In modular and off-site construction, productivity gains rarely come from dramatic changes in framing or sheathing techniques. Instead, the biggest improvements often occur at transition points and especially end-of-the-line material handling. Moving completed wall panels safely, efficiently, and with minimal labor is a universal challenge for both wood and steel builders.
Triad’s Panel Lifts and Panel Cart systems have become an industry standard in this final, crucial phase of wall panel production. Their value isn’t rooted in flashy technology or complicated automation—it’s in rugged engineering, ergonomic simplicity, adjustability for a variety of wall sizes, and reliable performance. For shops experiencing labor shortages, bottlenecks at the end of their production line, or (the ever present) safety concerns, Triad’s systems represent one of the highest-ROI upgrades available today. And you can mix and match lifts and carts, based upon your particular production line’s needs. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.]
The End-of-Line Bottleneck No One Talks About
Producing a wall panel is only half the job. After fastening and inspection, the panel must be:
- Lifted from the production table,
- Moved to a stacking area,
- Added precisely to a growing bundle, and
- Ultimately staged for loading onto a truck.
Historically, this required a two- or three-person team—one guiding the panel, one operating the hoist, and sometimes a third ensuring the stack remained square. As many shops know, this end-of-line flow often becomes a bottleneck even when upstream machinery is state-of-the-art.
Panel Lifts and Mod Mover Carts address exactly this problem, providing an efficient and predictable system for removing, stacking, and transporting panels using one operator, an overhead crane, and simple, durable mechanical design.
Panel Lifts: Single-Operator Efficiency for Wood and Steel Panels
Triad’s XPL family of Panel Lifts is designed to attach directly to a shop’s existing overhead power hoist or forklift-mounted lift chain. Their defining feature is the constant-sizing mechanism, which holds the lift’s geometry steady as the operator positions it. This eliminates the pushing, pulling, and re-adjusting common with improvised slings or self-closing grabbers, and makes accurate engagement with the panel’s center of gravity quick and intuitive.
The key advantages include:
- True one-person operation: Operators can lift a panel off the line, rotate it, position it, and place it onto a stack without assistance. The lift maintains its set size when empty, remaining ready for the next panel.
- Fast adjustment for different wall heights: With clevis-and-cotter pin adjustment, the XPL lifts accommodate a range of wall heights—typically from 7’ to 12’ wide, depending on the model.
- Durability for industrial environments: Bronze bushings, replaceable grippers, and heavy-duty steel construction ensure long service life even in high-throughput shops.
For Wood or Steel: Configurations for Any Material
Most shops handling wood panels rely on the XPL-1000, with its 1000-lb capacity and support for up to a 4” sheathing overhang. For larger modular manufacturers or multi-story wall systems, higher-capacity options such as the XPL-1500 and XLPL-1750 extend the range and lifting capabilities.
For steel framing producers, Triad offers the XPL-S Steel Panel Lift, engineered for panels from 4” to 12” thick—an unusually large envelope given the weight and bulk of steel-stud assemblies. This model retains the same ergonomic and mechanical simplicity while addressing the specific challenges of lifting heavy, dense steel walls.
Panel Carts and Mod Mover Carts Linking Production and Transport
Once panels are lifted and stacked, they need to be moved—often across large facilities or staging yards. Triad’s Panel Stack Carts and Mod Mover Carts function as paired rolling supports that allow an entire bundle of panels to be repositioned manually or with forklift assistance. These carts are not just simple dollies; they are engineered to support concentrated loads, maintain panel stack alignment, and keep massive panel stacks mobile with far less strain and risk.
Panel Stack Carts are the everyday workhorses of the end-of-production-line movement. Used in pairs, they support and mobilize completed wall bundles from the end of the production line to staging or loading zones. Their compact profile, rigid steel construction, and smooth-rolling wheel sets make them ideal for high-throughput shops that need dependable, no-maintenance mobility solutions without the extra capacity of the Heavy Duty Mod Movers.
The key features of Triad’s Panel Stack Carts include:
- Rigid welded steel I-beam construction engineered for durability and daily industrial use.
- Smooth-rolling 8” caster arrangements that allow one operator to maneuver large wall bundles with surprising ease.
- Side-clamp mechanisms that align and secure the load to the cart, preventing drift as the bundle is moved.
- Designed to operate in pairs, providing balanced support across long wall panels without tipping or flexing.
- A stable platform for bundling, strapping, and forklift pickup as panels are staged for transport.
Heavy Duty Construction for Serious Loads
The Heavy Duty Mod Mover Cart offers a weight capacity of 6,700 lbs per cart, meaning three carts can reliably support up to 20,000 lbs. This makes them suitable not only for wall bundles, but also for very long or atypical loads found in modular construction.
Other performance-oriented features include:
- 12” mar-resistant phenolic wheels for smooth rolling under extreme loads, and rough surfaces (like expansion cracks in the concrete),
- A 14’ uninterrupted flat rail surface for supporting long walls,
- Four swivel casters plus two fixed center casters for optimal maneuverability, and
- A self-locking infinite-adjustment clamp for keeping the load secure and aligned.
Used in pairs or triplets, these carts enable a single crew member (or a forklift operator) to move an entire stack of panels effortlessly to a staging area for bundling and truck loading. Either cart system offers you a choice: complete freedom of movement in any direction or optional movement constraint to one direction by a floor track system.
Simplifying Workflow, Reducing Labor, and Improving Safety
The true value of this system becomes clear in three areas:
- Labor Efficiency: With the labor market increasingly strained, equipment that enables one operator to perform what used to require two or three people translates directly to reduced staffing pressure and lower operating cost.
- Predictable Material Flow: Panel lifts and carts create a repeatable, controlled workflow where panels always move the same way, at the same stations, with the same ergonomics. Predictability reduces errors, damage, and downtime.
- Improved Safety: Manual manhandling of large wall panels is one of the highest-risk activities in wall panel shops. Controlled lifting, secure gripping mechanisms, and stable rolling carts significantly lower the likelihood of injuries or drops.
Quiet Workhorses That Deliver High ROI
In an industry where production speeds continue to increase and skilled labor remains hard to find, simple mechanical tools that save time and reduce manpower have become vital. Panel Lifts and Panel Carts don’t rely on electronics, software, or complex calibration—they just work.
And because they are used every time a wall is finished, their ROI is realized daily, not monthly or quarterly. For modular builders, off-site construction firms, panelization shops, and stair manufacturers, these systems are not luxury upgrades. They’re essential workflow stabilizers.
See more information and videos online on Triad’s intelligent material handling and staging, or call the factory at 1-800-568-7423 ext. 133.