Construction Robotics’ Mule New Stone Veneer Gripper is a Hit

Just ask our friends at Jimmy Z Masonry. After several weeks on the job site with Clark Construction, tackling a $62M project at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois and racing oncoming winter weather, the crew’s skilled masons jumped to the task at hand guiding the 80lb stones in place effortlessly with precision. With MULE doing the heavy lifting, they were able to see an average of 75 stones laid per mason in an 8 hour day, a remarkable 50% productivity gain compared to laying the heavy stones by hand.** The risk of shoulder and back injury that was witnessed as masons attempted to lift and position the stones by hand early on, was virtually eliminated once the MULEs were set up and they began utilizing the lift-assist technology. Overall morale was boosted as well, and several masons commented that they “wished they’d had this stone gripper sooner”.

Industry Update – 32″ Block

It’s been said that bigger is better. It appears that architects, engineers, and contractors agree when it comes to the development of the longer 32″ block. The new 32s give a cleaner look to the wall, while requiring less handling overall, and less mortar is used and wasted. MULE easily handles the weight of new 32″ block, resulting in twice the square footage covered in each weightless touch.