Rolls of paper and plastic are often used for product packaging. The rolls arrive palletized and must be lifted and rotated for installation on a slitter, winder, form fill and seal, or other machine. Alum-a-Lift roll handling equipment can grip rolls by the core or from the outside surface. A lifter equipped with an expanding mandrel end-effector engages ø3” or ø6” cores using a powered, non-marring rubber gripper. Once raised, 90° rotation in the front-to-back direction is also powered. Safety features include overtravel protection when lowering and a “safe-to-lift” light, indicating that the correct core gripping force has been achieved.