Cranes and Lifting March/April 2022

Cranes and Lifting

THE DEDICATED RESOURCE FOR THE CRANE INDUSTRY / MARCH/APRIL 2022

March/April 2022

CRANECORP TUTT BRYANT JOINT VENTURE GAINS MOMENTUM

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IN THIS ISSUE 10 Up Front Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV gathers momentum 14 CICA President’s Report CICA looks forward to Adelaide hosting the National Conference and Exhibition

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16 CICA Member profile Introducing the father and daughter team at Melbourne Spider Crane Hire 20 CICA Tech Corner Looking at the CICA articulated pick and carry crane side slope deration calculation tool 23 CICA South Australia awards CICA South Australia closed out 2021 with an awards night 24 CICA and TAFE NSW TAFE NSW takes delivery of Liebherr all terrain for training courses 27 Ben Baden Services Ben Baden Services rebuilds a Franna AT40 31 BAB’s hydraulic loading decks The construction sector’s positive response to the first decks in the market 36 Cranes Combined and TIDD Cranes Combined takes delivery of a new TIDD from TRT 39 BMS Heavy Lift BMS Heavy Lift profiles its lifting capabilities 44 AlmaCrawler Multi Loaders More models launched in the Multi Loader range 48 Specialised Machinery Company (SMC) SMC outlines its capabilities in the lifting and rigging sector 52 Potain Tower Cranes Manitowoc has been investing in massive upgrades to major Potain manufacturing facilities 54 Borger Cranes and Rigging Services continues to invest in new cranes Borger Cranes and Rigging Services invest in new Liebherr LR 1600/2

64 DRA Engineering and Humma pick and carry Why DRA engineered and installed a wet brake for Humma 68 Pace Cranes and Sennebogen New 100t capacity crawler launched

by Sennebogen 70 Sany and Tutt Bryant Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift takes delivery two 800t capacity lattice boom crawler cranes – the Sany SCC8000A 74 Anglomoil and Fuller Mobile Cranes Why Fuller Mobile Cranes has been using Anglomoil product for years 78 McPhan Cranes and Transport and The Crane Connection McPhan Cranes and Transport partners with The Crane Connection on latest addition to the fleet 82 New 300t capacity all terrain from Liebherr Liebherr unveils the LTM 1300-6.3 all terrain, featuring a recordbreaking 90m telescopic boom

58 Andromeda Industries Profiling Andromeda Industries’ products being used on major infrastructure projects

84 How Capital Cranes mitigates risk with UAA Capital Cranes has been loyal to UAA for years – Digger Misner explains why

61 Tadano and Fleurieu Cranes Fleurieue Cranes takes delivery of more Tadano heavy lifters

88 Coastline Crawlers Coastline Crawlers takes delivery of a new Kobelco crawler

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

92 Jones Equipment and SPT mini crawler cranes Battery electric mini crawler in demand as push for sustainability gathers momentum 96 MCT Equipment and Magni MCT Equipment examines the quality of the Italian telehandler 100 Zoomlion Zoomlion launches 450t capacity tower crane 102 Load 28 and SteamRanger Load 28 move steam engines around restoration workshop 106 Skyjack New EWPs from Skyjack 108 McKay United The importance of 3D planning and modelling to McKay United 110 LCR Group More infrastructure lifts for LCR’s heavy lifters 113 Tadano and Victor Harbor Cranes New truck mounted crane for SA crane business 116 Kato and Century Cranes Two new Kato city cranes to Century Cranes 120 Working at Heights Association Importance of prechecks when working at heights 122 Lift of the Month Pittsburgh bridge collapse bus lift March/April 2022 CAL / 3

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FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM Published by:

WELCOME TO THE MARCH/APRIL 2022 ISSUE OF CRANES AND LIFTING WITH SO MUCH HAPPENING IN OUR industry and the construction sector in general, the team at Cranes and Lifting thought this to be an appropriate time to advise you of our intentions for 2022.

Firstly, we would like to acknowledge those crane hire businesses and crane OEMs who have come forward with unsolicited and overwhelmingly positive comments regarding the January/February 2022 issue. As you will have seen, the issue contained the 2022 Cranes and Lifting SHOWCASE. With more than 180 crane hire businesses featuring the premier cranes in their fleets, the 2022 SHOWCASE is the most comprehensive insight into the local crane sector.

At 172 pages, the January/February issue will have been a mighty read and, for this reason, the Cranes and Lifting team is pleased to confirm a number of developments. The May/June issue will be the last of the bi-monthly frequency and, from July, we will be publishing 11 issues a year with a combined January/ February issue containing the updated SHOWCASE.

This strategy will provide the industry with smaller, easier to read magazines that are still full of industry news, opinions, topical information, product developments and case studies.

The Cranes and Lifting team recently expanded with the arrival of Josh Farrell as our Specialist Journalist.

Josh will be working on a number of developments, which include the introduction of dedicated features focusing on various elements and disciplines in the cranes and lifting sector. These will include regular looks at issues relating to working at heights and, with the help of our industry partner The Working at Heights Association, we will be encouraging manufacturers, suppliers and RTOs to get involved.

We will also be focused on support equipment for cranes and these features will include elevated work platforms and telescopic handlers. We will also be taking more frequent dives into the rigging sector and report on this critical discipline in our industry.

With The Crane Industry Council of Australia’s (CICA) National Conference and Exhibition scheduled for November this year, we are asking all crane hire businesses to promote what they do best and enter the CICA Lift of the Year competition. Let’s get some interstate rivalry happening. It’s free to enter and Cranes and Lifting will feature all the entries.

The March/April issue has plenty of interesting content and, as always, we hope you enjoy the read.

Simon Gould Editor, Cranes and Lifting www.cranesandlifting.com.au

11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au CEO John Murphy E: john.murphy@primecreative.com.au Chief Operating Officer Zelda Tupicoff E: zelda.tupicoff@primecreative.com.au Publisher Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Group Managing Editor (Northern) Syed Shah E: syed.shah@primecreative.com.au Editor Simon Gould E: simon.gould@primecreative.com.au Journalist Joshua Farrell E: Joshua.farrell@primecreative.com.au T: 0420 298 087 Business Development Manager Emily Schlegel E: emily.schlegel@primecreative.com.au T: 0466 317 555 Client Success Manager Justine Nardone E: justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au Production Co-Ordinator Cat Fitzpatrick Art Director Bea Barthelson Advertisement Designer Lee Mawdsley Imaging Assistant Paul Breen Subscriptions Frank Rapone T: 03 9690 8766 E: frank.rapone@primecreative.com.au The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

March/April 2022 CAL / 5

INDUSTRY NEWS CRANE PLANNER 2.0 IS THE PROFESSIONAL LIFT PLANNING AND VISUALISATION SOLUTION FOR LIFTING WORK OF ALL KINDS With the new version of Crane Planner 2.0, Liebherr offers all users, potential users, customers, and partners even more benefits – the program now contains several Liebherr mobile cranes, all Liebherr crawler cranes with lifting capacities up to 300 tonnes, as well as hydraulic rope excavators. The software enables the simple, but professional, planning of a wide variety of crane jobs.

