Reference

Glossary

73 terms on vacuum lifters, vacuum, tiles and tools.

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T V W

A

Air filter	Filter on the pump that keeps dust away from valves.
Alternating load	Load that is frequently attached and detached. Requires monitoring.
Application temperature	Temperature range in which adhesive and suction lifter work reliably.
Automatic re-suction	Control system that automatically pumps again when vacuum drops.

B

Battery runtime	Runtime per battery charge. Depends on re-suction behaviour and temperature.
Breaking load	Load at which the device fails. It is usually two to three times the rated load.

C

Carrying handle	Handle on the suction lifter, often with a vacuum release trigger.
Ceramic tile	Tile made of fired clay. Lighter than porcelain stoneware.
Charging time	Time a battery takes to go from empty to full.
Cold start	First start at low temperature. Can delay the pump.
Cordless suction lifter	Electric suction lifter with integrated or interchangeable battery.

D

Diamond disc	Cutting disc with diamond coating for ceramic and natural stone.
Digital display	Electronic display for vacuum pressure and often battery level.

E

Edge insulation	Strip that separates tiles from the substrate.
Ejector	Vacuum generator with no moving parts, works with compressed air on the Venturi principle.

F

Foam rubber	Foam pad for rough, textured surfaces, lower nominal load.

G

Glass lifter	Suction lifter for glass and windows.
Granite	Hard natural stone with about 2,7 kg per litre of volume.
Gripster	Colloquial name for a portable, usually electric vacuum suction lifter. Not a protected brand name.

H

Hand suction lifter	Electric suction lifter with handle, usually around 200 mm suction area.
Hand vacuum suction clamp	Manual suction lifter with hand pump or lever.
Hollow spot	Area under the tile without adhesive. Leads to hollow sounds and breakage.

I

Insulating mortar	Thick mortar for levelling uneven surfaces.

L

Large format	Tiles and slabs from around 60 x 60 cm or with an area of more than one square metre.
Levelling system	Tool that presses adjacent tiles to the same height.
Lip	Height offset between two tiles.
Load handling attachment	A safety law term for devices that bear loads.

M

Marble	Soft natural stone, sensitive to acids, good suction surface when polished.
Millibar (mbar)	Unit of pressure. 1000 mbar corresponds to 1 bar. A good suction lifter reaches about -600 to -800 mbar.
Mini suction lifter	Compact suction lifter with a small suction area for tight spaces.
Movement joint	Planned joint that absorbs movement.

N

Narrow suction lifter	Suction lifter with an oval or narrow suction surface for narrow slabs.
Natural rubber	Soft pad material with very good adhesion, sensitive to oil and UV.
Natural stone	Granite, marble, quartzite, sandstone. Heavier than ceramic.
NBR	Nitrile rubber, oil-resistant and ageing-resistant. The most common pad material on construction sites.
Negative pressure	Pressure below atmospheric pressure in the suction chamber. Given in millibar, bar or as a percentage.
Notched trowel	Notched trowel for applying tile adhesive.

O

Oscillating multi-tool	Suction lifter with a vibrator that spreads the adhesive under the tile.

P

Pad	Rubber pad of the suction lifter. Bears the holding force and wears.
Panel lifter	Suction lifter for large tiles and tile components.
Porcelain stoneware	Dense, very hard ceramic tile. Standard for large format.
Post-suction time	Time between two pump strokes of the automatic system.
Pressure gauge	Analogue pressure gauge. Does not need a battery, but is harder to read.
Pressure threshold	Negative pressure at which the automatic system re-pumps.
Primer	Pre-treatment of the substrate for better adhesion.

Q

Quartzite	Very hard natural stone, sometimes heavier than granite.

R

Rated load	Working load specified by the manufacturer. Not the breaking load. Allow for a safety margin.
Replacement pad	Replacement rubber pad. Most important wear part.

S

Safety factor	Ratio of breaking load to nominal load. A factor of 2 to 3 is usual.
Seal	Sealing components on connections and valves.
Second grip point	Second suction lifter that stabilises long slabs.
Serration	Notched pattern of the trowel, which determines the amount of adhesive.
Set	Multiple suction lifters, often two, for large or long loads.
Shelving system	Levelling system with brackets and wedges.
Silicone pad	Pad for glass and sensitive surfaces, heat-resistant.
Smoothing trowel	Smooth surfaces for pulling the adhesive.
Spindle system	Levelling system with threaded rods.
Suction lifter	A device that holds flat loads with negative pressure. Collective term for vacuum lifters, glass lifters and tile lifters.
Suction surface	The effective area of the rubber pad. Larger means more holding force and more contact area.
Surface condition	Smoothness, roughness and density of the load. Determines adhesion.

T

Tap test	Tapping the tile to find hollow spots.
Terrazzo	Artificial stone made from crushed stone and binder.
Test pull	A short lift before the actual load handling operation to check adhesion.
Tile cutter	Hand tool for cutting tiles with a roller and lever.
Tile lifter	Colloquially for a suction lifter that lifts tiles.
Tile spacer	Aid for consistent joint width.
Transport case	Case for safe storage and transport of the suction lifter.

V

Vacuum gauge	Display or pressure gauge showing the current vacuum.
Vacuum lifter	Suction lifter that creates a vacuum in the suction chamber and holds a load. Manual or electric.
Vacuum pump	Generates the vacuum. Electric, manual or compressed air (ejector).

W

Wet cutters	Machine with diamond blade and water for clean cutting.
Wind load	Wind force on large, lightweight panels outdoors.
Working area	The path along which a load is lifted and carried.