New crane manufacturer enters pick-and-carry market

A new crane manufacturer has entered the market to capitalise on the popularity of the 16t to 20t range of all-terrain, pick-and-carry cranes in Australia, writes Tod Kennedy.

DRA Industries has introduced the Construct RC18 – a highly mobile, articulated unit with a rated load lifting capacity of 18t. It has been designed “from the ground up” and offers several advanced features including a special boom system and airbag suspension.

DRA’s representative, John Sandstrom, who has more than 30 years’ experience in manufacturing and marketing such cranes, said: “These models have improved lifting characteristics and road driving comfort not experienced before in this type of crane.” The four part boom is structured so that the load chart does not have to derate after 10o of articulation. It also allows maximum loads to be extended and luffed simultaneously.

An 18t load at 1.6m radius can be luffed and extended to a hook height of 7.4m while still maintaining the radius. A 3.9t load can be lifted to a hook height of 19.5m at 6m radius.

The system uses two separate hydraulic cylinders to extend the boom. One cylinder positions the second boom section, the other the third section, while section four extends proportionally with section three via cables.

The boom lift, or luffing, cylinders are located behind the drivers cabin, providing clear forward vision for the crane operator. An 18t hook is fixed to boom section two and is capable of being moved for a vertical lift of maximum load.

The crane has a road travel speed of 85kph and is powered by a Cummins 6CT, 8.3 litre diesel engine developing 157 kW (210 bhp) driving through a Clark TC/power shift transmission which has lockup and an electronic gear selection (bump change) lever operating eight forward and four reverse speed ratios.

According to Sandstrom, the EGS was included to protect the transmission from operator abuse, for example when down shifting gears at high vehicle speeds. It has neutral start protection, direction reverse protection and automatic power-up in neutral.

The crane has four sets of dual pneumatic tyred wheels and a turning circle of 7.5m at the outside wheels.

One of the innovations not seen in other similar cranes is the inclusion of an airbag suspension system and shock absorbers on all wheels. This not only improves comfort when road travelling but reduces bounce and allows the unit to travel rough roads without compromising speed.

DRA Industries has been a user of pick-and-carry cranes for many years, according to the company's director Peter Dalla Riva, and the newly formed DRA Cranes division based in Perth, Western Australia, has now manufactured its second production model of the RC18. This is expected to compete strongly with locally built Franna and Forward-Linmac in Australia and overseas.