DEMAG Mobile Cranes is this month delivering an AC 100 all-terrain equipped with a special trailer, or tag axle, to the Dutch company Hak.
The tag axle enables the 100t-rated unit to carry more counterweight and equipment on the road within the permitted 12t per axle load limit. With the extra axle, which attaches to the rear of the carrier, the AC 100 is road legal with 19.5t of ballast. It also means that large outrigger mats can be taken to site on board the crane.
Demag acknowledges that add-on axles for mobile cranes are not a new concept but it claims to have ‘perfected’ the concept by integrating the tag axle in the brake, suspension and steering system of the crane, ‘so there are no trade-offs in terms of steering angle or suspension spring path,’ Demag claims. The turning circle has also remained unchanged.
The tag axle is connected to the vehicle frame by a hydraulic pinning system for ease of use, enabling it to be removed when not needed.