The latest version 1.7 of Liebherr’s lift planning software includes even more features – three-dimensional lift planning can be carried out for further LTM mobile cranes from Ehingen. In addition to the LTM 17509.1, which was already included in the program, the LTM 1650-8.1, LTM 1450-8.1, LTM 13006.2, LTM 1250-5.1, and LTM 1230-5.1 are now also available for planning work.

Additional telescopic mobile cranes are being added to Crane Planner 2.0 at regular intervals. The LTM 1350-6.1 will be the first of these. Users of the current version will enjoy the benefit of the new crane models and functions automatically and free of charge following the update. This also includes the new distance tool, which enables objects such as machines and buildings to be positioned relative to each other with centimetre precision.

Plan your work, work your plan The Liebherr Crane Planner 2.0 helps The program now contains several Liebherr mobile cranes, all Liebherr crawler cranes with lifting capacities up to 300 tonnes, as well as hydraulic rope excavators.

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The Liebherr Crane Planner 2.0 helps users to identify solutions and procedures for their lifting work in advance.

users to identify solutions and procedures for their lifting work in advance. This enables complicated heavy lifts with crawler cranes as well as supposedly quick and easy taxi lifts by mobile cranes to be completed safely. The tool combines an interactive 3D visualisation of the machines, the loads and surrounding objects with dimensions, a positioning tool and Google Maps, without the need for expensive CAD programs or high performance computers. The results of the planning process can be exported in the form of a report and sent to the customer.

This means that even small crane contractors can compete for large tenders.

The combination of an attractive, three-dimensional user interface and the exact machine data of the load moment limitation from the LICCON crane control system is unique. The data displayed in Crane Planner 2.0 are determined using exactly the same calculation logic as the live data generated by the real mobile and crawler cranes. Key data such as ground pressures, support

pressures, lifting capacities, and centres of gravity are calculated simultaneously.

Each time the configuration, load or geometry is changed, a new calculation is carried out.

High performance ‘Free’ version – full ‘Pro’ version with 3D view and additional functions Challenging planning tasks can be completed professionally in 2D using the ‘Free’ version. The range of functions is similar to the time-tested LICCON work planner. The ‘Pro’ version also contains detailed, interactive 3D models of the cranes, as well as a library with various 3D objects such as buildings, roads, machines or load objects. Map views from Google Maps and 3D data can be included in the display in the correct scale.

Ease of use was the main priority during the development of Crane Planner 2.0. No special expertise is required to use the program and apart from a standard PC, no additional hardware is required.

The program can be downloaded and installed to a PC from the Crane Planner home page. A free licence for the ‘Free’ version, or the fee-based ‘Pro’ version can be obtained from the licence shop. Furthermore, there is a ‘Trial’ version available which enables users to enjoy a 30-day free trial of the ‘Pro’ version. Whilst using Crane Planner 2.0, the calculations of the machine planning data, such as lifting capacities, support and ground pressures, are carried out online to ensure that they are always up to date. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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INDUSTRY NEWS

TADANO INTRODUCES THE TM-ZX1200 SERIES LARGE SIZE TRUCK LOADER CRANE FOR INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

Tadano recently released details about the TM-ZX1200 series truck loader crane bound for international market.

The truck crane features a maximum lifting capacity of 12 tonnes, a maximum crane capacity of 22 tonne metres, and a maximum boom length of 16 metres.

Development concept Tadano has expanded the lineup to meet a wide range of customer needs by adding a product with a maximum lifting capacity of 12t, a maximum crane capacity of 22tm, and a maximum outrigger extension width of 5.5m. In addition to manual (MH) specification, HRS/HS specifications that include an advanced overload prevention device are also available.

The Tadano safety systems that have been developed in products for the Japanese domestic market are now being introduced in products for markets outside of Japan, where safety

awareness is getting higher, for safer and more efficient work.

The series features a full range of safety systems The standard HRS and HS specifications include the Safety Eyes system equipped with a function that monitors changes in stability caused by changes in the truck bed load conditions during crane operation. This allows operation with maximum performance according to the load conditions.

Safety is further improved by: the automatic moment limiter (AML) overload prevention device, which monitors and controls the crane operation status and restricts or stops operation according to the moment load ratio based on the rated load; the jack interlock function, which disables crane operation when outrigger jacks are not in contact with the ground; and the working height

limit device, which automatically stops the boom when it reaches the preset height.

The standard HRS specification also includes a colour LCD radio controller that displays the lifted load and provides other functions that deliver further advances in work safety and efficiency.

Basket mode The AML in the standard HRS specification includes basket mode.

In addition, a basket mounting support that allows a basket to be installed without removing the hook block is available as an option. This enables safe work in an elevated height and improves the universal utility of the crane.

Safety features include an overload prevention device.

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www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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UP FRONT / CRANECORP TUTT BRYANT JV

CRANECORP TUTT BRYANT JOINT VENTURE GAINS MOMENTUM In April 2021 Cranecorp and Tutt Bryant formed the Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV. With a view to providing large projects the combined resource, experience and assets of both organisations, the industry’s response to the development has been quick and positive.

The Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV will be focusing on most industry sectors, including defence, mining, renewable energy, Infrastructure, and general construction.

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DAVID POWER, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT manager at Cranecorp and David Taylor, business development manager at Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHLS) provide interesting insights into the JV. “From Cranecorp’s point of view, we are a reasonably sized company with our fleet of hydraulic all terrain and pick and carry cranes, but we could see that, when it came to larger project work, we were left wanting.

That’s because larger project work typically requires a combination of cranes with a stronger focus on heavy lift crawler cranes.

“This type of project work can also involve specialised transport and access equipment. By forming the JV, we could combine the strengths and capabilities of both organisations to form a significant provider to a market which has been crying out for an option to the two large players who, until now, have been the only options on large projects,” said Power.

“It is a competitive market, and the JV provides Cranecorp with the opportunity to be involved in tendering for these larger projects. In the past, our competitors have questioned our capabilities with us not having direct access to heavy lift crawler cranes, SPMTs and access equipment.

Well, now we do.

