A vacuum plate lifting system for lifting sheet material articles, comprising a vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles, a lifter actuation system configured to lift and/or move the vacuum lifter apparatus during use and a control system, the control system being configured to control the lifter actuation system during said movement, the vacuum lifter apparatus comprising: - a substantially horizontal suction plate comprising a perforated suction lifting surface, said surface being downwardly oriented for making contact with an upper surface of said articles to be lifted; - an airflow suction system for conveying vacuum air pressure to said perforated suction lifting surface; - at least one mount for connection of the suction plate to at least one actuator of the lifter actuation system for lifting and/or moving the suction plate during use, characterised in that - the vacuum plate lifting system further comprises at least one elongate bar movably mounted along an edge of the suction plate, said bar comprising one or more nozzles said nozzles being connected to a source of air pressure for providing a suction airflow of air into said nozzles; - a bar actuation system configured to drive movement of said bar between a raised orientation in which the bar is raised relative to level of said suction lifting surface and a lowered orientation in which the bar is substantially at or below the level of said suction lifting surface whereby, in use, said suction airflow acts on a surface to be cleaned beneath said suction lifting surface when said bar is in the lowered orientation; and - wherein the control system is operable to control the operation of the lifter actuation system and the operation of the bar actuation system to provide a sweeping movement of said bar in said lowered orientation across said surface to be cleaned whereby said suction airflow sweeps across said surface to be cleaned. - a substantially horizontal suction plate comprising a perforated suction lifting surface, said surface being downwardly oriented for making contact with an upper surface of said articles to be lifted; - an airflow suction system for conveying vacuum air pressure to said perforated suction lifting surface; - at least one mount for connection of the suction plate to at least one actuator of the lifter actuation system for lifting and/or moving the suction plate during use, characterised in that - the vacuum plate lifting system further comprises at least one elongate bar movably mounted along an edge of the suction plate, said bar comprising one or more nozzles said nozzles being connected to a source of air pressure for providing a suction airflow of air into said nozzles; - a bar actuation system configured to drive movement of said bar between a raised orientation in which the bar is raised relative to level of said suction lifting surface and a lowered orientation in which the bar is substantially at or below the level of said suction lifting surface whereby, in use, said suction airflow acts on a surface to be cleaned beneath said suction lifting surface when said bar is in the lowered orientation; and - wherein the control system is operable to control the operation of the lifter actuation system and the operation of the bar actuation system to provide a sweeping movement of said bar in said lowered orientation across said surface to be cleaned whereby said suction airflow sweeps across said surface to be cleaned.