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You have probably used or seen suction cups before, right? These are among the handiest tools that one should have at their home or workplace. Suction cups are what you will use when you wish to hang posters on a glass window. You can as well use a suction cup to pick up a glass sheet or heavy items such as tiles or your heavy appliances. Suction cups are made using soft rubber that sticks to surfaces using the force from air pressure.
They are ideal for attaching to different surfaces provided that the surfaces are flat, smooth, and non-porous. So, what makes glass suction cups the best tools for lifting? We discuss that below but before that, let us learn the basics of suction cups first.
How do suction cups work?
A suction cup must meet different criteria for them to work the right way. First, the suction cup needs to have the ‘cup’ shape and have a concave center with flat-spreading sides. It should also adhere to non-porous and flat surfaces. Last but not least, the suction cup should be made from air-tight material. This is very important to understand how suction cups work. Quality suction cups are made from soft rubber materials which are impenetrable by air.
As we have mentioned above, they have a concave area below the head or nose of the cup which will trap air inside naturally. When you press your suction cup against fat surfaces such as a window, air will be trapped in the concave area when pressed outwards. This is how the suction cup gets to stick onto the surface.
How to use a suction cup?
Using a vacuum suction cup should not be hard. These are user-friendly tools and some come with a vacuum loss indicator. Below is a simple step-by-step guide on how you should use a suction cup for lifting:
- Scrub the surface using a household cleaner. Ensure to rinse and dry completely.
- Clean this surface with alcohol and ensure to dry thoroughly.
- The inner part of the suction cup ought to be rinsed using warm water. Be sure to shake off any excess water.
- When everything is dry, press your suction cup firmly against the surface. You must ensure that no air bubbles are between the surface and the cup.
- When you ascertain that the suction cup has firmly attached to the surface, you can lift your item.
Applications Of Suction Cups
Since you now know what a suction cup does, it is good to understand some applications of these cups in real life. From these applications, you will understand why these suction cups are the best choices when it comes to lifting or moving heavy items.
Windscreen Glass Replacement- people who lift glass have had an easy time replacing the windscreens of different cars. There are different suction cups that will do the job so well. You realize that it is important to pick suction cups that will be up to the task. This is for the obvious reason that glass is so fragile and can cause injuries if mishandled. The best suction cups will easily swivel to match the design of the car’s windscreen and later attach safely to your vehicle.
Fitting Windows- as we have already stated above, glass is not a simple material to work with. The reason for that is the fact that it is not only sharp but also slippery whenever it gets wet. If you are therefore looking to fit windows, you need to get the best suction cup. The best one, in this case, must have the ability to keep its vacuum for a long period of time. This helps to ensure that the glass is firmly gripped preventing it from falling on the ground and later shattering.
Cleaning and Maintaining Glass Windows- you have obviously seen glasshouses with several floors in your hood, right? Have you questioned how cleaning and maintenance of these windows are done? This is where glass suction cups come in. professional window cleaners use the best suction cups to guarantee their stability when working at such high levels or dealing with challenging projects. The suction power here must be high enough to withstand a high load like the weight of a human being.
Windscreen Attachments In The Car- most road users will not leave home without their Sat Nav devices and other window attachments. It is at this spot that glass suction cups come in handy. You will realize that you can easily add lights, a radio, or any other device to your vehicle with the help of suction cups. In this case, suction cups will help to ensure that you enjoy your time on the road as you should. If you will need to access your devices like tablets and phones during your trip hands-free, suction cups will come to your aid.
Film Production- Yes, you read that right! If there is one industry that could barely survive without vacuum cups, it has to be the film industry. You will realize that film directors use suction cups to attach their video equipment to moving cars. This helps them to get shots that would be very dangerous to create manually. This, therefore, means that suction cups play a great role in making sure that you enjoy spectacular movie scenes on your screen.
Bedroom and Bathroom Hangers- this is yet another common application of suction cups. You will need simple suction cups in your bedroom or bathroom to install hangers conveniently. This is going to help you avoid drilling holes in your walls. You realize that this can be very costly as you will need to fill such holes when you no longer need these holes.
Lifting Heavy Objects- this one is rather obvious as it is one of the common applications of suction cups. As you are aware, it is not safe for humans to lift heavy objects. These objects include furniture, granite surfaces, and appliances like fridges. This will not only expose someone to safety threats but also be tiresome at the end of the day. As opposed to lifting your objects manually, you should consider using suction cups. The only thing you need to look at is the load capacity. Provided that you use the right suction cups, you will save both time and labor for your lifting and moving tasks.
Why Suction Cups?
We have discussed the various applications of suction cups in the section above. One would however ask why suction cups are the best tools when it comes to lifting. Below are some advantages that you reap whenever you use suction cups:
- Speeding up installation- swift lifting along with accurate positioning of items like glass windows using suction cups helps to speed up the process of installation.
- Reducing labor costs- with the help of suction cups, one person is enough to pick up and move items. If this job was done manually, it could possibly require more than 2 people.
- Improving working conditions- bringing suction cups into the equation will eliminate the need for heavy lifting. This will consequently save your back and prevent any injuries.
Final Thoughts
Technically, suction cups won’t attach themselves to surfaces. When a suction cup gets into contact with the surface of your workpieces, its vacuum generator is activated. This then draws out air from the interior of your cup which creates a vacuum. That is what holds the object against the cup. You will realize that these suction cups come with a red line indicator. This is what warns you about any vacuum loss. They also come with a load capacity rating allowing the user to choose the best suction cups depending on the application. Such features are what make suction cups the best tools for lifting and moving heavy items.
—> Best Glass Suction Cups That You Can Rely On
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