At Intermat, Terex PPM presented a prototype from a new generation of truck cranes, the 60t capacity class TC 60 L, “which meets customer demand for a strong crane for the road that gives great fuel mileage and keeps maintenance costs low,” the company said. “TC cranes provide a low-maintenance solution for crane carriers and are bound to be a sure-fire hit in Scandinavia, France, the Benelux countries and the United Kingdom. And who knows? Maybe even Germany is set for a revival of truck cranes in the shape of the TC 60,” the company said.
Liebherr’s LTF 1035-3.1 and LTF 1045-4.1 give the company the opportunity to offer crane operators an economical alternative in the load capacity class between 30t and 50t, it said. It added that the standard truck carrier consumes less fuel than an all-terrain (AT) crane and whose tyres and wearing parts are less expensive because they are mass-produced.
“As pure taxi cranes, they can be driven on public roads with all equipment and are thus ready for immediate use on the building site. Their axle loads are significantly lower than those of all-terrain cranes and this has a positive effect on their permit options,” Liehberr said.
Terex says the TC 60 L remains under 12t/axle with maximum counterweight of 10.4t and 15m main boom extension. The crane can also be rigged light with only 7t of counterweight, the boom extension and extra equipment to meet 10t/axle load requirements.
The two firms have started at different ends of the existing European truck crane market – Terex with a high-capacity model, and Liebherr with a low-capacity model. Their main competition would appear to be Luna of Spain, which has four models and Tadano Faun, which has two, each with long-boom alternatives. Terex has announced its plans to launch two other smaller models in 2007.
Both Terex and Liebherr models borrow from their AT crane cousins. The Terex crane uses the AC 55 and AC 55 L boom and superstructure. The Liebherr cranes use the LTM 1030-2.1 fly jib.
The outriggers of the Liebherr crane are attached to the intermediate frame that connects the truck carrier and the crane superstructure and spread to 6.2m. They are folded out from the carrier and extended to support the crane. In very cramped conditions, the crane can also be operated with a reduced support width of 4.65 m.
Both manufacturers also highlight the manouvrability of the carrier. Terex’s MAN carrier has a swivelling back axle with a turning radius of less than 10m. Liebherr’s crane has a ballast radius of 3m.
4 Crane data comes partly from the new Cranes Today Handbook 2006, free with a paid subscription to Cranes Today, or on its own £69, Euros 114, or US$135 for the USA and Canada. Go to www.cranestodaymagazine.com and click the “Order the Handbook” entry in the right-hand column for more information.
