On the cutting edge

While the manufacturer had announced many key new products before the show— including the groundbreaking fibre rope versions of its new EC-B tower cranes—it kept a few surprises back.

On the wheeled mobile side, there two key innovations, both combining performance and roadability.

At the lower end, was the new five-axle, 110t, 60m boom, LTM 1110-5.1. With this crane, the company aimed to square the circle of apparently contradictory market requirements: low gross weight and high mobility, but with the highest possible load capacities with a long telescopic boom.

The result is that although the new LTM 1110-5.1 is such a lightweight construction that it achieves a gross weight of 48t with axle loads of less than 10t, its 60m telescopic boom and maximum ballast of just 28.7t enable it to rival the performance of similar mobile cranes on the market.

Even where mobile cranes with a 12t axle load are permitted on the road, crane operators have for some time been demanding cranes which can be driven with 10t per axle by simply removing the ballast. This version delivers major benefits for road licensing and route approval procedures.

The crane can still get on the road at under 12t per axle with 13.1t of counterweight, reducing the need for ballast trucks.

The crane also builds on Liebherr's advanced stability system, VarioBase. With this latest model, VarioBase Plus, rear outriggers can be set to 8.3m wide, 1.3m wider than those at the front.

In the higher capacity all terrain class, the company showed the successor to it's highly popular eight-axle 500t LTM 1500-8.1. The new crane, the 650t LTM 1650-8.1 not only adds 150t of nominal maximum capacity, but offers a 54m main boom with axle loadings of 12t.

For customers who need more reach, the third section of the main boom can be replaced with additional sections, to reach as much as 80m.

A fast and easy Y-guying system can improve capacity where needed. Ballast positon is designed to be easily and infinitely adjusted as needed using a hydraulic system, and ballast plates are interchangeable with other large all terrains.

Bridging the gap between tower cranes and mobile cranes is the MK 88-4.1 truck-mounted tower crane.

New elements of the upgraded crane include, for example, its different axle load options, which make the crane significantly more economical.

The crane's electric drive means the MK 88-4.1 can operate emission-free using even less power than its predecessor.

Now, it can be run from 32A power sources, as well as the 63A used by its predecessor.

Both the 8t maximum load capacity and the maximum radius of 45m remain the same.

The maximum load capacity of 2,200t at the jib head also remains unchanged compared to the MK 88 Plus.

A new elevating cab, taken from the larger MK 140, offers improved vision and comfort.

The final, previously unnannounced, crane was the latest model in the L1 fast erecting tower crane series, the L1-32.

This crane is designed for easy transport and flexible ballast. It can lift up to 4t, making it suitable for many pre-fabricated concrete elements, like flights of stairs.

Often, self-erectors of this size need two trucks for transporting crane and ballast. For the L1-32, an adjustable ballast system allows the crane to be transported with its low-speed axle and 5t of basic ballast as well as 10t of additional ballast, using a three-axle vehicle.

The crane can achieve a jib head load of 1,050kg, and a maximum capacity of 4t. For full load chart, a futher 2t of counterweight, can be easily added.