February 2015 | Page 2 of 5

Coussens takes on Terex

UK-based crane rental and heavy haulage specialist Coussens has taken delivery of a Terex Challenger 3160 all terrain crane.

The three-axle all terrain is the fifth Terex model to join the company’s fleet. It has a 55 tonne capacity, a 50 metre single-cylinder telescopic boom and a capacity of 35.6 tonnes at four metres radius. The all terrain has a 6.8 tonne counterweight and can operate under the 12 tonne axle load limit.

Paul Coussens, Coussens owner, said, “When other cranes need triple or quadruple reeving, the Challenger does the job with just one or two lines. Another important plus point is the crane’s -5 degree boom incline. It means the operator doesn’t have to work at height to reeve the crane, which represents a significant safety advantage. So too is the Challenger’s radio remote control system.”

New 300t Tadano

Spotted in Japan, a couple of the new six axle 300 tonne Tadano All Terrain cranes designated the ATF 300G-6 – which would fit into the product line between the current ATF 220G-5 and the ATF400G-6.

The new crane of which we have few details at this stage, looks like a lighter version of the 400G-6, with the same chassis and 60 metre main boom, but a different counterweight configuration. The 300 has a maximum of 78 tonnes, while the 400 has 138 tonnes. The difference can be seen on the stability part of the chart, particularly at long radii.

The 300 lifts its 300 tonnes maximum capacity at 2.7 metres, but the rest of the structural chart looks the same as for the 400.

The range of boom extensions, including the luffing and offset swingaways, with additional insert to 52 metres are available on the ATF300, but not the full luffing jib, at least as far as we know.

More details have been requested from Tadano.

Wet work for TweWe-Bau

Construction company TweWe-Bau put a Sennebogen 673 telescopic boom crawler crane to work on the development of a new slipway in Neuharlingersiel, Germany.

During the first stages of construction, the crawler was used to place 21 metre long sheet pile sections prior to them being driven into the ground at a later stage.

Challenges for the crane include operating in up to one metre of water and working in a tidal environment.

The crane was leased from service and sales partner Tecklenborg Baumaschine. Capacity is 70 tonnes and its full-power boom is 36 m long. The wide-gauge crawler undercarriage allows it work in the water, the manufacturer said. Power comes from a 168 kW emissions level 4 diesel engine.

New Tadano for I&H Kran Transport Montage Service

Crane service provider I&H Kran Transport Montage Service, based in Germany, added a 6-axle Tadano ATF 400G-6 all terrain crane to its fleet.

Nils Laumann, I&H member of the management, said, “Normally, such a lifting capacity is only provided by 7-axle machines, which restricts flexibility enormously. The ATF 400G-6 takes us through all roundabouts in our core area and need not be accompanied by escort vehicles.

“As we keep our fleet permanently up to date, the resale value of the cranes is essential. With the two engines, I can verify the precise number of operating hours of both machines without any problems; this is a strong selling point,” Laumann continued.

Daum HKS expands with Tadano

Crane service provider Daum HKS in Germany has added a 5-axle Tadano ATF 110G-5 all terrain crane to its fleet.

Jürgen Klee, Daum HKS managing director, said, “Our decision for the ATF 100G-5 has proved to be worthwhile. The crane is capable of much more performance than you would expect from such a vehicle based on work experience.

“Due to the dual-engine concept, Tadano cranes are perceptibly more economical and extremely powerful – even without additional counterweight, which can be noticed especially when such a crane is used as mobile crane or taxi crane.”

The model was delivered to the company in November 2014.

Crane dropped in tandem lift

Two ship cranes dropped a large mobile telescopic crane they were lifting in tandem at Fremantle port in Australia on Tuesday.

The hoist rope on one of the two cranes clearly failed dropping one end of the crane which then slipped from both sets of rigging. The mobile crane dropped into the ship’s hold, sending those working in the area scurrying for safety. One man was caught by the falling mass and suffered minor injuries.

The local union claims that the ship based employees carrying out the lift were not qualified under Australian regulations. The lift was clearly being carried out in a slapdash manner with one of the hoist lines not directly over the load, therefore applying a side load. It also looks like one crane might be carrying more of the load than the other?

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has detained the vessel while it investigates the incident. Click here to view a video of the incident.