Two or three 3.5m or 6m wide and 14m long lattice sections are installed in the lower section of the main boom for the SX system. This provides additional rigidity to the boom system, increasing its load capacity.

The new VarioTray ballast system developed by Liebherr gives the crane additional flexibility for crane operations. It consists of a removable ballast frame for the derrick boom which is unbolted from the suspended ballast frame and can be used separately with up to 125t of counterweights.

For heavy components and large radii, the removable ballast frame can simply be bolted into place before luffing down the boom to avoid long-winded stacking and unstacking.

The LR 1750/2 is now the most powerful crawler crane in Wasel’s fleet. Managing director Matthias Wasel said: "The new LR 1750/2 with the SX boom system and VarioTray will position us perfectly for handling the new generation of wind turbines. The new boom system significantly increases load capacity values and yet its transport costs are less than using the next higher crane class.

The new crawler crane will be operating for around 75% of the time in the wind industry with its other jobs in the project business."

Wasel has a workforce of 435 people and operates 135 Liebherr mobile cranes, including crawler and latticed jib crane models LR 1600/2 and LG 1750. The company is also a Liebherr dealer for tower cranes and operates over 400 Liebherr tower cranes itself.