“The important point is TBHLS doesn’t have a significant focus on hydraulic all terrain cranes and pick and carries, particularly in Western Australia, which means we generally don’t compete with each other for work,” he said.

David Taylor confirms the advantages as he sees them from the TBHLS perspective.

“As a result of the JV, we have been able to combine our geographical locations, which has meant a huge boost to our capabilities. From our perspective, we now have a presence with Cranecorp in the regions where we were not represented

and it is the same for Cranecorp in reverse,” he said.

With the JV designed to cater for larger project work, Taylor and Power highlight the JV’s capabilities, the types of projects it is designed to service, and the industry sectors the Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV is targeting.

“TBHLS is a national operation, and we have the largest fleet of crawler cranes in the country, with capacities ranging from 40t up to 1,600t. In terms of fleet, we operate over 200 cranes, and we go from the smaller pick and carry crawler cranes through to the largest crawler crane in the country. In Western Australia, we have the largest crawler fleet by a long stretch. Our cranes travel to wherever the work is.

“We also have a full range of access equipment and a full suite of specialised transport including SPTs, SPMTs, and 100t www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV is designed for larger project work which typically requires a combination of cranes with a stronger focus on heavy lift crawler cranes.

floats, etc. We also have an engineering team which features eight engineers who are completing all our engineered lift studies,” said Taylor.

“From Cranecorp’s perspective we operate hydraulic cranes ranging from 15t through to 500t capacity and, within the next 12 months, we will take delivery of a 650t capacity all terrain. We have 40 Frannas in the fleet ranging from 15t to 40t, we also have a fleet of rough terrains.

We have over 100 cranes in our fleet,” said Power.

“The initial focus for the JV is WA, however, given the rapid acceptance by clients and success to date of the JV, other states or territories may be considered for future growth over time. Clients have also enquired as to the availability of the JV outside WA and this may underpin the JV for future expansion,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“TBHLS is a national operation, and we have the largest fleet of crawler cranes in the country, with capacities ranging from 40t up to 1,600t.”

Taylor and Power explain how the JV works from the customer’s perspective, the industries they are targeting, and the type of project which will suit the JV. “Dave and I head up our respective business development teams and we will work closely together when the right project comes across our desks. The types of projects will include a strong mix of the cranes we have spoken about. We can either bid for a project under the banner of the JV or TBHLS or Cranecorp can bid. If the latter strategy is successful, then we can introduce the JV, suggesting to the client there are advantages including no margins

on cross hired equipment. There’s single point of contact, there’s a single point for billing purposes, and numerous other advantages,” said Taylor.

“We will be focusing on most industry sectors including defence, mining, the renewable energy sector, infrastructure, and general construction sectors. As we’ve said, the JV is better suited to the larger, longterm projects.

“We are examining the potential with infrastructure projects. With the major focus high levels of spend on this sector from the state and federal governments, we have the right range and mix of assets to March/April 2022 CAL / 11

UP FRONT / CRANECORP TUTT BRYANT JV

The Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV has the full backing of both organisations and the cultures of both are completely aligned.

manage these multi-billion projects.

“We have been tendering for infrastructure projects and we believe we are close to securing a significant contract.

If we can get the terms and conditions right, we will manage this project with the JV,” he said.

“We are keen to be involved with major projects in sectors like oil and gas, lithium, urea, hydrogen, iron ore, nickel, gold, and renewables. Projects that provide a couple of years’ work and require a large mix of crane requirements are a key focus for the JV. Another factor is projects located close to our major depots in the Pilbara, Perth, Goldfields, Geraldton, and in the South West. These will suit us strategically as we have excellent facilities and resources close to hand.

“There is any amount of mining work 12 / CAL March/April 2022

and it’s not only iron ore,” said Taylor.

“There are new rare earth projects, lithium plants, as well as numerous expansion projects. There are new players entering these markets alongside the large resources players who are talking about starting new mines on top of the mines they are already operating. There is plenty of potential and this doesn’t take into account any large, long term maintenance opportunities,” he said.

The response to the JV from the market has been very positive said Power.

“Our entry into this market has certainly had a significant impact. We know the incumbent suppliers, who have had this space to themselves, have significantly sharpened their pencils on a number of the projects we have been pricing. The market is happy to see another option for these

large projects and the competition are certainly aware Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV means business.

Taylor agreed that the market’s response has been quick and positive.

“The feedback from long term clients I deal with at TBHLS has been extremely positive. They have confirmed that when the next large projects come along, they will be knocking on the door of the JV as we have everything they need,” he said.

Power and Taylor highlight the resources they have at their disposal and how capable the JV will be in terms of managing these large projects.

“When we secure a large project which has a requirement for crawler cranes, transport, and access equipment, David Taylor will head up the project with his team of lift engineers and lift planners, etc. If the project is more focused on our type of equipment and people, myself and my team will head up the project.

It really depends on which side of the JV will operating the largest asset base on the project.

“In the background we will be working on efficiencies, which means the project will have access to our combined resource and capabilities, but the client will only have one point of contact with both teams working together to implement what we have said we will do.

“Our logistics teams will be involved, our engineers, the CFOs and CEOs of both organisations, but the client will have one point of contact, either David or myself. The JV is designed to ensure projects operate seamlessly for the client, who will receive one invoice for the services provided,” said Power.

Senior management from both Cranecorp and TBHLS sit on the Cranecorp Tutt Bryant JV management committee, explained Taylor.

“The JV has the full backing of both organisations and the cultures of both are completely aligned. The JV management committee includes the most senior individuals from both organisations, and they are tremendously supportive, which means decisions can be made quickly. From our perspective, it is all positive including the feedback from the market,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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MINI CRAWLER

CICA PRESIDENT’S REPORT

CONFIDENCE IS RETURNING

CICA president Tom Smith

WE ARE NOW WELL IN TO 2022 and there’s been plenty of change with the pandemic and the altering of people movements and restrictions. We’re now seeing tourists back in Australia, other countries are welcoming travel with reduced quarantine restrictions, travel and flight options are suddenly becoming available, and supply chain issues, although still prevalent, are beginning to show signs of stabilising.

But on the ground, where the workers are working, where the businesses are operating, and where the kids are going to school or daycare, the situation is still challenging. Where, last year, having a positive Covid case in your business was virtually headline news and met with the same reaction as a case of leprosy; now, we are regularly experiencing Covid cases in the workforce, particularly through January following break-up parties, family Christmas functions, and New Year celebrations. And it’s been met with a feeling of getting on with it. That is, get the virus, do your quarantine, and get back into it. It’s quite an extreme change from six months ago.

This pandemic has expressed firsthand the resilience and depth our industry has.

