Loader crane installs new gantry crane

In Gresten, Austria there’s a global manufacturer of roll formed metal sections and steel profiles called Welser Profile. The company needed to replace an old overhead gantry crane it had been using since 1993. Welser Profile commissioned Weireth, Austria-based lifting and transportation services company Mitterhauser to do the job.

To replace the gantry as quickly as possible, in order to minimise production line disruption, Mitterhauser used its new Palfinger PK 165.002 TEC 7 knuckle boom loader crane ( the same crane as featured in our November 2023 ‘French Film Premiere’ Job of the Month: https://content.yudu.com/web/442ay/0A444jv/Cranes1223-Pros/html/index.html?page=8&origin=reader ).

On day one it dismantled the old overhead crane; on the second day it installed the new one.

According to Mitterhauser crane operator, Stefan Haas, the new Palfinger is well-suited to working in confined environments, such as the steel forming factory, because it offers great control and precision plus it has new, convenient functions compared to the PK 78.002-SH (that he’s been using for the last eight years).

"We always have very cramped conditions in our halls,” confirms Loibl. “The set up and the height also cause difficulties for such a job. Finding the right crane has always been

a challenge but we’ve now found a very suitable model."

What makes the model so suitable? For starters, the PK 165.002 TEC 7 has a strong, light P-Profile boom system. This means it has the drop shape that’s characteristic for all Palfinger TEC cranes. The multi-edged profile of the boom allows for extremely efficient application of force, says Palfinger, thus making it strong and light. Indeed, the PK 165.002 TEC 7 has a maximum lifting moment of 124.8 mt and a maximum lifting capacity of 32000 kg. Its maximum hydraulic outreach is 21 m. Add a fly jib, this extends to 36.1 metres.

The crane has a continuous slewing mechanism for an unrestricted radius of action. It also has Palfinger’s Power Link Plus system – a double linkage system providing 15 degrees of reverse linkage. This can be used for reaching though low doors and working inside buildings.

Without a double linkage system, Palfinger says, the distance between the bolts and cylinder pivot point changes during the motion sequence and the crane can lose up to 70% of its power.

Palfinger explains that with the Power Link Plus this distance stays constant providing a constant lifting moment independent of the boom position.

Increased comfort and safety is the purpose of the crane’s Soft Stop system.

It is an electronic limit position damper that provides gentle braking of all crane movements before the mechanical limit stop is reached. As a result jerky movements and load impacts from oscillating loads are avoided.

One of the functions Haas likes the most is the crane’s P-Fold assistance system, which is designed to make folding and unfolding the crane an easy job using only one operating lever via the radio control. This was useful on the jobsite as the crane was put away overnight to enable factory production to continue. “One really cool thing about the P-Fold is the automatic mounting and folding,” says Haas. “I use that a lot.”

The crane’s remote control can also be used to mount its stabilisers. “It’s a big help,” Haas, who has been an operator for Mitterhauser for the last 13 years. “You can stand behind the crane to see... you don't have to keep running from side to side.”

The P-Fold works in combination with the crane’s RTC (Rope Tension Control) system – an automatic rope tensioning device that helps to fold and unfold the crane. Both systems support the crane’s set-up processes and keep set-up times to a minimum.

All of these features meant that the crane made light work of installing the new overhead crane. With the main gantry beams weighing around five tonnes each Haas was able to complete the multiple beam installation in around just four hours, enabling factory production to continue as quickly as possible.

“I always say work is something I do at home; at work I'm indulging in my hobby,” laughs Haas. “Working with the crane really is a lot of fun. I used to play with remote-controlled cars; now I get to play with a remote-controlled Palfinger crane. It's a little bigger and a lot cooler.”

A video of the job can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dB-yvJJg6M