AUTHORIZED JEKKO DEALER
AUTHORIZED HYRAX DEALER
KEY TAKEAWAYS
→Know the panel weight before anything else: glass runs about 3.3 lbs per square foot per 1/4 inch of thickness.
→The standard rig is a mini crane plus a vacuum lifter, with the crane sized for capacity at the set radius, not at the hook.
→Zero-emission electric cranes set glass inside finished, occupied buildings.
Start with the panel weight
Glass weight is predictable: roughly 3.3 lbs per square foot for every 1/4 inch of thickness. A 5 by 10 ft insulated unit with two 1/4 inch lites runs near 330 lbs; heavy laminated storefront and oversized IGUs climb past 1,000 lbs fast. Add the vacuum lifter (150 to 600 lbs) and rigging to get the true hook load.
The glass-setting rig
- Mini crane. The workhorse. Tracks through a 36 inch opening, sets up on outriggers inside or outside, and places the panel at exact radius. Pick-and-carry rated machines can walk a panel down a corridor.
- Vacuum lifter. Powered suction frames rotate and tilt the panel for the set. Check pad count and rating against panel weight and surface (coated, textured, curved).
- Glazing jib or searcher hook. Reaches under a slab edge or into a recess so the panel hangs plumb where the boom tip cannot go.
- Carry deck crane. Stages crated glass around the laydown area and feeds the set crane on larger jobs.
Capacity at radius is the whole game
A crane rated 6,000 lbs lifts far less at full boom. A 700 lb IGU set 25 ft out the boom is a real test for a compact machine, which is why the duty chart, not the headline capacity, picks the crane. Run your numbers through the Lift Planner, then we verify against the manufacturer chart.
Machines glass crews rent most
- Jekko SPX328 EVO: 29 inches wide, battery power, sets storefront and interior glass in occupied buildings.
- Maeda MC285C-2: the classic glazing crane, compact with a proven chart.
- Jekko SPX532.2: 55 ft of hook height for two- and three-story curtain wall.
- Jekko SPX650: heavy oversized units and long-radius facade work.
Plan the set like a lift, not a delivery
- Exclusion zone under the swing path, every pick.
- Wind limits: vacuum handling generally stops well before crane limits, plan the weather window.
- Power source rules for indoor sets: battery or plug-in electric only in occupied space.
- Floor loading: verify slab capacity under outriggers and use pads; see machine ground pressure on each detail page.
- A test lift an inch off the deck confirms balance before the panel travels.
Ready to spec the lift?Tell us the load, radius, and site. Quotes back fast, delivery across the Mid-Atlantic.