Crane industry news Archives | Page 4 of 37

Another Tadano for Stoddart

UK based rental company Stoddart Crane Hire has taken delivery of a 130 tonne Tadano ATF130G.

The new crane is equipped with a 60 metre main boom and an 18 metre bi-fold swingaway extension. Maximum counterweight is 42 tonnes, while the overall width is 2.75 metres, an advantage in the Scottish Highlands region that the company serves, compared to a three metre chassis.

The new unit also features multi-point outrigger settings for greater flexibility in confined job sites and Tadano’s Lift-adjuster system which automatically compensates for boom deflection to give a true vertical lift from the ground.

The company, based at Muir of Ord, was established in 2004, and runs a fleet of cranes ranging from five tonnes to a 180 tonne Tadano ATF180. It has built up a wide customer base, thanks its says to a strong focus on quality and customer service.

It also handles heavy recovery jobs, and supplies heavy 6×6 trucks which are frequently used to tow trucks and cranes on to wind farm sites, where the access roads are challenging and steep.

First new crane for Highcliffe

Yorkshire crane rental company Highcliffe Engineering has taken delivery of its first new All Terrain crane – a 40 tonne ATF 40G-2.

The compact two axle crane features a 35.2 metre main boom plus a nine metre swingaway which can be offset by zero, 20 and 40 degrees.

Highcliffe manager Lee Wolstenholme, said: “In my opinion The 40G is currently the UK’s most popular two axle mobile crane. It has extremely good duties, but more importantly is extremely strong and reliable. If it’s good enough for Dewsbury and Proud, Davies and Marsh Plant it’s good enough for us and we look forward to doing more business with Tadano UK.”

Based in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, the company was established in 1983 by Ian Wolstenholme as a steel fabrication company and gradually evolved into a mobile crane hire company after buying its first cranes in 2000. It now runs a fleet of mobile cranes ranging from 15 to 50 tonnes, most of them being truck or All Terrain cranes in the 25 to 50 tonne bracket.

Upgrade for Liebherr’s LR1750

Liebherr has upgraded its 750 tonne LR 1750 crawler crane into the LR1750/2 with increased capacities and H-boom configuration.

The boom changes are similar to those already incorporated in the LR1600/2’s ‘H’ or Heavy boom configuration, which include strengthening the main boom and extending the derrick boom by seven metres to 38.5 metres. The company claims that the changes have increased the crane’s capacities by up to 30 percent in some areas.

The LR1750 suspended ballast trailer has also been modified to include a hydraulic drive system, while work at height safety features have been revised through the machine, with additional platforms/access points added as well as improved guardrails.

All existing LR1750 components can also be used on the new LR1750/2, which will of course be an advantage for current LR1750 owners.

Terex issues counterfeit warning

Terex has issued another warning regarding counterfeit Terex/Demag crawler cranes, this time originating from South Korea.

Similar to reports in 2013 (see: Counterfeit Terex Demag warning) counterfeit models are being assembled, branded and sold as used Terex cranes, either painted in a Terex white or a Demag red. To date, the company’s CC 2500-1 lattice boom crawler crane seems to be the crane most commonly forged.

While they are made to look like Terex cranes they are typically assembled from a blend of older and newer technology and a mix and match of components not designed to work together. These counterfeit cranes can usually be spotted by poor weld quality, inferior steel structures and improperly fitted tracks. Additionally, many of the standard safety components are missing.

Klaus Meissner, director of product strategy for Terex Cranes, said: “This is a serious situation, not only because this infringes on our intellectual property but, more importantly, it poses a serious safety risk for our customers. The use of these inferior, counterfeit cranes can result in deadly consequences.”

“Unfortunately going by serial number alone will not determine with certainty you are buying a genuine Terex crane, as these plates can be fake as well. Many of the counterfeit cranes were purchased either without an on-site inspection or through an inspection conducted by an unqualified person. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

The company has stressed the importance of conducting a thorough inspection of any used cranes by a qualified individual prior to purchasing the machine, especially in the markets of concern. Should anyone have any concerns over the authenticity of a Terex crane, they should contact: Klaus.Meissner@terex.com

Manitowoc expands in Argentina

Buenos Aires-based construction equipment provider Covema has been appointed the distributor of Manitowoc crawler cranes and Grove mobile cranes in Argentina.

Currently a Manitowoc Crane Care partner, Covema will now offer the company’s full range of All Terrain, Rough Terrain and crawler cranes throughout Argentina. It will also be responsible for providing spare parts, service and training.

Manitowoc’s vice president of sales for South America, Cristian Galaz, said: “This alliance will enhance our presence in Argentina with products that serve customers in the energy sector and many other industry sectors.”

Established in 1965, Covema is also the distributor for a range of construction and mining manufacturers including New Holland, Wirtgen, Schramm, AFM, Hamm, Kleemann and Vögele. Based just outside of Buenos Aires, the company is in situated close to Manitowoc’s production facility in Passo Fundo, Brazil.

Record year for Liebherr offshore cranes

Liebherr offshore cranes has reported a record year for 2014 delivering more than twice as many cranes than in 2012.

In 2014 Liebherr delivered a total of 87 offshore cranes, which included its board offshore cranes (BOS), mast type cranes (MTC) and its new ram luffing knuckle boom cranes (RL-K).

The number of BOS cranes more than doubled from 2012 with 38 deliveries – 72 percent being its 150 tonne BOS 4200. A total of 33 MTCs were delivered throughout the year, almost five times as many compared with the previous year and the RL-K series maintained a steady growth.

Wolfgang Kueng, Liebherr offshore cranes sales director, said: “Our increasing turnover figures wouldn’t be possible without our new production site in Rostock, Germany, as well as our worldwide sales and service network. We are all working together as a team, always close to the customer to meet new needs before they arise. Our success proves that Liebherr offshore cranes are on the right track, despite the challenging economic environment.”

The company says its offshore crane order backlog for 2015 allows for a positive forecast and that, contrary to modest world economic development – especially in the oil and gas industry – the worldwide demand for Liebherr offshore cranes has remained constant.