New all terrains in the 90t and 400t classes and a new slewing gear system for tower cranes will be among the highlights of Liebherr’s stand at the Intermat show in Paris in May.
Among the tower cranes to be shown on Liebherr’s stand will be the first model in a new series of EC-HM top slewing cranes which feature a new control system called FU.tronic that, according to Liebherr, is the first time that variable frequency drives have been used on all motions – hoisting, slewing and trolley travel.
There are nine cranes in the EC-HM series, ranging from 132tm to 280tm. At Intermat will be a 154 EC-HM 6 FU.tronic, with a 154tm load moment. The frequency-controlled slewing gear drive consists of a squirrel-cage motor supplied by a frequency converter, a spring-loaded parking brake and a synchro-transmitter to feed back the rotating-speed signal to the frequency converter.
This new FU slewing gear enables the crane to slew with maximum smoothness, Liebherr says. The speed signal feedback to the new drive control system is able to identify wind or load influences and compensate for them.
Also to be seen in Paris is the new 280 EC-B 12 Litronic top-slewing crane, an addition to the top end of Liebherr’s flat top tower cranes, and the 27 TT self-erecting crane that has a telescoping mast as well as a telescoping jib.
The mobile crane division, based in Ehingen, will be showing three all-terrain vehicles with load capacities of 90t, 250t and 400t, two of which are being premiered at Intermat.
The new LTM 1090/3 is being billed as the most powerful four-axle crane on the market. It succeeds the LTM 1090/2, of which 600 units were built. Load capacities are 15% higher on the main boom and up to 30% higher on the fly jib, says Liebherr. Reach has also been increased by 20%. And Liebherr also claims to have made it easier to service and to operate.
The six-section telescopic boom is 52m long and has a 14m extension plus a 19m doublefolding fly jib.
The LTM 1090/3 has total counterweight of 22t. Basic ballast of 2.5t allows it to be road legal at 12t per axle (48t GVW) with full tanks of fuel, 16.00 R25 tyres and a 59t hookblock.
The Liebherr turbocharged six-cylinder engine, with CAN bus management system, develops 338kW (460 hp) and complies with the Euro 3 exhaust emission limits.
This is Liebherr’s first AT to have active rear-wheel steering. This intelligent steering concept matches the lock angle of the fourth axle to that of the two front axles when driving on the road. Accelerating the vehicle automatically reduces the steering lock angle at the rear, and when road speed rises beyond 30km/h the fourth axle is set to a permanent straight-ahead running position.
Powering the upper structure is a 149kW (202hp) engine. The 88kN rope pull reduces the need for multiple reeving, Liebherr says. The tiltable cabin has a pneumatically extending step, and also has the winch and slewing-gear indicators in the control levers, designed to make life easier for the operator.
Also new is the seven-axle LTM 1400/1, a 400t AT, filling the gap between Liebherr’s six-axle 300t and eight-axle 500t models. It has a five-section 60m long telescopic boom and with an overall length of 18.5m and a turning circle radius of 14.5m it is, according to Liebherr, ‘the most compact model in its class’.
Attachments such as a fixed or luffing lattice fly jib give a maximum lifting height of 128m and offer a working radius up to 92m. Also available is the Y-guy attachment, to give lateral support to the boom and so enhance lifting capacity, particularly when lifting with the boom near to vertical.
Just like the the LTM 1090/3, it has the new speed-dependent rear-axle steering to help reduce tyre wear, prevent the rear end of the vehicle from running wide and make it easier to drive.
Driveline comprises a Euro 3 compliant 441kW (600hp) turbocharged diesel engine and automated-shift ZF TC-Tronic 12-speed gearbox with converter lock-up clutch and ‘Intarder’. The 240kW (326hp) engine on the superstructure drives the four variable-pitch hydraulic pumps.
The LTM 1400/1 weighs 12t per axle when equipped with four outrigger plates, full tanks of fuel, 14.00 R25 tyres, but carrying no counterweight sections.
From its range of smaller crawler cranes, built at the Nenzing factory in Austria, Liebherr is showing the 130t capacity LR 1130. It has been designed with a broad base to maximise lifting capacity and minimise ground bearing pressure. This crane is powered by a 240kW (327hp) Liebherr diesel engine and has two 12t winches for high rope speeds, so that rapid load lifting and high lifting capacity are possible even when working in a multiple reeved mode, Liebherr says. As an option, 12t gravity-lowering winches with multi-disc brakes can be specified.
A self-erecting and self-loading system consists of four fold-out support jacks on the undercarriage, an erecting ram for unloading purposes in the boom pivot section and two ballasting rams at the rear of the main machine. The superstructure and the centre section can be put in a crate or container and weigh only about 36t for ease of transport. Intermediate sections of the fly jib can be slid inside those of the main boom to save space.
