From loaders to lifters

Historically, knuckleboom cranes were most often used as ‘loaders’ for lifting consistent loads but, over the past decade, larger knucklebooms in particular have been used for more complex lifts, such as lifting pianos directly into flats or industrial presses into factories, reaching under low doors.

“The name ‘loaders’ is misleading because these kinds of machines are not just used for loading and unloading jobs,” says Michael Völker, Palfinger EMEA head of product management for loader cranes. “These machines can do much more than that thanks to their versatility and manoeuvrability, which allow operating in inner cities and at a big height level as well. Using a rope winch, knucklebooms can perform different kinds of jobs in just a day, similar to mobile cranes.

“In some operations, they can be equipped with grabs, pallet forks and man baskets. If we work with a man basket, we need to follow the EN 280 regulations, which concern operations for aerial platforms.” Palfinger supplies different lines for diverse customer applications.

“Our models are split into a ‘technology’ line (TEC) and a ‘solid’ line (SLD),” Völker says. “The TEC line is available with the latest in crane technology to serve even the most demanding applications, while the SLD line offers high lifting capacity and standard technology for simple applications.”

The TEC line is related to the mid and heavy range, which includes sophisticated jobs such as refurbishing old buildings through drywall boards.

The PK 165.002 TEC 7 has a lightweight design and can be mounted on to a 32t chassis truck. It comes with a new boom shape, ‘P-Profile’, which increases boom extension and stability, in addition to ensuring higher lifting capacity.

Palfinger offers the latest control system with Paltronic 150, PALcom P7 radio control and the semiautomatic ‘P-Fold’ function for assisting the operator during folding and unfolding of the loader crane.

The crane operator activates P-Fold using the PALcom P7 operating menu. After the assistance system is activated, the crane is set in motion by moving just one control lever.

When the operation has ended, the crane can be folded down from any working position.

The SLD models include loader cranes of 5–19tm, and they can work for the usual loading and unloading, as well as landscaping, green maintenance using the grapple or transporting building material.

According to Völker, Germany is the biggest market for loader cranes in Europe. “The UK is among the top ten best markets in the world, and we have a long-lasting relationship with TH White, our dealer in the UK. We are pretty sure that we will be able to find a way to deal with Brexit.

“We expect to have good results in Southern Europe, where we have started to see signs of recovery, especially from Spain and also Italy, which is catching up slowly.

“A good market is Russia, where we have two branches, and other interesting sales are in Turkey.

“We also have a strong engagement in Asia, but in terms of the economy, China is not fulfilling the high expectations that everybody had in the past. However, we remain present in that region and are waiting for a better economic situation.

“The US is our biggest market with regard to all the products in our portfolio, and knucklebooms are more accepted now because people understand that they can do several applications with heavy range loader cranes with capacities up to 200t.”

US Palfinger is also manufacturing its own brand of loader cranes, which includes brick and block handling, and wallboard for prefabricated walls. Commenting on digitalisation and semiautomatic operation of cranes, Völker announces the introduction of further modules for the stability monitoring system, the HPSC. The HPSC load module monitors the impact on the stability of the truck with varying platform loads. The HPSC can also monitor the exact load on the stabiliser ram.

Maximised productivity

Hiab has recently renewed its midrange portfolio with 24 new models.

“Our new product strategy is based on our customers’ way of working rather than capacity and ton-metres,” says Joakim Andersson, senior vice president for loader cranes at Hiab.

“We have focused on ensuring that the new mid-range selection offers a variety of control systems that serve our end users’ everyday work in the best possible way. The new Hiab mid-range cranes are available with a full selection of manual and remote control systems. A key feature for these new models is easy and safe mounting on the truck chassis. The whole installation is designed for the lowest possible overall weight.

“We focused on lifting capacity compared to weight in order to provide customers with high productivity,” Andersson continues.

Hans Ohlsson, director for medium-range cranes, adds: “The new models are, at their maximum, 300kg lighter than our previous ones, which means the same amount of extra payload. All this has been done to maximise our customers’ profitability.”

Hiab has also introduced X-HiPro 232, which includes the smooth and precise HiPro control system. It can also offer the highest capacity for its size.

“The Hiab X-HiPro models offer smooth operating with more speed, which increases productivity.

