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10-Ton Mechanical Rock Upender for Denver Geotechnical Laboratory

Project Overview

Our team was approached by a prominent rock mechanics and geotechnical testing institute in Denver, Colorado, to solve a unique material handling problem. The facility conducts wall-breaking, crushing, and high-impact structural testing on massive natural rock boulders weighing up to 10 metric tons (22,046 lbs). To prepare these irregular specimens for testing, they needed to turn them exactly 90 degrees. We ruled out standard hydraulic upenders immediately because sharp stone fragments from the testing process could easily slash hydraulic seals, and fine granite dust would quickly score cylinder rods. Our engineers designed a fully mechanical, chain-driven upender utilizing a modular platform with detachable extension wings and removable forklift pockets to withstand the harsh, dusty laboratory testing environment.

Our Client: Rock Mechanics & Geotechnical Engineering Research Institute
Field Installation Site: Denver, Colorado, USA
Our Solution: Custom Heavy-Duty 90° Mechanical Cradle Upender (Model: MU-10T-MOD)
Project Target: To deliver a dust-proof, mechanically robust 90-degree turning platform capable of adjusting to highly irregular stone geometries up to 10,000 kg.

Challenge & Solution

Challenge

Handling asymmetrical, highly abrasive natural stone blocks under rigorous laboratory conditions presented several severe engineering challenges for our team to resolve:

Hydraulic System Vulnerability to Dust & Shards: Airborne silica and abrasive granite dust act as a grinding paste, destroying standard cylinder seals. Furthermore, dynamic wall-breaking tests release high-velocity rock shards that could easily puncture high-pressure hydraulic hoses.
Severe Asymmetric Loads and Shifting Center of Gravity: Unlike uniform cylindrical steel coils, natural boulders have highly eccentric geometries. When tilting, the shifting center of gravity creates intense structural twisting (torsional stress) that can deform standard steel frames.
Variable Specimen Footprints & Loading Clearance: The testing boulders range drastically in shape and size. The lab needed a platform that could temporarily expand to
```
 $1, 700 mm$ 
```
to handle massive rocks, but also allow forklift forks to easily slide in and out under the stones without leaving any permanent metal protrusions on the deck during testing.

Solution

We bypassed hydraulic designs completely and developed a highly customizable, heavy-duty mechanical gear-and-chain rollover platform.

Dust-Proof Chain-Driven Rolling Kinematics: We replaced hydraulic cylinders with a high-torque 4kW electric motor coupled to a dual-strand 20A-2 heavy-duty roller chain. This mechanical rolling mechanism handles irregular gravity shifts smoothly and is completely immune to flying rock fragments and fine abrasive stone dust.
Bolt-On 200mm Detachable Extension Wings: We designed removable 200mm steel extension wings that can be bolted to the length and width of both platform faces. This modular feature allows lab operators to expand the workspace from
```
 $1, 500 \times 1, 500 mm$ to  $1, 700 \times 1, 700 mm$ on demand for oversized rock boulders.
```
Removable Forklift Entry Sleeves: We fabricated heavy-duty rectangular hollow steel pockets that bolt securely onto the platform decks. This allows forklifts to easily position raw rock samples. Once the specimen is placed, the sleeves are unbolted and removed, ensuring a flat, seamless steel face during the actual impact testing.

Technical Specifications

Parameter	Delivered Specification / Value
Model Designation	MU-10T-MOD Modular Mechanical Upender
Rated Load Capacity	10,000 kg (22,046 lbs)
Mechanical Structural Form	Chain-Driven Cradle Rollover (No Hydraulics)
Base L-Shape Platform Size	$1, 500 mm \times 1, 500 mm$ ( $4.92 ft \times 4.92 ft$ ) per face
Expanded Platform Size	$1, 700 mm \times 1, 700 mm$ ( $5.58 ft \times 5.58 ft$ ) with wings installed
Modular Extension Wings	Two 200 mm (7.87 in) detachable bolt-on side plates
Forklift Loading Sleeves	Four detachable rectangular steel tubes (screw-on design)
Main Drive Chain	20A-2 Double-Strand Heavy-Duty Roller Chain
Drive Power Motor	4.0 kW Electric Gearmotor
Platform Frame Structural Steel	Heavy-duty J2001008 mm structural channel
Platform Deck Plate	8 mm (0.31 in) Solid Q235B Steel
Rotation Angle	90°
Operation Control System	Handheld wireless remote control with emergency stop
Color Finish	Industrial Safety Yellow

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10-Ton Mechanical Rock Upender for Denver Geotechnical Laboratory

Project Overview

Challenge & Solution

Challenge

Solution

Technical Specifications

Project Gallery

Have a question or need technical advice? Our team is available 24/7 to assist you

Get a Bespoke Engineering Proposal

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