The very many infrastructure projects in the pipeline across many industry sectors including civil construction and renewable energy has instilled a foundation of confidence to proceed with investment plans and equipment expansion. Despite our natural feelings of uncertainty, the Australian economy is strong, and our clients are finding a way to rebound in their 14 / CAL March/April 2022

Despite the continued uncertainties around the pandemic, the numerous infrastructure projects in the pipeline, across many industry sectors including civil construction and renewable energy, has instilled a newfound confidence in the crane sector. There are higher levels of confidence that the investment in these big ticket projects will proceed, providing a major flow-on effect for our industry. own industry sectors, re-establishing a sense of normality in many traditional general hire markets.

So, in a nutshell, two-years in, besides the odd curve ball, we’re all becoming seasoned pandemic warriors. Our eyes are very firmly placed on other peripheral issues, which may give us a different group of challenges as the year ahead unfolds. We have a federal election in a few months, we have ongoing fluctuations in skills availability and workforce shortages, we have seen bolstered activity in the union movement to make gain while the labour market is tight, government-funded projects are strong, and our connectivity and continuity between sea, rail, and road freight has ongoing limitations and flaws.

These types of issues, among others, will be the real determinants of how successful this year is for us, as opposed to how many new Covid variants come in, or how many Covid boosters we need this year; and how many days in quarantine we must do.

The many businesses I have spoken to have a very clear plan as to what adjustments they are making to their business this year and how they will use any forthcoming disruptions to reshape their long-term strategies and to reset their operations moving forward.

THANK YOU STEPHEN HOLMES. Stephen Holmes, CICA S.A. Secretary for five years, retired at the end of 2021.

Before that, Stephen was an active

member of CICA and the familiar voice of CICA’s training CDs/DVDs. Stephen was instrumental in helping define a new era of working with CICA National, and I would like to thank him both personally and on behalf of the organisation for his hard work, his organisational skills, and the support he provided to the team in S.A. Steve, you’re a top bloke and I hope we’ll see you at the odd branch meeting or conference. We wish you all the best, and many happy days riding and working on motor bikes.

CICA NATIONAL CONFERENCE The CICA National Conference will be held in Adelaide this year if all things go to plan. If you haven’t already done so, mark 10–12 November 2022 in your diaries for what will no doubt be a welcome get together. The Conference is a little later this year to give BAUMA attendees and our international guests the opportunity to attend. So please take the time to come to this one, this event will be pivotal in re-establishing connectivity with your national network in the traditional face- to-face way.

QUEENSLAND ROAD ACCESS As you are aware, the crane industry in Queensland has been experiencing extremely challenging operating conditions. This crisis is directly attributable to the TMR permit process in Queensland and its impact on road access and costs.

To build a case for reform, Jed www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Kenwright, CICA road technical engineer and Damien Hense, CICA road policy advisor, collated and analysed data from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). This data and a comparative analysis with NSW data forms the basis of the report The Crane Road Access Crisis in Queensland.

The results have highlighted major disparities in performance between the two jurisdictions. It is apparent that the complexity and cost associated with operating cranes in QLD is exponentially higher when compared to NSW. At the time of writing, this report has been used as part of CICA’s ongoing lobbying attempts with the Palaszczuk government, in particular, the Queensland Minister for Transport.

Hopefully, common sense is applied to what is currently an untenable situation.

I commend the work of Jed and Damien, and if you would like a copy of this report, please email Michelle at CICA by emailing michelle@cica.com.au.

CICA has started a new ‘Women in Cranes’ group that Paul Arztenhofer, CICA’s membership engagement specialist has been facilitating. If any women within your business are keen to join, reach out to Paul who will provide them with the details.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS ISSUE Alice Edwards has again put together an informative Tech Corner which covers CICA’s Articulated Pick and Carry Crane Side Slope Deration Calculation Tool.

This tool can assist you with planning your lift and is available to everyone on the CICA website. CICA Members can also save, store and send the calculations through the CICA Member Portal.

CICA BOARD Tom Smith – President Ben Pieyre – Vice President Danny Adair – Director Danny Black – Director Andrew Esquilant – Director Marcus Ferrari – Director David Solomon – Director Bart Sutherland – Director

CICA OFFICE Brandon Hitch Chief Executive Officer 03 8320 0444 0428 228 048 ceo@cica.com.au

Damien Hense CICA Road Policy Advisor 03 8320 0460 0488 007 575 damien@cica.com.au Jed Kenwright Road Technical Engineer 0439 556 867 jed@cica.com.au Julie Turner CICA Executive Assistant / Office Manager/Vic Secretariat Direct: 03 8320 0411 Email: julie@cica.com.au

Paul Arztenhofer Membership Engagement/Business Development Specialist 0490 939 274 paul@cica.com.au

Ashleigh Gould CraneSafe and CrewSafe Administration Officer NSW/ACT QLD & NT Branch Sectretariat Direct: 03 8320 0466 0403 717 626 Email: ashleigh@cranesafe.com.au

Alice Edwards Technical Project Engineer 03 8320 0440 alice@cica.com.au

Michelle Verkerk Marketing Communications Officer 0404 938 714 michelle@cica.com.au

Patrick Cran CraneSafe and CrewSafe Technical Advisor 0488 004 274 pat@cranesafe.com.au

Unit 10, 18–22 Lexia Place, Mulgrave Vic 3170 Phone: 03 9501 0078 Fax: 03 9501 0083 Email: admin@cica.com.au Website: www.cica.com.au

I trust you will enjoy this issue of Cranes and Lifting magazine.

Take care and stay safe out there.

Tom Smith CICA president managing director – McKay United 0439 130 567 www.cranesandlifting.com.au

For information, please visit our website or call the CICA office.

March/April 2022 CAL / 15

CICA MEMBER PROFILE

NEW MINI CRANE BUSINESS IMMEDIATELY GAINS TRACTION

Melbourne Spider Crane Hire (MSC) is a relative newcomer to the city’s mini crane market. The family business was started in July 2020 by father and daughter team, Jim and Toni Wilson. They purchased a Jekko SPX 424 2019 crawler crane and a 2020 Hino 300 truck with custom built tray and ramp for transport, and MSC was born. Jim takes up the story.

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www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Melbourne Spider Crane Hire’s father and daughter team Jim and Toni Wilson.

“WE INITIALLY PURCHASED THE JEKKO to help with our other family businesses but, with demand for the crane, we are finding ourselves working for a number of other customers,” said Jim. “We are a family-owned and -operated business and we pride ourselves in safety and personalised customer service. We are located in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne and operate in Melbourne and all outer suburbs, and we will travel to most destinations if required. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“Our crane is designed for easy transport. With the Jekko, we typically find ourselves working on job sites with slopes, stairs, passageways, and other difficult-to-reach places. One big advantage with the Jekko is it does not require long set-up times.