The load stability system (LSS) ensures safe use of the crane; it automatically dampens abrupt stops that could otherwise cause the load to swing. The boom deployment assistant (BDA) that monitors the angle and position of the boom during folding and unfolding prevents the operator from making a movement that could damage the crane,” Ohlsson explains.

In the heavy range, Hiab launched the new X-HiPro 558 loader crane. Andersson says, “The focus of this new model is to maximise the lifting capacity on three-axle trucks.

That means the chance to handle heavy and bulk loads even in the most difficult lifts.”

All big Hiab cranes offer several safety features. As Andersson explains, demand is moving towards high safety requirements. “In the heavy range, we have taken safety into consideration by offering features like VSLplus, which uses the position of the stabiliser legs and the total weight of the truck to calculate maximum safe crane capacity,” he says. “The BDA can also monitor the angle and position of the boom during folding and unfolding. Another innovation is the crane-tip control feature, which is designed to simplify loader-crane operation, controlling the crane tip instead of each crane function such as slewing, first boom, second boom and extensions. Operators can activate or deactivate the feature themselves by pressing a button on the hand controller.”

Hiab is also oriented towards the ongoing development of knucklebooms as lifters rather than loaders. Andersson makes a distinction between two types of customers: “We have small companies performing several lifts; their needs might change from day to day. This type of customer needs versatile cranes, and that’s why they often buy bigger cranes with longer outreach for use in multiple applications. Most of them are oriented towards loading and unloading tasks. Conversely, big companies require optimised cranes because they have to carry out sophisticated jobs. For example, the XS 211W crane is required for recycling applications, and is designed to provide great precision and fit on to highly compact vehicles.

The HiPro S 130 roof-mounted crane is used for waste compactors. Larger compactor space means more collected waste a tour, saving fuel and driving time.”

Andersson adds: “We believe knucklebooms are very useful products for helping building companies to improve productivity.

By using this kind of machine, companies can deliver building material into the building site even in confined spaces. If you look at UK building merchants, they deliver building material for unloading using knucklebooms.”

Commenting on the market, Andersson says that Hiab’s main markets are Europe and the US, with demand in the Asia-Pacific region growing.

“One of our core markets is Western Europe, achieving good results. Even if Brexit has caused uncertainty, which isn’t good for decision-making, so far, I don’t see a significant impact for the UK market.

“We are also investing in products such as X-CL 8, X-CL 12 for emerging markets in South Asia, China and South America.

“We recently launched a state-ofthe- art web shop for spare parts and we have also extended warranty up to two years – five for all the structure components.”

Versatile machines

Vice-president for sales and marketing at HMF Group Søren Them Kjær has also noticed the trend of using knucklebooms as lifters: “For example, we supplied knuckleboom cranes in small and medium sizes with man baskets for high-voltage grid inspections. That allowed power companies to appreciate these highly versatile and flexible machines, which can be used in two ways: as a crane or as a man basket for inspecting high-voltage lines. They are also used for a variety of special applications in the building and infrastructure industry, such as for repair and inspection work, and even inside plants and buildings.”

When it comes to safety, Them Kjær says, HMF has to follow EN 280 and 12999 regulations. “We need to incorporate them into the crane design, especially in the crane control system and the vehicle stabiliser system, as well as in the supervision, to check how the complete machine is operating,” Them Kjær explains. “We see a constant trend for larger and more sophisticated knucklebooms with fly jibs and winches to handle many different applications.”

In October 2016, HMF launched a range of 6–9tm knuckleboom cranes, including eight new models.

They are the 610K-MC, 610K-MCS, 610K-RC, 710K-RCS, 810K-MC, 810K-MCS, 810K-RC and 910K-RCS.

The MC and MCS versions are manually operated, and the RC and RCS versions are radio remote controlled.

These cranes are optimised by the single Power Plus link arm system and an overbending of 15°; this can be combined with a main boom that can be raised to 90° to offer a maximum lifting capacity over the entire working area.

The hydraulic hoses of the crane are fed inside the column, and are well protected from wear, sunlight and other mechanical stress.

Stabiliser hoses on smaller cranes are often exposed to particularly harsh working conditions; to counteract this problem, they are also fed internally in all stabiliser beams.

