Koblenz, Germany-based crane rental firm Castell-Autokran has added to its fleet with the purchase of a 70 tonne class Tadano HK 4.070-1 truck crane. Castell-Autokran said it is looking to futureproof its business with the crane, which it plans to use as an all-rounder.

The HK 4.070-1 has a 41-metre-long main boom. With a jib, the maximum length is 56.8 m. The HK 4.070-1 lifts up to 55.6 tonnes at a radius of 3 m with a counterweight of 10.1 tonnes. At a radius of 8 m, it can lift 19.2 tonnes.

The four-axle crane has steered front and trailing axles, while the second and third axles are closer to the centre of the vehicle than standard axle configurations providing a 2 m smaller turning radius than the crane’s predecessor model.

The suspension is a combination of rigid mechanical axles and air suspension for good tractive force on the road and stability during travel.

It has H-style outriggers which require less space compared to swing-out ones and enable the chassis to be lifted.

Castell-Autokran highlights the crane’s manoeuvrability as an important feature. “We do a lot of work in the region surrounding Koblenz, so we’re always driving in the massif formed by the Eifel, Hunsrück, Westerwald, and Taunus or in the Rhine and Moselle valleys,” explained company managing director Nils Prüfert. “That means we’re always dealing with tight and winding roads that some-times have some pretty extreme uphill slopes. The manoeuvrable HK 4.070-1 is perfect for this with its Volvo chassis.”