12,500 vs 25,000 vs 32,000 kg: Choosing Lifter Capacity

Vlentec builds its vacuum lifting equipment in three capacity classes: 12,500 kg, 25,000 kg and 32,000 kg. The right one depends on the loads you actually handle, not on the heaviest load you can imagine. Too small limits the work you can take on. Too large means paying for capacity you rarely use and handling a heavier lifter than the job needs.

Start with the heaviest load you handle

Capacity is set by the heaviest single load the lifter will pick, with a sensible margin on top. For pipe and plate, that weight comes from a few factors: the dimensions, the wall thickness, the length and the material. A large-diameter, thick-walled steel pipe is far heavier than a thin-walled or plastic pipe of the same length. The governing number is the weight of your heaviest regular load, worked out from its dimensions rather than estimated, because an underestimate here is what leads to an undersized lifter.

Diameter, wall thickness and length

For steel pipe, weight rises quickly with diameter, wall thickness and length, so two pipes with the same outside diameter can differ substantially in weight if their walls differ. Nominal diameter alone is not enough to choose a class. Base the decision on the calculated weight of the pipe or plate you handle most, from its real dimensions and material density. For plate the same applies: thickness and area set the weight, and a thick plate can reach a surprising figure over a large sheet.

Reach and working position

Capacity is not only about the load, it also depends on where the load is lifted. A crane or excavator carrying the lifter has less available capacity at longer reach, so a load that is within range close in can be out of range at distance. The lifter's own rating is defined conservatively, at the least favourable point of its working range, which is also an EN 13155 requirement. Size on the heaviest load at the working position you will actually use, reach included.

The three classes

The 12,500 kg class covers the lighter end of heavy pipe and plate handling. The 25,000 kg class covers mid-weight to heavy loads. The 32,000 kg class is for the heaviest work, such as large-diameter, thick-wall pipe. Within each class the attachment is matched to the load type, which is a separate choice from capacity.

All models are compatible with the same range of suction pads and attachments.

Capacity and drive are linked

One point is easy to miss: the heaviest class fixes the drive type. The 32,000 kg lifter is diesel only, so if your loads need that capacity, you are choosing diesel by default. In the 12,500 and 25,000 kg classes you have both electric and diesel, so capacity and drive are separate decisions. If the drive matters to you, for instance because you work indoors or on emission-restricted sites, read choosing between electric and diesel drive alongside this.

Leave headroom, but not too much

Your capacity choice should sit above your heaviest regular load with a margin, so you are not working at the limit on every lift and occasional heavier loads are still covered. At the same time, a much larger lifter than you need is heavier, calls for a larger carrier and costs more to own. The aim is the smallest class that comfortably covers your heaviest regular load with margin, not the largest class on the list.

In short

Work out the weight of your heaviest regular load from its real dimensions and material, add margin, then check it against the working position and reach. That points to the class. Confirm the drive type you want is available in that class, and the choice is made. To compare the classes with their drive and attachment options, see our full lifter range.

Frequently asked questions