These cranes are designed with a double cross-beam, which allows a large and efficient stabiliser spread on the crane. They are available with stabiliser spreads of 3.4, 4.4 or 5.2m.

The hydraulic stabiliser leg is fitted on a manually or hydraulically extendable stabiliser beam. Stabiliser beams with a spread of 4.4 and 5.2m are available in hydraulically extendable versions.

These knucklebooms can be equipped with several types of extra valves to meet most requirements for applications with hydraulic accessories, such as rotators and clamshell buckets. Specifically, the cranes can offer one or two extra valves in traditional, hard-wearing hose guides that lie externally on the jib-extension system.

Commenting on sales trends, Them Kjær reports good growth in Central and Northern Europe, while Southern Europe is still suffering from the 2008 financial crisis. Them Kjær says of Brexit: “We buy our steel in euros and we sell our cranes in pounds. Nonetheless, after the first impact of the Brexit referendum, business is still strong in the UK.”

Looking at other markets, Them Kjær says: “The US is coming back to being a strong market, especially in the building sector, due to the recent change in government. Our strongest markets are the US and Europe, but we are also selling our premium quality truck cranes in Africa, the Middle East, South America, Australia and the Far East.

“We are growing continuously and we think that we have a positive future. We are focused on a stateof- the-art design for a highly efficient crane,” he continues. “We keep pushing our engineering staff to find innovative solutions to reduce weight and increase lift capacity.

This way, we can offer attractive and efficient working cranes to a demanding industry.”

Increased demand

For Emilio Bertazzi, export sales manager for Fassi, knucklebooms are not just involved in the construction sector but are also used in other sectors such as the transport of mining material, drilling, and moving beams and placing them inside drills.

“Over the past few years, we developed additional versions of knucklebooms to be used in new applications, including agricultural sector functions and waste handling.

Another application may be the installation of knucklebooms on boats; the double rack system allows the crane to rotate with more agility under bad working conditions, like a rough sea.”

Fassi has recently upgraded 25 models, including the F545, which has a maximum outreach of up to 28.55m with jib, and maximum moment of 53tm (518kNm). It can be used for concrete and roofing sectors.

Another new model is the ten-storey F600SE.44 wallboard crane, which has a tip height of approximately 33.00m. It has a maximum lifting capacity of 392.26kNm and a hydraulic jib up to 30.48m long. Its overall dimensions are 8.71×2.51×2.87m.

The main features of the new F600SE.44 are a standard FX- 901 LCD touchscreen; automatic greasing system with braided high-pressure grease lines; FSC/ FSC-H outrigger-monitoring system to provide safe working zones for a variety of outrigger configurations and deployments; V7S radio remote; FX900 electronic digital overload limiting device; high-capacity oil cooler; and 360° rotation.

The F600SE.44 has been designed for complex lifts, especially for handling drywall, and is also ideal for work under the worst environmental conditions. This knuckleboom offers ‘internet of cranes’ (IoC), a new electronic system that manages all data remotely. Fassi sales trends are oriented towards high-capacity knuckleboom cranes from 60 to more than 200tm, with the majority in the 200tm range.

“Over the past year, we have had a good demand for knuckleboom cranes of 50tm and upwards,” Bertazzi says. “Outside Europe, there is no request for sophisticated digital devices and control systems, such as colour displays and radio remote control. In the Far East and Africa, cranes are only used as an extra support for trucks.”

Regarding Fassi Group’s business relations with Marrel, Jekko and Cranab, Bertazzi says: “We are working hard with all the companies that are part of Fassi Group to boost our relations in terms of technological and commercial levels. Each brand is a leader in its own sector, and we strongly believe that the best solution is to combine our expertise. We can offer a wide range of products to the market as a result of our industrial synergy.”

Bernie Faloney, CEO of Fascan International, Fassi’s US distributor, says that the knuckleboom sector is doing well in the US and that the firm has experienced an increase in sales over the past five years.

“The construction market is coming back for a positive trend and, if you look at the Dow Jones [Industrial Average], you can see that there is a lot of confidence,” he adds. “The new government is investing money in the construction industry and I’m excited about that. President Donald Trump said he wants to ‘make America great again’, which, for construction, means to make sales great again. There is always a trickle-down effect because if you make things busy in the construction sector, you increase construction sales and, as a consequence, you need more equipment to satisfy the increasing demand.

