivery area and supplementary services such as an operator or vacuum lifter. Luibl Rental creates project-based offers without flat-rating – that is standard with special equipment.

Do I need separate training for the mini crane and the vacuum lifter?

Yes. The operator proof in accordance with DGUV Grundsatz 308-008 covers crane operation. For the vacuum lifter, separate instruction in accordance with DGUV Information 209-013 is required. Luibl Rental offers both training courses via its own training centre, often combined in one training course.

Can I rent the mini crane and vacuum lifter separately?

Technically yes. In practice, combined rental is the more economical solution in almost all cases, because the logistics (low-loader, handover date, return) are bundled. For pure load-hook applications without glass or plates, the lifter rental is of course dispensable.

How quickly can Luibl deliver?

For standard enquiries from the German-speaking region, within 48 hours. For urban special orders with an unusual configuration, lead times of up to a week can arise – an early enquiry helps. Via the network of over 200 locations, short-notice dispatching is also possible.