“It also features a convenient lifting system, which ensures operational savings in terms of time and money as well as elevated safety levels for improved lifting performances. We also have a range of tracking platforms and glass lifters available. With the Jekko, we can get into places the big cranes can’t,” he said.

The Jekko SPX 424 2019 crawler crane features a 2.4t safe working limit and can be fitted with a hydraulic jib attachment for the extra length and angle. This enables MSC to achieve up to 15m in reach. The spider crane has the ability to run on electricity or diesel and features white, unmarking tracks suitable for indoor work.

“We work with customers in specific markets due to our ability to get into areas where access is tight. We are also involved on projects where our crane is lifted by a larger crane and placed in tight and high access areas. Servicing a wide range of jobs utilises our cranes’ unique abilities,” he said.

“Typically, the work we conduct is in the commercial and domestic sectors, and we tend to focus on glass installation and removal, structural steel and construction lifting, air conditioner installation, and stone masonry work.

“We have a range of loyal, repeat customers and work closely with other crane businesses within the industry.

That way, if there is a job we can’t do, we have access to other cranes within the industry that can,” said Jim. Jim explains how much emphasis he and Toni place on customer service and satisfaction.

“100 per cent customer service and satisfaction are our number one priorities; in a family-owned business it has to be. We are big believers that, by keeping the business family-owned, we will always offer a personal service.

Toni was working as chef before moving to the family crane business.

“We also make safety a major priority because we believe everybody needs to come home at night.

SWMs [safe work methods] and lift assessments are applied to every job, our staff are thoroughly trained, and all our equipment is tested and maintained regularly.

“We ask a unique set of questions before each job and, if a site visit is required or requested, we will be onsite before the commencement of the job.

This ensures the job site is adequate for our crane’s ability. We communicate and consult thoroughly with our clients and the engineers on the job and, depending on the difficulties involved, we will determine our lift plan for each individual lift,” he said.

Jim talked about his daughter, Toni – explaining the skills she brings to the business.

“Our main operator is my daughter, Toni, and she is 28 years of age. Since leaving school, Toni has been a chef, but this career came to a sudden end with the advent of Covid. When the epidemic impacted, she decided on a career change, and took the opportunity to join the family business.

“She completed her dogman and crane operate c6 licences at multi skill in 2020. Since then, she has gained her truck licence and electrical spotter, and other qualifications. She has thrived in the business and has become a confident and very competent operator.

March/April 2022 CAL / 17

CICA MEMBER PROFILE

She is well known within the industry and very knowledgeable. She is also highly regarded by her industry peers,” said Jim. Toni talks about her experience in the industry and how she uses her skill set, learnt in the catering industry, to her advantage in the crane and construction sector.

“Coming from the hospitality industry, which is also a maledominated workplace, I have been able to transfer my assertiveness, and also my organisational skills, and utilise these in the construction industry.

“Most of the industry has been really welcoming and supportive of a female coming onto jobsites, and this has made the transition very welcoming and easy.

This attitude has also helped me learn about the industry and to pick up the required skills very quickly. I have been fortunate to learn from some of the best in the industry,” she said.

Toni’s main challenges have been from customers questioning her competency mainly because of her age, sex, and experience. They are quickly reassured when she shares her confidence and knowledge with them.

In a short period of time, Toni has generated significant repeat business from customers and is well known and referred to by others within the industry.

“I love the work and I love the challenges that come with the job.

Every day and every job is different, and I liken the lifts we plan and execute to solving difficult puzzles, which challenge and stimulate my brain on a daily basis. I love the confidence and empowerment the work gives me, and I also love the work and home life balance, which I could never achieve in the hospitality business.

“I operate our MSC crane and truck and also sub hire myself to other crane companies as an operator, dogman, and spotter when they need my experience.

We work regularly with 600 Cranes for all our maintenance and repairs when needed. They have been excellent and also answer any technical queries relating to the Jekko,” said Toni.

18 / CAL March/April 2022

The Jekko SPX 424 2019 crawler crane features a 2.4t safe working limit.

“We have close relationships with a number of other businesses operating Jekkos within the industry. We work closely with them, and we network together like a crane family, helping each other out with overflow work, so no job gets is left undone. It’s an industry like no other I have experienced. We all work together and there is very little competition. I love my Jekko and know everything about it,” said Toni.

Jim went on to discuss their plans for the business and how they see it developing over the next five years.

“We certainly see MSC having a larger fleet, offering a wider variety of cranes, within the next five years, and we see Toni being the director of MSC. We’ll achieve this vision by continuing to offer amazing service and securing an array

of repeat clientele. This will help us to increase our asset base over the next five years,” he said.

When launching MSC, one of the first steps Jim and Toni took was to join The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA). Jim explained why.

“We knew how CICA would help us keep up to date with industry changes, especially around issues relating legislation. We could also see the benefits the networking opportunities presented and the knowledge we could access from the CICA events,” he said.

“CICA provides us with the best and most up to date industry information and facilitates the opportunities to form lifelong connections through their special events. All of this will help us to fulfill our business expansion plan.” www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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CICA TECH CORNER

CICA ARTICULATED PICK AND CARRY CRANE SIDE SLOPE DERATION CALCULATION TOOL In the CICA Tech Corner article in the September/October 2020 issue, the CICA technical committee discussed the impact of changing ground conditions have on the operation of articulated pick and carry cranes. Since then, CICA, together with Multiplex, has developed an easy-to-use side slope deration calculation tool according to the manufacturer’s instructions to assist crane crews with their lift planning on site.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CALCULATE the derated capacity of the articulated pick and carry crane when the crane is operating on the side slope?

Crane load chart ratings are based on the machine being levelled in all directions. Mobile cranes operating on outriggers achieve levelling through adjusting the configuration of the crane outriggers, their load charts are designed to operate within the one per cent gradient (or 0.57°) ground slope.

Articulated pick and carry cranes are not designed to operate on outriggers – any deviation to firm, level conditions could require the rated capacity to be reduced accordingly to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

This is because when the crane is out-of-level, side loads develop in the boom. This side loading causes mobile cranes to lose capacity as the degree of out-of-level increases.

Sometimes people are not aware that they are operating their pick and carry cranes on a side slope. For example, when operating the crane to lift and carry a load on site, if the crane drove on uneven road surface (potholes, etc.), the ground effectively creates a side slope condition.