What’s new is that articulated cranes are now much more accepted than they have been in the past in the US market, especially in the crane-rental market. This kind of crane was primarily designed for a single use – to handle wallboard. Today, they can be used in several applications such as general construction, roofing, cement work, re-bar handling and steel works.

“People are finding out that in big cities and congested metropolitan areas such as New York City, there is more accessibility with an articulated crane and you can get a bigger economic return than working with mobile or tower cranes,” Faloney says. “The ten-storey 600SE is a good example because, while this crane is primarily purposed to lift wallboard, the client will be using it for re-bar and lumber.”

Faloney adds that the most popular product for Fassi is the F1950 RAL, which has a lifting capacity of up to 127tm and a maximum outreach of 41.30m with jib. It can operate at 360° without counterweights, and can be set up and taken down quickly with less than 15ft of overhead height.

Continuous innovation

Davide Catellani, line-of-business director for cranes at F.lli Ferrari, explains how the company is following the trend of introducing heavy-duty knucklebooms for complex lifts.

“A good example is the 990 model with a lifting capacity of 90tm, which is our biggest knuckleboom,” says Catellani.

“This is primarily required by rental services. The 990 can lift several types of load, such as compressors and beams for building, and in different environments. This knuckleboom crane provides a range of additional accessories for work in different applications.”

In the second half of 2016, F.lli Ferrari introduced a new 12-model product range of 13–16tm knucklebooms. They are designed to have high-performance features in order to be competitive in mature markets, especially Central and Northern Europe.

When selling in the European market, safety is a critical issue due to strict standards, such as EN 12999, which specifies all equipment required for cranes and loader cranes. “Outside Europe, safety standards are varied and normally less restrictive but operators want to work safely,” says Catellani. “For these heavyduty knuckleboom cranes, a radio remote control is usually required to allow operators to work far from the truck and to avoid working under suspended loads. Load-limit devices, systems and displays are also essential to check what is going on the crane.

“We develop cranes that can be mounted on trucks. Our aim is to provide a body [caisson] to transport not just a crane but also material. Loader cranes, for example, occupy all of the truck but they can’t carry any material.

“Furthermore, even if our knucklebooms are quite big, they have to be compact and save weight. Therefore, we use special steels for the structure and hydraulic cylinders. The winning factors are the payload, and the possibilities of working in confined spaces and mounting several accessories. That means it can be more flexible compared with the usual loader cranes.”

Beyond heavy-duty knucklebooms, the new range also offers standard products to meet requirements of countries outside Europe. “Some of these units have been delivered in Canada and received good feedback,” Catellani says.

Among the most popular F.lli Ferrari models in Asia, the 990 is used to deliver special equipment, compressors and generators.

“We are going to keep on investing in innovation to introduce new products to the market,” he concludes.

New features and accessories

Daniel Fetzner, product manager for cranes at Hyva, says that the firm has launched two new 13 and 16tm ranges that include two new features, ‘Magic Touch’ and ‘Dynamic Load Diagram’. The Magic Touch system allows the crane to open and close itself automatically. This system works like automatic parking for cars. Dynamic Load Diagram allows the operator to check lifting capacity based on truck stability in advance.

The operator can also select the weight and, according to the stabilisers’ positions, the system calculates the stability all around the truck. A graphical display shows the outreach available for the load selected and the actual boom slewing position.

“This system is the first to be used on truck-mounted articulated cranes; it optimises stabilisation, and makes crane operation safer and more efficient, avoiding borderline working conditions,” Fetzner says. “It is easy to use, and saves time by increasing the awareness and control of the operator. This feature will also be added to the rest of the range in the next few months. This system is relevant in Europe due to the strict safety regulations there.”

Hyva has 40 branches all over the world, allowing the firm to monitor and satisfy local markets as it has direct feedback from users. “That way, we can understand how to satisfy the demand in each country and region,” Fetzner explains. “We are trying to increase our presence in Western Europe, while we are already in a good position in Eastern Europe.

“Over the past few years, we were successful in South America during the run-up to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, when we delivered a significant amount of Hyva cranes.

