Vertikal Days moves crane sales forward

These specialized models were bought for applications such as cramped London construction spaces in city sites, as well as for general hire.

Terex’s new design, the 60t AC 3180 all terrain, targeted the UK market, with its 50m boom unique among 3 axle all terrains, said Lee Maynard, Terex’s managing director for the UK. It was sold as roadable on 16t axles even with full ballast, and available with a fly jib.

The EU version of the UK Terex crane, the 50t AC 3160, was introduced at Disneyland Paris during the simultaneous French expo, Journées du Levage. AC 3160 is a version of the crane with a lighter boom is a 12t axle, designed for roadability in the EU.

Zoomlion launched the QY35v series truck crane for the EU market. The QY35v was designed to conform with the essential requirements of the applicable EC directive. According to Aries Shei, Zoomlion’s chief representative for Europe, “This is the new CE model. Before in European market we were doing only the QY30v, the first generation. Now the capacity is upgraded and the configuration is also upgraded.”

The new QY35v, with a lifting capacity of 35t and a 40m boom, featured an improved ABS break system and an underslung fly jib, whereas the 30t version had a normal fly jib. Unlike the global versions of the crane with standard engines, the CE standard crane had an original Cummins engine. The Cummins engine conforms to EU Stage III a Emission standards, soon to be upgraded to Stage III b Emission standards when this becomes required, Zoomlion said.

Italian crane builder JMG launched its MC110 electric crane for a global market. The battery powered, remote-control operated crane was designed for industrial applications. It lifts 11t with its three section telescopic boom at a radius of 1m from the front, JMG said. In addition, the company said it has a small footprint with a length of 4.08m, a 1.95m width and a height of 1.95m. It was designed for integration with attachments, such as winches, various jibs and forks.

Two Liebherr tower cranes made their official UK debut at the show: The 8t MK-63 mobile tower crane and fast-erecting 81 K, able to telescope and raise with a single continuous erecting rope.

In addition, the Liebherr LTC 1045 all terrain crane was introduced to the UK market. Before the show, the LTC 1045 had been introduced in different regions at Bauma, which built anticipation for the UK launch.

Richard Everist, managing director at Liebherr-Great Britian, said that that LTC 1045’s removable front made it suitable for work in confined spaces, and demonstrated its telescopic cab. The telescoping cab, unique to Liebherr, allows the driver to move up and away from the body of the crane on a hydraulic arm, improving vision. “Visitors are interested in the telescopic cab concept,” said Everist.

UK crane hire firms took advantage of the event to upgrade their fleets with several of the new cranes, exhibitors said. Mobile cranes, tower cranes, and telecrawlers were popular purchases.

Liebherr received four orders, counting those before the event. Everist said, “Visitors are better this year then previous years, in spite of the weather.’ This led to good sales for Liebherr: it sold one 81k tower crane for work on the Americas Cup and 3 to Defence Contractor Babcock. The LTC 1045 on display was purchased prior to the show by hire firm Bernard Hunter of Edinburgh.

Terex also sold several units of the new AC 3180 on pre-order. “A pleasing number of orders have been taken in advance of the event,’ said Maynard. He added that Terex was using the occasion as an opportunity to promote its UK van-based service program.

Zoomlion’s Aries Shi reported that two qY35v truck cranes had been sold at the Crowland Cranes stand, one before the show. “Two were sold to hire firms for general use,” she said. Also on the stand was the RT 55 rough terrain on loan from Sarens, which bought 10 units and sold them to another firm for work in Lybia.

NRC Plant sold a LinkBelt TCC 750 telecrawler, with a lifting capacity 75t and a cut away cabin to improve visibility. The client, North Midlands Construction, purchased the telecrawler for use on a water treatment plant in Nottingham with both indoor and outdoor ground conditions.

NRC’s managing director, Rod Abbott, said there is a growing UK market for telecrawlers, having sold 20 telecrawlers in the last year. “The lightweight telescopic boom is what’s selling it really,” he said. “If you got a lattice boom it will always lift more because of its boom weight, but this tele is getting very close to a lattice boom weight. You have the convenience of just being able to telescope in, whereas with a lattice, you have to have a crew of men.”

Cargotec displayed a 100tm Hiab XS 1055, of which one was purchased by Heavy lifting specialist Gatwick Plant confirmed an order for one Hiab XS 1055 during the second day of the show.

To meet the specialised needs of UK customers, some manufacturers chose to display products for lifting in tight corners with low visibility. Liebherr demonstrated its telescopic cab, LinkBelt a cut-away cab and GGR, British vacuum lifting firm, introduced a fly jib as an option on all of its spider cranes, for extending an attachment or load over a structure.

For lifting in tight spaces, UK firm City Lifting displayed its folding, articulating jib tower crane, manufactured by Artic crane. By operating the crane with an out of service radius of only 4m, firms can avoid fees or potential refusal for use of ‘air space’ over adjacent buildings in the UK and in some other countries. The articulating jib tower crane on display was due to leave the show for work on the new 6 star hotel in Knightsbridge.

The Raptor 84 lifts up to 4t at 45m per minute and 1t at 85m per minute. It can attain 100m lifting heights with just two layers of rope on the hoist drum.

Trevor Jepson, managing director of the City Lifting, said, “At the minute we have plenty of people showing interest in the crane, but only we have bought the cranes so far in the UK. Artic Crane is offering the crane in other markets where the airspace problem exists.”

Many firms seemed to outstrip the slagging sales of expos in recent years, despite the recovering UK crane market. They were also mollified by the famed Vertikal pork roast and the bright day for winding up business at the close the event.