To prevent overloading the crane from these ground conditions, it is recommended that, before the lifting job starts, walk or drive around the site to confirm the lift path/route.

How is the side slope deration calculated? As mentioned in the previous article, deration load charts 20 / CAL March/April 2022

are provided by manufacturers to guide the operator how to calculate the rated capacity reduction when a side slope is encountered. Crane operators follow the deration percentage specified on the chart to calculate the appropriate crane rated capacity for their lifting configuration and environment.

SIDE SLOPE DERATION CALCULATION EXAMPLE A Franna AT-20 crane is selected

to perform a lifting task with the following configurations: • L ifting on winch • B oom length: 11m, load radius: 7m • A rticulation angle: 0°, straight ahead • G round slope 2° To calculate the rated capacity for this crane, the first step is to select the correct load chart and interpret the chart with the relevant crane configurations. This crane is intended to lift using the winch with 11m boom length, 7m radius at greater than 10° articulation.

According to the chart, the rated capacity of the crane at this configuration is 3,750kg.

The next step is to determine the deration percentage. The rated capacity obtained from the first step is for when the crane is operated on level ground (0.57°) – this crane www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“CICA Members can save, store, and send the calculations through the CICA Member Portal.”

operates on ground with a 2° slope.

Deration should be made following the manufacturer’s instructions.

From the deration chart, with 11m boom length, 7m lifting radius and 34° boom angle, the deration percentage for this crane at this configuration is 40 per cent.

Rated capacity of the crane = 3,750kg – 40 per cent x 3,750 kg = 2,250kg. In other words, the crane can pick up 60 per cent of its level ground rated capacity.

The CICA articulated pick and carry crane side slope deration calculation tool follows the same calculation process. Follow the three steps below to plan your lift with articulated pick and carry cranes.

• S elect your crane model, boom length and radius • E nter the articulation degree and side slope degrees • C hoose the load weight required to lift, to determine whether the www.cranesandlifting.com.au

load is within the crane’s rated capacity The calculation tool is available to access from the CICA website at: https://cica.com.au/resources-safety.

CICA Members can save, store, and send the calculations through the CICA Member Portal.

First, select the correct crane model and the lifting arrangement

(lifting point, boom length, radius) from the drop-down list. This determines which rated capacity chart will be used. The tool currently has two crane models in the system, AT 20-3 and MAC 25-3.

With the selected crane model and the lift configuration, the tool will display with results for when the crane is lifting at 0° articulation and on level ground.

The next step is to select the articulation degrees and the side slope degrees. The calculation result, which is the rated capacity of the crane under the configuration selected for the lifting operation. If the mass of the load to be lifted is selected, the result can also show the percentage of the rated capacity used.

The calculation tool can also assist with selecting the appropriate crane configuration for the lift.

The bar chart at the bottom righthand corner shows the rated capacity of the crane under different configurations.

March/April 2022 CAL / 21

CICA TECH CORNER

The red line is the load to be lifted, the dotted rectangle is the actual crane configuration.

Before setting the crane to lift the load, put the numbers in the tool to see which configuration has the rated capacity to lift the load.

For a set boom length and radius, the crane rated capacity is enough to lift a load with a mass of 2.3t when the crane is articulated and operating on a side slope. If the load mass increased to 4t, then the crane can only lift it with 0° articulation (straight ahead) on level ground. This feature could assist with the lift planning, before setting up the crane, run the calculation to see which configuration is suitable for the lift.

For more details on the calculation tool, please contact CICA technical project engineer Alice Edwards by email: projeng@cica.com.au.

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CICA SOUTH AUSTRALIA

ENDING 2021 ON A HIGH IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA The South Australian branch of The Crane Industry Council of Australia closed out 2021 in style.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS WITH OUR members and recognising industry excellence are a wonderful way to end the year, and 2021 was no exception.

2021 was a challenging year for many, so the opportunity to get together and celebrate was even more enjoyable.

CICA SA places a high value on these awards – they play an important role in recognising the efforts of operators, riggers, trainees, and achievers in our industry as well as the companies that invest time in skilling and supporting the nominees and winners.

I congratulate all those nominated for the awards and especially congratulate the winners of the 2021 Industry Excellence Awards.

AWARDS THIS YEAR WERE PRESENTED TO: Crane Industry High Achiever – Crane Operator 2021 Dean Bruce – Boom Logistics Crane Industry High Achiever – Crane Operator 2021 David Ferrari – Ferrari Bros.

Crane Industry High Achiever – Dogger / Rigger 2021 Joel Elliott – Morgan’s Cranes Crane Industry High Achiever – Dogger / Rigger 2021 Nicklas Hinds – Fork & Cranes Crane Industry High Achiever – Dogger / Rigger 2021 Aaron Shephard – Load 28 Crane Industry High Achiever – Dogger / Rigger 2021 Adam Hellyer – Boom Logistics I would like to again thank the CICA SA steering committee for organising this night. These people are volunteers in the industry, who once again took time www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Crane Industry High Achiever, Crane Operator 2021, Dean Bruce - Boom Logistics and Crane Industry High Achiever - Dogger/Rigger 2021, Adam Hellyer – Boom Logistics.

out of their busy schedules to make this a success. To the companies of these nominees, thank you so very much for your engagement and support of this awards night. Thank you to our marketers, who also supported the night.

During the evening, we also recognised the work of Stephen Holmes, who has now retired from the SA secretariat role to drive off into the sunset, caravan in tow.

I met Steve many years ago when I first started out in the crane industry.

Steve was a great asset to the industry. I personally valued his support and would lean on Steve at times for his expertise and his guidance. Steve has been a great secretariat. Assisting me in my role as chairperson, he contributed beyond his role and provided valuable input in decision making , along with the steering committee.

We wish Steve and Sue all the best in their new ventures and hope to catch up with them soon.

CICA SA places a high value on these awards.

I am looking forward to our next awards evening and, as we emerge from this pandemic that has thrown us challenges at every corner, it is my sincere hope that, by the next Christmas function, we’ll have left lockdowns and mandates behind and have come off the back of an awesome National Conference in Adelaide.

Hope to see you there.

Marcus Rigney Chairman CICA SA March/April 2022 CAL / 23

CICA AND TAFE NSW TRAINING

TAFE NSW TRAINING WITH LIEBHERR TAFE NSW recently took delivery of a 55t Liebherr all terrain. The acquisition is designed to enhance the learning experience of students enrolled in the Civil Construction Certificate III Crane Operations CPC32920.

TERRY SAWAQED IS THE HEAD TEACHER for Civil Construction Cranes at TAFE NSW Nirimba in Western Sydney.

