APPLICATIONS / INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS
MANIPULATORS & LIFTING AIDS FOR 18 INDUSTRIES
The manipulators, lifting axes and lifting aids by Zeilhofer Handhabungstechnik are used in 18 industries, from automotive and foundries to food production and aerospace. Each system is designed around the customer's component, cycle time and workstation and relieves the operator when lifting, rotating and positioning loads up to 1,200 kg.
Our range includes the ZH90 lifting axis up to 1,200 kg, the articulated arm manipulator up to 800 kg, the rope manipulator up to 150 kg and the mobile Hebelift ZH up to 100 kg, each with a suitable fixture for your component. Since 1999, Zeilhofer has delivered more than 2,500 systems, with around 250 added every year. Design and manufacturing take place in Holzkirchen, Germany, certified to ISO 9001 and TISAX Level 2.
Select your industry. For each one, you will find further guides and case studies from completed projects.
Industries
18 industries at a glance
Select your industry. Each card leads to components, solutions and case studies.
APPLICATION AREA
01 Automotive & E-Mobility
The automotive industry tolerates no compromises. Cycle times are tight, components are expensive and safety requirements are high, especially for high-voltage storage systems and traction batteries. Our lifting axes, manipulators and lifting systems have been in use for years at leading OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, from final assembly to battery production.
What sets us apart from standard solutions: we don't think in terms of lifting aids, but in terms of processes. Every system is tailored to your cycle time, your component and your assembly strategy, from the gripper to the safety controller that only allows the part to be released in a defined end position.
Guides
Case studies
APPLICATION AREA
02 Foundry
Foundries are among the most demanding environments for handling technology: extreme heat, dirt, heavy blanks and tight time windows between casting and removal. Zeilhofer systems are robust enough for this daily routine and precise enough to move delicate castings without damage.
Our manipulators and lifting axes grip hot blanks, transport molds and set down castings in exact position, without any contact between operator and part. Magnetic systems, heat-resistant grippers and robust steel structures are designed for continuous operation in the foundry.
Guides
Case studies
APPLICATION AREA
03 Glass & Window Industry
Glass panes and window elements are large, heavy and fragile. Conventional lifting with straps and cranes leaves pressure marks, causes rejects and puts strain on employees. Our suction fixtures grip gently, precisely and safely, whether single-pane glass, laminated safety glass or coated special glass. Where maximum safety is required, we combine suction and gripping in one fixture.
Our manipulators swivel, rotate and position large panes to the millimeter, with one hand and without effort. The result: fewer rejects, shorter assembly times and employees who are still fit for work at the end of the shift.
Guides
Case studies
APPLICATION AREA
04 Logistics & Packaging
Logistics operations struggle with two problems at once every day: speed and health. Heavy containers, monotonous movements and tight time windows take their toll in the form of sick leave, staff turnover and falling productivity.
Our Hebelift ZH travels without any infrastructure to wherever it is needed. Our manipulators grip cartons, sacks, containers and pallets and set them down precisely. Less downtime, more throughput, better ergonomics figures.
Guides
Case studies
APPLICATION AREA
05 Mechanical Engineering & Metalworking
In mechanical engineering, every component is unique and every handling step is a potential cost factor. Whether heavy tools, precise assemblies or bulky machine components: Zeilhofer manipulators and lifting axes lift, rotate and position with the repeatability your process requires.
Our design engineers work with the same CAD tools, the same standards and the same quality standards as yours. The result: systems that integrate seamlessly into your production lines, without rework during commissioning.
Guides
Case studies
APPLICATION AREA
06 Food & Beverage Industry
The food industry has the strictest requirements for materials, surfaces and handling processes. Our systems are made from food-grade materials, designed for easy cleaning and can be equipped with hygienic suction cups and grippers.
Heavy containers, drums, crates, cheese wheels and sacks are handled without back strain, in production areas, cold stores and filling plants. Fewer injuries, less product damage, more output.
Guides
Case studies
APPLICATION AREA
07 Rolls & Pipes
Rolls, coils, pipes and sleeves are among the trickiest handling tasks: heavy, unwieldy, round and therefore unstable. Standard grippers fail, crane forks scratch the surface, and manual loading into machines is dangerous and time-consuming.
Zeilhofer solves this with fixtures designed for exactly these geometries: mandrel holders for sleeves and coils, prism grippers for pipes, suction cups for paper and film rolls. Every fixture is matched to your material, your machine and your cycle time. The operator guides, the system carries.
Guides
Case studies
APPLICATION AREAS 08–18
Other industries in detail
From cleanrooms to hardening shops: customers also use Zeilhofer systems in these industries. For each industry, guides and case studies go deeper into the application.
08 Hardening & Heat Treatment
Load charging racks, annealing baskets and workpieces up to 1,200 kg without pendulum motion, remove them from the furnace and quench them. Heat-resistant grippers and lifting aids protect employees from heat and load and increase throughput in contract heat treatment.
Guide:
Handling charging racks and annealing baskets
Guide:
Handling hot workpieces safely
Guide:
Increasing throughput in contract heat treatment
10 Chemicals & Plastics
Safely transfer, tilt and empty drums, containers and sacks, change injection molds without pendulum motion and remove large molded parts gently. Custom grippers adapt to every container and every machine.
Case study:
Lifting aid for drums and containers
Case study:
Manipulator for the injection molding industry
12 Aerospace
Move engine parts, structural components and CFRP components with sensitive surfaces safely, precisely and without pendulum motion. Our handling technology supports the production ramp-up in civil aviation with reproducible processes.
Case study:
Handling technology for aerospace
Case study:
Production ramp-up in civil aviation
14 Wind Energy
Handle gearbox parts, bearing rings and generator components up to 1,200 kg without pendulum motion and ease assembly bottlenecks during the production ramp-up. Ergonomic handling technology relieves employees and secures cycle times for the offshore build-out.
