Luffer designed to eliminate oversailing issues

Italian tower crane designer and manufacturer ENG Cranes has worked with UK tower crane supplier Falcon Tower Cranes to develop the ETH90 hydraulic luffing jib tower crane. According to Falcon, the crane is designed to address oversailing issues which it says are a particular problem in the UK.

The crane has a maximum jib length of 41 metres with an out of service (OOS) parking radius of just 3.8 m. Maximum capacity is six tonnes up to a jib length of 41 m, although Falcon said this can be increased to eight tonnes under certain circumstances.

The crane’s counterjib is short, too, with a length of just 2.5 m for all front jib working lengths.

The ETH90 has a maximum load capacity of four tonnes with two reeves of rope (two-fall) and six tonnes with four reeves of rope (four-fall). Greater in-bound capacities can be achieved, Falcon added.

To minimise site impact, the crane is mounted on 1.2 m mast sections which are designed to take the increased forces going through the crane due to the low OOS position. The crane has a maximum freestanding height of 38.15 m. It utilises a 37kW winch which can be run from a 60 KVA generator using HVO fuel, if required.

Andrew Brown, managing director of Falcon, said, “We have identified the increasing demand for this type of machine, which is only going to intensify as the footprint of our construction sites decreases. We have worked alongside ENG to find a solution to give our customers the satisfaction and peace of mind that we have a resolution to the airspace problems which they encounter.”

Falcon has ordered five ETH90s to be delivered in September / October and are planning to erect the first crane at the Vertikal Days trade show in the UK on 22 September 2021. Falcon has also signed the agency agreement for the ETH90 and similar models which utilise the same air space parameters.