He explained the background to the purchase of the crane and why it will make such a difference to the students.

Terry and Tony’s manager, Samuel Fairweather, recognised that if TAFE wanted to be taken seriously in the industry, a serious industry crane was needed. Fairweather worked with CICA and other industry partners to ensure TAFE purchased a crane that met their needs.

“Working with the Crane Industry Council of Australia [CICA] and other

valued partners, we took the decision to build on the Certificate III in Cranes program. In previous years we’ve had to hire in the crane for training.

“We recognised hiring the crane in has not been an efficient way to manage the course and it hasn’t benefitted the students or the employers, because we’ve only had the cranes here on a bespoke basis.

So, TAFE NSW made the decision to purchase its own 55t capacity all terrain, which is a Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2. This will be a dedicated crane, permanently located in the Western Sydney Region, servicing here

TAFE’s Tony Garard and Terry Sawaqed flanked by Jake and Gary from Coffs City Cranes.

24 / CAL March/April 2022

in Quakers Hill and available for our training courses.

“We have been collaborating with CICA to encourage more trainees to sign up to the course. There are 23 units in the course, including seven high risk tickets. It’s designed for trainees, and we are hoping it moves into an apprenticeship realm, which will be beneficial to employers because funding and the grants become more attractive. At the moment we are seeing a healthy advance in enrolments on the course, and they are coming from all over the state,” said Sawaqed.

At the time of launching the news of the dedicated crane, TAFE NSW had two trainees, Jake and Gary from Coffs City Cranes, being put through their paces. Gary had his first experience of sitting in the seat of a crane here and hopes to use skills learnt here to benefit his employer. Tony Garard is their teacher. Tony has many years of experience in and around civil construction and cranes, and is highly experienced with what it takes to achieve the required certifications.

“Having the crane here permanently means the students will get more exposure to the crane all of the time.

Previously, we were hiring the crane for specific elements of the course like the Crane C6 unit. We now have the crane available for the non-licensing units like communication, plant, and for measurements and calculations.

The trainees are in the classroom with the theory, and they are then out here with the crane putting the theory into practice,” said Garard.

“Having a crane here full time is going to make such a difference to the trainees’ experience during the course. Instead of having a crane here www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Tony Garard and the Civil Construction Certificate III Crane Operations CPC32920 class of 2022.

“Having a crane here full time is going to make such a difference to the trainees’ experience during the course.”

once every two years, we can now contextualise everything, bring them out here, and they can communicate via the two-way radio, or work on the rigging. They are getting constant exposure to the crane, which is what they need. Some trainees are working with crane companies, but they are not getting to sit in the crane and understand how everything works, because the crane is working on the site and time is at a premium, where here they can take as long as they need.

The whole course is now based around the actual crane,” he said.

TAFE NSW is the only RTO in Australia to provide a full Certificate III in Construction Crane Operations in the CPC format said Sawaqed.

“Now, we have the crane based here permanently, we are hoping that crane businesses right around the state and from interstate, will look at our courses and enrol their trainees in our programs. The civil construction courses are ‘block released’, which means they run Monday to Friday over www.cranesandlifting.com.au

four blocks a year. We have trainees enrolled in the course from all over the state, including Newcastle, the Illawarra, and, obviously, we have Gary and Jake from Coffs Harbour.

Travel and accommodation allowances are subsidised as well. The employer arranges local accommodation for the trainees,” he said.

The TAFE NSW yard where the crane operates also features a timber bridge. Trainees are able to gain handson experience by dismantling this with the crane, said Sawaqed.

“We work with the RMS, which has a course on timber bridge construction. We are now able to teach trainees in a real environment as they are able to use their skills to dismantle and then build the bridge again,” he said.

TAFE NSW purchased a used Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2, with Fairweather and his team working closely with Tom Grady and Andrew Esquilant from Liebherr.

“It has been a very comfortable

TAFE NSW worked closely with the team at Liebherr during the purchase of the Liebherr LTM 1055-3.2.

relationship between TAFE NSW and Liebherr. Andrew and Tom were fantastic, they were very focused on customer service, they have always had an open-door policy with us, and any questions we had they answered, and many of these were at short March/April 2022 CAL / 25

CICA AND TAFE NSW TRAINING TAFE NSW is now able to teach trainees in a real environment, using their skills to dismantle and then build the onsite bridge.

notice. Tony was in contact with Liebherr regularly and he never once complained that he couldn’t get an answer from them and never expressed disappointment at the service he received. And look at the crane they’ve

provided us – it has low hours, low kilometres and it has been maintained meticulously,” Sawaqed said.

The Crane Industry Council of Australia has taken a very proactive attitude to the Certificate III in

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“Paul Arztenhofer, membership/ business development manager, and CEO Brandon Hitch have been meeting with crane business owners to discuss and promote the course.

They’ve consulted with us in terms of the course content and the whole training package. This consultative process includes the delivery of the training and the monitoring of the students and to ensure they remain on track to complete the course.

“We can accommodate 24 trainees per course and we are thinking about introducing a mid-year course if there is enough demand, so will be able to accommodate 48 over the year. As I’ve said, there are seven high risk qualifications in the course so it’s great value for money. The course is also subsidised, adding even more value for crane businesses,” said Sawaqed.

IN FOCUS / BEN BADEN SERVICES

WRITE OFF WRECK TO WORLD CLASS FINISH Ben Baden and his crew at Ben Baden Services recently completed a major refurbishment of a ‘written off’ Franna AT40. It is the first time Baden and his team have been able to get this deeply involved with the latest model Franna.

BEN BADEN TALKS ABOUT THE PROJECT and what his team has learned.

“We purchased the wreck machine as it was an economical write off, meaning the insurance company made a financial decision not to repair it.

We do this from time to time as a way of sustaining the workload in our workshop as well as treating it as a bit of a training exercise,” he explained.

“In this instance, the machine was quite badly damaged, so we set it up in the workshop and the first task was to fully strip the machine. The repairs included a new cabin and the majority of cosmetics including panelling and fibreglass finishes were required. We inspected the engine, gearbox, and transfer case, and they were all good.

“However, the boom required structural repairs to be carried out, which meant it needed to be removed.

We found there was quite a lot of misalignment on significant points like the boom pivots and the centre articulation, and all of these items needed to be attended to and repaired.

“We have our own in-house line borer/machinist who is set up in a mobile truck. We service a lot of the earthmoving industry with this mobile truck, including the Caterpillar dealership, but it is a really handy trade to have on our books,” said Baden.

All of the work was conducted inwww.cranesandlifting.com.au

The AT40 was an economical write off.

house with hydraulic cylinders being the only elements outsourced for repair.