“We are happy to see that Russia is showing signs of recovery after a drop in the past two years. We also have branches in Dubai, South Africa and Morocco. “At the moment, our best market is Asia thanks to our widespread coverage, with branches in China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore.

“In some of these countries, there is an ongoing demand for knucklebooms because of an increase in labour costs. Thus, companies aim to invest much more in mechanisation, which means lifting systems through truck-mounted cranes and knucklebooms.”

Another key factor is that Asian requirements are becoming similar to the European standards in terms of safety. Due to health and safety regulations in Asia, the use of cranes is more required than in the past.

“In the 20tm range, we have added a new model, the 205, which is the second crane with slewing ring in the Effer 20tm range,” says Mauro Baldassin, head of export operations for Effer. “This crane has a slewing ring with continuous rotation, and it’s managed by a simple and efficient electronic system, the DMU 3000PLUS.”

Reinhard Prantner, export area manager, adds that Effer has recently decided to offer an additional stabilisation solution with diagonally oriented stabs: the V-stab. It provides good stability even when lifting at full chart over the front of the cab.

“In terms of the most popular heavy-duty knucklebooms, the 2655 is receiving good feedback from our clients,” Prantner says.

“These machines are being used for some projects in the US, Israel and in Northern Europe, such as in Finland and Denmark. They are mounted on five-axle trucks on those jobs.”

“Applications include building works at great heights of 40– 50m,” Baldassin adds. “Heavyduty knucklebooms are primarily used in apartment buildings to place glass windows, pools, air conditioning and roofing.

Our customers say that these heavy-duty knucklebooms were demonstrated to be an efficient and cheaper alternative to mobile or tower cranes.”

Baldassin also explains that the second jib is related to the specific need to reach great heights, such as roofs. Operators can use knucklebooms that are fully extended to more than 50m; mini jibs can work in confined spaces and reach up to 62m.

For example, these mini jibs can get through windows to place material on to the roof.

“We are the only manufacturer in the world to have a certified mini-jib compliant with CE regulations,” Baldassin says. “We were able to do that because we have developed a sophisticated electronic platform called ‘Progress 2.0’.”

On the subject of the market, Baldassin says the demand for heavy-duty knucklebooms tripled over the past couple of years, especially for long outreaches/ extensions.

“We are seeing good results in Western Europe and North America. We have experienced a low growth rate in the emerging markets, such as the Middle East and South America, which rely on oil, gas and mining commodities,” Baldassin adds.

“In general, we are growing significantly, between 15–20% a year, and increasing market shares. We expect that this rate of growth will continue along the same positive trend in the upcoming years. Other new models in the heavy-duty range will be launched after mid-2017.”

Giulio De Luca, export manager for Cormach, also says the use of knucklebooms has changed over the past few years. “If, in the past, the articulated arm was used for loading and unloading the truck, now, it is used as a support in the construction, transport and assembly,” he explains. “These knucklebooms can also assemble many components of truck mounted tower cranes, such as counterweights and arms.”

Other applications include installing air-conditioning systems in big shopping centres, which involves getting inside the building and crossing many floors.

To carry out this kind of job, knucklebooms need to provide various accessories, like jibs and winches.

“For example, one of our customers recently installed an electric generator on the sixth floor of an apartment, at a height of roughly 8m,” De Luca says.

“You can’t do this kind of job with a minicrane or a crane without jib.

“As a consequence of this trend, knucklebooms are designed with higher arms and stronger jibs, in addition to an increased capacity to be articulated and to reach big heights.”

Cormach is now working on new models, but they have yet to be launched. “The new 60000 is almost ready to be introduced to the market; it can lift from 11t at more than 4m, up to roughly 1.64t at 20.21m,” De Luca adds.

Giuseppe Ceraolo, PM Group product manager, says, “Today, knucklebooms are more widely used for complex lifts thanks to the use of accessories, which makes these machines more versatile.

“A good example is the use of man baskets and self-levelling platforms for special applications, such as gravity-levelling models in fibreglass, steel or aluminium versions. These jobs can be carried out quickly due to the advanced level of the electronic system, which improves safety and performance results. The conversion can also be done with quick couplings and a radio control system.

The main implication of this trend is on compliance because the involvement of people requires different regulations, such as EN 280 rather than EN 12999.

