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4 LHMs for Katoen Natie

International logistics provider and port operator Katoen Natie has taken delivery of four Liebherr mobile harbour cranes.

Two LHM 600s and a LHM 550 have been delivered to the company’s port in Antwerp, while a LGM 420 has been delivered to its port in Radicatel, France. Manufactured by Liebherr Maritime Cranes in Rostock, the LHM 600s has a maximum lifting capacity of 208 tonnes and an outreach of up to 58 metres. Installed with Liebherr’s Sycratronic software, the company can now carry out tandem lifts of up to 416 tonnes.

The LHM 550 is equipped with the unique Pactronic hybrid power booster, which improves turnover capacity by up to 30 percent as well as reducing fuel/energy consumption and exhaust emissions by as much. The LHM 420 is Liebherr’s latest model and provides an outreach of 48 metres and a maximum lifting capacity of 124 tonnes.

Joos Melis, Katoen Natie commercial director, said: “Thanks to our two new LHM 600s we have expanded our portfolio and are now capable of lifting loads as heavy as 416 tonnes, which is unique in Belgium. We are very optimistic that these state-of-the-art giants in combination with our long-term experience in safe and efficient cargo handling will attract new customers.”

500 tonner for Hüffermann

German crane rental company Hüffermann Krandienst has ordered a 500 tonne Liebherr LTM 1500-8.1 All Terrain crane.

The eight axle LTM 1500-8.1 features a seven section, 84 metre main boom and a 91 metre luffing fly jib, providing a 142 metre maximum under hook height and 108 metre maximum working radius.

Based in Wildeshausen, Hüffermann Krandienst operates a fleet of more than 40 Liebherr mobile cranes, currently topped by a 350 tonne Liebherr LTM 1350-6.1 All Terrain crane, which it took delivery of last year. The company also has a trailer manufacturing division – Hüffermann Transportsysteme – which produces up to 1,000 trailers a year.

Sarens lifts Boeing for Comair

Sarens South Africa lifted a Boeing 737-300 passenger aircraft for South African aviation company Comair.

The aircraft was lifted from the OR Tambo International Airport, across the R21 highway in Kempton Park, to the Comair training centre, where the Boeing 737-300 will be used as a real-life evacuation trainer.

The plane is 33.35 metres long, 18 m wide and 5 m high and a dead weight of 25 tonnes. Its engines had been removed and portions of the wings and tail had been clipped. To lift the aircraft to its new location, Sarens used a Liebherr LTM 1400, a Terex AC 500 and a Terex AC 200 wheeled mobile telescopic all terrain cranes.The lift was carried out overnight to allow several main roads to be closed.

Marius Cilliers, Sarens South Africa country manager, said, “The stakes were high. Our specialized engineering and rigging teams defined the most time- and cost- effective solution, making sure the road closures were kept to a minimum and all safety and quality standards were met. Successfully lifting the Boeing and safely relocating it to its new home was the result of months of planning and collaboration with many stakeholders involved.”

Glen Warden, Comair commercial operations manager, said, “This operation is the first ever of its sort in South Africa, probably even in Africa. The project co-ordination between the various parties has been paramount. Especially the professionalism and operational excellence shown by the Sarens team is something to behold. Whenever you see a large Sarens crane at any site around the world, people should know how much of a specialist job this is.”

The new training centre will be built around the aircraft.

New Tadano for Quinto

UK crane rental company Quinto Crane Hire has taken delivery of a 130 tonne Tadano ATF 130G-5 All Terrain crane.

The five axle machine features a 60 metre main boom plus an 18 metre bi-fold swingaway extension. The all wheel steer crane can carry up to 21.7 tonnes of counterweight on the road, within the UK’s STGO category C, and comes with heavy duty 3.8 metre off-settable extension, capable of lifting up to 40 tonnes. Intended for refinery work the crane has also been fitted with AMOT engine shutdown valves.

Quinto owner Oliver Arnold, who took over the company last October, said: “We looked closely at the range of 130 tonne machines on the market. We chose the Tadano based on performance and specification. This crane adds to the ATF 90G-4 we already run in the fleet and the early impressions have been such that we have ordered another unit.”

Quinto has a fleet of cranes and aerial work platforms operating from seven depots servicing East Anglia, the East Midlands and Greater London. It has also recently added a demolition and dismantling division.

Mobile Crane Counterweights – an Important Safety Factor

Mobile cranes are heavy equipment vehicles that have been designed to lift, lower and transport heavy loads. They are employed in the off-highway industry to move freights beyond the normal capability of a man. Every crane has a set of counterweights which guarantees the counterbalance and prevents the machine of toppling over.

Why it is important to apply proper counter weight?

