Equipment

STS drum rotators and handlers

Name: STS drum rotators and handlers
Brand: STS

Safe lifting, moving, rotating and emptying of industrial drums.

Request a quote

From the floor or pallet to controlled emptying

STS equipment lets a single operator handle steel, plastic and fibre drums in a controlled way, without lifting or tilting them by hand. Depending on the application, the drum can be gripped, lifted from the floor or a pallet, transported to process equipment, and rotated and emptied at the desired height. Manual, electric and pneumatic ATEX versions are available, as well as stainless steel models for more demanding production environments.

The handler is brought to the drum, which is gripped with a suitable clamping head or adjustable band. Once it is held securely, the drum is lifted to the required height, moved to a container, reactor, mixer or other process equipment and tilted or rotated in a controlled way to empty its contents.

On versions with a powered clamp, the operator can control clamping, lifting and rotation of the drum with electric or pneumatic controls, keeping physical handling to a minimum.

Which drums can we lift?

Steel drums

Standard industrial drums of different volumes and designs, including the classic 200/205-litre drum.

Plastic drums

HDPE and other plastic drums, including MAUSER and similar designs where a secure grip is especially important.

Fibre drums

Containers made of fibreboard and similar materials that need controlled clamping without damaging the wall.

Drums of different diameters

Depending on the gripping system, very different sizes can be accommodated; the STS universal band covers approximately 350–600 mm, while powered-clamp systems work with diameters of approximately 280–610 mm.

Standard, stainless steel and ATEX versions

Standard version

For general industry, chemical production, warehouses and other processes without special hygiene requirements.

Stainless steel version

Stainless steel versions are available for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. STS makes its manual stainless steel models from grade 304 stainless steel, with a smooth finish suited to more demanding production environments.

ATEX version

For handling drums in areas with a potentially explosive atmosphere, pneumatic and certain manual versions are available in an ATEX configuration, suitable for zones 1, 2, 21 and 22.

Two gripping technologies

Universal band

A segmented adjustable band goes round the body of the drum, while an additional safety clamp can grip the drum's top rim and prevent slipping during rotation. The STS system covers steel, plastic and fibre drums of approximately 50 to 220 litres.

Power Clamp

Flexible clamping jaws adapt to the shape of the drum and allow automated gripping without fitting a band by hand. The system is particularly useful when the same unit handles a large number of different drums.

Additional options

Integrated weighing

The drum can be weighed while it is being handled, which is useful in dosing and batch processes. For certain models STS offers an integrated system with a weight display.

Custom chassis dimensions

The leg width can be adapted to pallets, containers and process equipment so the handler can get close to the emptying point.

Special grippers

For non-standard drums and containers, the gripper can be adapted to the specific shape and process. STS develops special adapters when a standard gripper is not suitable.