“Clamshell buckets, augers, hydraulic grapples and forks are also available for handling framing drywalls, glass and greenery maintenance, and for lifting loose materials in piles, such as scrap, waste and other materials.”

A new heavy-product range has been developed to satisfy the demand of several lifts. Its features include a native system for quick and fast installation and activation (plug and play).

End users can benefit from the combination of the crane and the basket because it allows the possibility of handling different materials and completing many kinds of tasks. Due to its very compact design and negative angle, the crane can work in very narrow spaces.

“We are also improving the product design with the use of high-performance materials that are lighter but also more reliable for heavy-duty applications,” says Ceraolo.

PM Group is seeing good results in Northern and Central European markets. “We have experienced an increase of 20% over the past few years. Our best market is the UK, where we are continuing to invest our resources,” Ceraolo reports. “A good market is South America, where we have been working for a long time. We also have a few branches in Chile, Argentina and Mexico with proper service networks and facilities. “Other interesting sales trends are from emerging markets like Asia and the Middle East, where we have recently launched two subsidiaries, one in Singapore and the other in Dubai.

“In the US, we usually sell power-lift cranes, also known as wallboard cranes. However, knuckleboom cranes are gaining growing acceptance due to their versatility and efficiency compared with other lifting tools.”

Regarding the ongoing development with Manitex International, Ceraolo says: “Since January 2015, PM and Oil & Steel have been acquired by Manitex International, and our main focus is towards integration in terms of products and markets.

“This way, we can offer a wide product range for lifting equipment. Today, we can say that we are a very strong global company with a rich portfolio of lifting equipment that includes boom cranes, aerial devices, knuckleboom cranes, and electric and diesel industrial cranes.”

Expand the mid-range

Heidi Fink from the sales department of Atlas explains that the company is focused on the medium range. “Atlas has developed every size of knucklebooms and offers cranes from the smallest T-boom light cranes to those with more than 60tm capacity. What is left to be done is ‘fine-tuning’ to fill gaps from 1tm size to the next, thus getting a bigger choice of models within the small, mid and big-size ranges,” says Fink. “The trend moves away from the standard product range with hundreds of identical crane versions towards very specific, job-related machines. The knuckleboom sector has always included operations in many different fields of application, not only on a truck but also on tractors, vessels and special undercarriages like vehicles on tracks. All terrains have already been outdone by knuckleboom cranes.

“Especially in the range of heavy-duty cranes – for example, more than 60tm – very often, there is insufficient payload left on the truck due to the dead weight of the crane; hence, those big truck/crane combinations operate as mobile cranes, as crane trucks.”

At bauma 2016, Atlas launched some new products, such as the 66.3E, the 152.3 and the 280.2V.

“With the 66.3 E, we aim to expand the family of E-cranes in the range of small cranes. Like the 57.3, the 66.3E will be available as basic unit A1– A4L. The operating pressure is 330bar, which means an increase of performance to 60.9kNm compared with 54.4kNm of the A1 version, and 55.0kNm compared with 47.8 kNm of the A4L.”

The 152.3 was presented as a grab crane with a column mounted seat and hydraulic anticipatory control.

The 280.2V is part of the V range and intended to meet the demand for a stronger version of the model 250 V A16. The 280 V A16 lifts up to 1.5t with a 6.5m main boom and total reach of 15.5m. It is mainly used as a brick-and-block crane with a brick clamp rather than hook.

Alternative solutions

Dominic Ulrich, technical director at Palfinger Platforms, explains how its Jumbo Class NX access platforms can work in crane mode.

The operator has two options: using a load hook on the upper boom with a payload of 900kg, or using the winch (mounted under the working basket) with a payload of 460kg. In either case, the operator can operate with the secondary control, and a radio remote control is also available.

The winch can be taken with an automatic function from the transport position on the truck loading area.

“Operators can carry out small lifting tasks with one device without having an additional crane,” Ulrich says. “The operator selects the crane or platform mode before starting the work. In crane mode, no person may remain in the basket. The safety devices of the machine can monitor the whole process. When crane mode is used, the machine is a crane according to EN 13000.”

Ulrich says Jumbo Class NX in crane mode should not be compared with a knuckleboom crane. “The payload is not competitive,” Ulrich explains. “It is only for lfting smaller materials and tools for use on the work platform to the right position.”