Kobelco CKE2500 at Intermat

Although he would not say exactly how much extra the options would add to the capital cost, Kobelco Cranes Europe sales and marketing manager Jos Verhulst said that they would represent a “considerable increase” on the price. Spanish-based international heavy-lifting and transport specialist TRANSBIAGA will take delivery of two ‘custom build’ CKE2500-2 units in 2007.

Although the wind power option will not be designated WS, Windmill Special as reported, the crane can still be specced with metre-wide shoes to ride on a 4.85m-wide narrow track for travelling on jetties, quays, and access roads typically found on wind-farms connecting wind-turbine erection platforms. Other options include:

-Special fixed jib with lifting capacities similar to luffing jib. It is capable of lifting 42t at 86.4m hook height and 14-15m radius, using 61m boom and 27m special fixed jib and a 70t-capacity hook block. This makes the crane capable of lifting for instance, a complete 2MW wind-turbine unit.

-24t-capacity auxiliary sheave mounted on top of special fixed jib, which can be used for picking up a complete wind-turbine nose cone with three propellor blades from the horizontal position at ground level and slowly turning into the vertical mounting position in mid-air. A standard option is the 27-ton capacity 2m long auxiliary sheave mounted on top of the standard crane boom.

-Sideways-extendible crawlers, which cover three positions from a fully-extended width of 7.47m to a fully-retracted width of 4.85m.

-Four travel motors, double the standard spec, for additional traction when travelling fully equipped with 61m boom and 37m special fixed jib on steep slopes with gradients up to 22% (12.4 degrees), and for changing travel direction more easily.

-Extended crawler tracks that are 350mm longer than standard (total length: 9.3m) for improved lifting capacity and stability.

-Self-assembly system – a mast-mounted hydraulic lift cylinder for assembly of crawlers, and the carbody and rear counterweights.