The counterweight plays a critical role. If it is not designed properly and doesn’t possess the right size and shape, it turns automatically into an extremely dangerous subject that can make the vehicle topple over in the direction of the load or backward. When trying to lift a load, a crane can topple over in the load’s direction if the counterweight set up is too light for the load and booms the configuration. Otherwise, the counterweight can topple a crane backwards in situations when:

The counterweight is too heavy for the boom configuration.
The crane is traveling up a slope.
When the crane is on soft ground, inadequate timbers are placed under the outrigger pads below the counterweight.
Outriggers or any other ground support are not extended or lowered into position and cannot resist the combined weights and tipping forces.
If the boom configuration is lifted too high and there is not enough load applied on it.

How to Avoid Mobile Crane Accidents?

Calculating the proper counter weight
Toppling over happens mostly because of mathematical miscalculation. Therefore, it is essential to set the correct weight and size prior to the manufacturing process during the design phase. This is the only way to secure the safe performance of the crane counterweight.
Using the following mathematical formula, while designing the component, will minimize possible risks and secure reliable counterbalance:
P = V x μ x g
Where P is the weight of the required counterweight; V – its volume; μ – is the density of the material of which the counterweight was made of and g – the gravitational constant (9.81).

Cast iron counterweights are the safest option
Mobile cranes are far smaller than the fixed crane configurations, but still facing the same loads challenges. Especially because of their size, they need small, but very heavy counterweights. Thanks to its density only cast iron counterweights can meet those requirements.

Crane load charts
Crane load charts should be posted in sight of the operator. They should contain, very well structured, all important information about counterweights, vehicle’s configurations and boom angles. Also, the mobile crane operator should be aware of the vehicle’s limited capacities by structural strength and by stability.

Regular inspections
Safe and risk reduction safety guidelines should be followed on a daily basis to ensure that the vehicle is in proper working condition. Preventive maintenance and safety inspections should be regularly performed to detect potential accidents.

Mobile crane counterweights ensure the safe operation of the vehicle by keeping it stable and upright. Best design practices, most reliable raw material selection as grey cast iron and regular safety inspections are essential for the performance of a high-quality counterweight.

Writer Bio

Ralitsa Peycheva is a technical content writer, interested in forging and casting techniques, latest machinery and tools; curious about new manufacturing methods; respecting high-quality engineering; discovering, observing and admiring the additive manufacturing industry. Follow me on Google +

Company Profile

FMGC is a subsidiary of the industrial group Farinia and is specialized in gray iron casting. With its 110.000 tons of manufactured cast metal capacity and 330 employees, FMGC is one of the undoubted leaders in this field. Cast metal counterweights applications are used on heavy equipment for material handling, construction, agriculture or on off-highway vehicles. These include forklifts, excavators, front loaders, mobile cranes and tractors. Thanks to our know-how, a result of long experience and permanent improvement, we supply some of the most famous brands as Manitou, Toyota, Pinguely-Haulotte, Dufour, JLG, Komatsu, Liebherr, Manitowoc, Demag Terex, Linde, Nissan, MCI and Volvo.

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Terex acquires Dueco

Terex has acquired most of the assets of Dueco -Terex Utilities largest distributor and mounting company. Wisconsin based Dueco is responsible for
Terex Utilities sales and service across 17 states.

Details of the transaction have not yet been released, nor specific merger strategies, but it looks as though Terex Services will add the additional product support coverage to its existing network, which could be used to help support other group products, such as those made by Genie.

Dueco was founded by Pete Dalum in 1955 and and was renamed Dalum’s Utility Equipment Company in the 1970s – thus DUECo. It is almost unique among larger companies in the sector in that it is female owned and run. It has expanded its business rapidly in recent years and was appointed as a Fassi dealer in 2011. In May last year Terex added Wyoming and Montana to its territory. Terex statement said: “Customers will benefit further from the unified team working with a streamlined sales and service pipeline with a more focused approach and expanded solutions”.

Dueco chief executive Judie Taylor, whose family started the business, added: “We are very glad to be an integral component of Terex now. Dueco’s philosophy has always been to focus on our customers and our team, with a passionate desire to take care of both. Our customers will benefit from the vertical integration and seamless depth of expertise with our combined teams to support customers nationwide and even globally”.

“Our team members, some of whom have been with us for decades, will be able to grow and prosper as Terex grows within the electric utility market. Historically, the Terex and Dueco team members have been working on parallel paths to support the customers in the marketplace. It is a natural synergy, and we are excited that the collaboration of the combined teams, and the breadth and depth of their knowledge-base, will be unsurpassed in the industry! We are ready to build and grow the Terex brand.”

Terex Utilities general manager Don Anderson said: “Dueco has been a major part of our business for the past 55 years. We are very happy to have the opportunity to bring their entrepreneurial spirit and customer responsiveness into our organisation. This acquisition shows our commitment to continue to invest in bringing better solutions to our customers in the global utility and services markets. We’re eager to move forward and continue to build on our recent growth while helping our customers to succeed.”

Scott Hensel general manager of Terex Services added: “By bringing Terex and Dueco together, Terex Services now has a national footprint with over 700 technicians and 56 service centre locations. This brings even more value to our customers and allows us to expand our Equipment Services solutions within the Utilities and Aerial markets by developing a stronger presence in the Midwest and Northeast regions.”