Case study:
Capacity bottlenecks in the wind industry
Case study:
Offshore build-out by 2030
Wind power boom: handling in component manufacturing
16 Agricultural & Construction Machinery
Handle gearboxes, axle parts, attachments and body parts up to 1,200 kg ergonomically, from tractors to excavators. Manipulators with special grippers adapt to a wide variety of components and small batch sizes in assembly.
Guide:
Manipulators for agricultural and construction machinery
18 Rail & Rail Vehicles
Install train windows, doors, entry systems and interior fittings ergonomically and in exact position. The ZH90 lifting axis and manipulators relieve fitters when handling heavy components at awkward working heights.
Case study:
ZH90 lifting axis for train windows
Sliding step assembly with two ZH90 lifting axes
09 Control Cabinets & Electrical Engineering
Lift, rotate and precisely insert mounting plates, control cabinet housings and electric motors from 20 to 800 kg ergonomically. The ZH90 lifting axis and manipulators with a matching gripper relieve your fitters with every component change.
Guide:
Lifting aids in control cabinet construction
Case study:
Control cabinet assembly with the ZH90 lifting axis
11 Semiconductors & Electronics
Handle wafer carriers, silicon rods and high-performance electronics precisely, with low vibration and without damaging the parts. The ZH90 lifting axis positions sensitive components with a fine touch and protects your employees from strain.
Case study:
Wafer carriers in the semiconductor industry
Case study:
ZH90 lifting axis for silicon rods
13 Wood Industry
Pick up, rotate and precisely position wood panels, glulam beams and furniture parts without a crane and without effort. Vacuum and clamping grippers on a manipulator or ZH90 lifting axis speed up material flow at the saw, CNC machine and assembly.
Case study:
Manipulator for the wood industry
Case study:
Wood panels with the ZH90 lifting axis
15 Defense
Handle armor steel plates, armor and structural components as well as vehicle assemblies up to 1,200 kg without pendulum motion, from prototype to series production during the ramp-up. We protect sensitive projects with TISAX Level 2 including prototype protection.
Guide:
Handling technology for the defense industry
Case study:
Defense ramp-up at suppliers / From prototype to series production
17 Cleanroom & Pharma
Particle-free lifting aids and grippers in stainless steel for cleanrooms and pharmaceutical production. Containers, drums and plant components are moved ergonomically and hygienically, without compromising the purity of your processes.
Case study:
Lifting aid for cleanroom and pharma
CROSS-INDUSTRY
Other Applications & Special Solutions
Some tasks fit no category. The component is too unusual, the process too complex, the boundary conditions too specific. This is exactly what Zeilhofer exists for.
Whether sensitive electronic assemblies in medical technology, turning heavy presses in toolmaking or installing entry systems in railway carriages: we develop, design and manufacture the solution and deliver it CE-compliant, turnkey and fully documented. If others have said it can't be done, ask us for a second opinion.
Guide:
Case study:
FAQ / Q&A
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT APPLICATIONS
01 In which industries are Zeilhofer lifting aids used?
Zeilhofer Handhabungstechnik supplies 18 industries: automotive and e-mobility, foundry, glass and window industry, logistics and packaging, mechanical engineering and metalworking, food and beverage industry, rolls and pipes, hardening and heat treatment, agricultural and construction machinery, control cabinet construction and electrical engineering, semiconductors and electronics, cleanroom and pharma, chemicals and plastics, wood industry, aerospace, wind energy, defense, and rail and rail vehicles.
02 Up to what weight can Zeilhofer systems lift?
Up to 1,200 kg. The ZH90 lifting axis lifts up to 1,200 kg, articulated arm manipulators up to 800 kg, rope manipulators up to 150 kg and the mobile Hebelift ZH up to 100 kg.
03 Are the lifting aids suitable for sensitive or heavy components?
Yes. With the right fixture, delicate components such as glass panes can be handled just as safely as heavy castings. Suction fixtures protect the surface, magnetic and gripping fixtures secure heavy workpieces, and combined fixtures do both.
04 Which lifting aid is suitable for foundries?
Manipulators and lifting axes with magnetic, hook or heat-resistant gripping fixtures. They pick up hot blanks and molding boxes and set down castings in exact position without the operator touching the part.
05 Are there lifting aids for hardening and heat treatment?
Yes. Heat-resistant manipulators and lifting axes load charging racks and annealing baskets up to 1,200 kg without pendulum motion and remove hot batches without the operator having to go near the furnace.
06 Can Zeilhofer products be used in the food industry and in cleanrooms?
Yes. Zeilhofer builds lifting aids from food-grade materials, designed for easy cleaning according to hygienic design principles, as well as stainless steel grippers for cleanrooms and pharmaceutical production.
07 Are industry-specific regulations taken into account?
Yes. Zeilhofer develops every system CE-compliant according to the Machinery Directive and takes the relevant industry regulations into account, such as the hygiene requirements of the food industry or the safety requirements in foundries.
08 Are there solutions for components with unusual shapes?
Yes. For complex, sensitive or unusual components, Zeilhofer develops special fixtures and tailor-made complete solutions.
09 How does a project with Zeilhofer work?
Zeilhofer handles everything from a single source: process analysis at the workstation, design, manufacturing in Holzkirchen, Germany, commissioning at the customer's site and service. The team responds to inquiries within 24 hours on weekdays.
10 Does Zeilhofer offer service and UVV inspections?
Yes. Zeilhofer regularly maintains and inspects its lifting aids and manipulators, including the mandatory UVV inspection, and supports modifications or the relocation of existing systems.
NEXT STEP
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