Böcker trailer crane for organ installation

26 February 2021

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Black Forest organ builder Claudius Winterhalter and his team used a Böcker AHK 30 KS trailer crane to erect a new organ in the Basilica St. Martin in Ulm-Wiblingen, Germany.

The new organ consisted of over 2,500 pipes. During the installation of the organ, all building materials and components of the instrument had to be transported to the west gallery of the church. The AHK 30 KS was chosen because its performance data and small footprint (2.42m width); it could fit into the central aisle of the church without any modifications. “Due to the individual positioning of each foldable swivelling outrigger, the AHK 30 KS can be erected safely even in the narrowest space,” said the manufacturer. In addition, a combustion engine couldn’t be used in the church, so with its 13kW electric motor the trailer crane met this selection criterion as well.

The crane is operated by remote control that made it easy to manoeuvre the trailer crane and bring it quickly to the site of operation. During the crane erection, it provided support with a constantly updated range indicator so that the crane could be optimally positioned between the pews.

During the installation works, the trailer crane was standing in the central nave of the basilica between the pews and transported a total of about 20t of material to a height of up to 18m. Initially the crane lifted steel girders and floor slats for a wooden platform. Then the installation of the organ began, comprising tin and wooden pipes, with dimensions ranging from “pencil size” to a length of 6.3m. Smaller pipes were lifted together as a package, while the larger pipes (the largest weighing 150kg) were handled individually. Apart from organ pipes, the the AHK 30 KS lifted the console, the wind supply with fan and bellows. The heaviest single weight required a lifting capacity of 400 kg.

“During the crane job itself, the BICS (Böcker Intelligent Computer-based Safety) control ensured the low-vibration lifting and exact placement of the organ components at their installation site,” added the manufacturer.