“The repair was completed over a period of 12 months. It took this amount of time because the workshop has been very busy and there were delays in receiving parts due to Covid and related supply chain issues.

“Obviously this is the first AT40 to go through this kind of repair process.

In fact, it is the first 40-tonne Franna I’ve had in my workshop. One of the reasons to undertake the project was the educational opportunity it provided our team.

“Because we had to work on every aspect of a machine we hadn’t worked on before, the project provided the opportunity to learn about the machine ‘our way’. There were elements of the crane which we hadn’t March/April 2022 CAL / 27

IN FOCUS / BEN BADEN SERVICES

All of the work was conducted in house, with hydraulic cylinders being the only elements outsourced for repair.

“Over the years, we have repaired hundreds of pick and carry cranes and you get to know the most common issues relating to damage when there is an incident. With this AT40, we found the damage to be greater than we have experienced with other pick and carry models we have repaired in the past. This is probably as a result of the machine rolling at speed, where most other repairs have been on cranes which have rolled whilst conducting a lift.

“We are very pleased with the way the machine has turned out. The team are always happy to take on projects which present new challenges. Being the fi rst major incident involving this model Franna, there has been a lot of interest from the industry as a whole. Insurers and crane owners have all been interested in the how, the why and the what, and these sorts of questions have been asked around the project,” said Baden.

Baden talks about the capabilities of his business and how keen he is for interstate crane operators to look to

“Over the years we have repaired hundreds of pick and carry cranes and you get to know the most common issues relating to damage when there is an incident.” seen before and it is ideal that the team have been learning about the AT40 on our own unit and not on a customer’s crane. When a customer’s AT40 does come in for repair, we will be ready.

“We literally know the machine from the inside out. We know where all the components are located and what they all do, right through to how to paint the crane. With painting, every time you get a new crane in the workshop, you need to know where to mask up and the segmentation of 28 / CAL March/April 2022

how to paint – it is different with every machine. Painting may not be a huge issue on its own, but because we now know the crane, we can save one or two days and get the customer’s crane back on the road quicker – all the better for the customer, because in today’s extremely busy environment, every day counts,” said Baden.

Baden goes on to explain how extensively damaged the Franna was through the centre articulation and at the boom pivot point.

Ben Baden Services for major repairs.

“We have taken the wreck of a new model Franna AT40, we’ve pulled it right down to nothing, and rebuilt it, which is by no means an easy undertaking. The Sydney market is well aware of our capabilities and customers visit our workshop all the time and there is always something interesting going on. Hopefully, there might be some interstate operators reading this article who will also now better understand our capabilities and www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The boom required structural repairs to be carried out, which meant it needed to be removed.

feel more comfortable contacting us in the future.

“I want them to know we welcome their work. Right now, we have a Franna in the workshop from Victoria and we also have one in from Tasmania. We recently finished a repair on the boom of a Tadano rough terrain from Western Australia. It was a 70t capacity crane and they’d damaged the base section. We also have a 100t Grove from the Northern Territory in the workshop. We have always received work from interstate and we’d like to see more of this type of work keep coming. I believe if we stick to trying to support the customer as best we can, particularly through reduced downtime, then we can prove ourselves as a logical and preferred choice for major crane repairs,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Being the first major incident involving this model Franna, there has been a lot of interest from the industry as a whole.

March/April 2022 CAL / 29

safer, faster, better.

a new era of crane

loading decks is here.

IN FOCUS / BAB ENGINEERING

HELPING TO MAKE THE CONSTRUCTION MORE EFFICIENT AND SAFER Late last year, the crane loading deck market was turned on its head when Active Crane Hire launched its electro hydraulic loading deck range featuring BAB Engineering’s innovation.

Matt Gye (centre) and the team at BAB Engineering.

BAB’S PRODUCT HAS BEEN MET WITH BOTH swift and overwhelmingly positive response from the construction sector. When you look at the company behind the design and manufacturing of the electro hydraulic loading deck (HLD), the somewhat groundbreaking response could be summed up as no surprise.

BAB Engineering is headed up by Gerd Altmeyer, who boasts a long and successful career manufacturing scissor lifts. His righthand person is Evelyn Klein, who likewise has worked, lived, and breathed hydraulics with Altmeyer over the decades, both in their homeland of Germany and in Australia.

With such a positive market response, it was obvious to Altmeyer and Klein that their business needed a dedicated sales and marketing manager; enter Matt Gye. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

He too has a background in hydraulics and has worked with BAB Engineering and watched the business develop. Gye takes up the story.

“I spent the early part of my career in hydraulics and I was involved in the design and manufacture of Australia’s first snow board manufacturing machine before I moved into media, film making and television production,” he said.

“In October 2021, I was introduced to BAB Engineering by being commissioned to help brand their new business. After a few meetings and over a coffee, Gerd and Evelyn discussed the potential of me working for BAB Engineering in sales and marketing.

“My understanding of hydraulics and the way these electro-hydraulic crane loading decks are designed, manufactured,

and operate, I could see no flaw in the concept, and I truly believe BAB’s decks will make construction better.

“In mid-December I started talks with a number of potential customers who currently operate and offer manual decks and the interest was instant, as electro HLDs are a no-brainer in any tier of building that use crane loading decks.

“In terms of the design and the performance being on point, it stems from the concise manufacturing process and BAB’s decision to integrate the best possible available components from around the globe. Therefore, the locallymanufactured end product is a winner,” he said.

Altmeyer is a partner and the director of BAB Engineering, and he has a distinguished career in manufacturing of March/April 2022 CAL / 31

IN FOCUS / BAB ENGINEERING

hydraulic equipment. He understands how the crane sector and particuarly the crane loading deck industry works.

“In such a mature market like construction, when a customer is looking for the right solution for their particular problem, they don’t want a sales guy to go through his sales pitch. They want someone who understands their problem, even if they don’t know they have a problem, and to discuss the right solution,” he said.

“That is why Matt is here representing our range of HLDs. When you are manufacturing and selling products which are an integral element of the construction process, like our loading decks, there needs to be a degree of trust.

“The customer has to trust what he is being told is true, that the product he is buying will deliver what we say it will, and that we will be there supporting the product in five years. Matt brings personal and professional integrity to this newly created role, and we know he is the right man for the job,” said Altmeyer.

It’s an exciting move for Gye and he sees great potential for the electro HLDs. “When you understand the difference between manually handled loading decks

senior contracts administrator. Remaili is impressed with the performance of the decks.

“The BAB decks are great. They are very practical – you simply throw the load on the deck and the hydraulic system retracts the deck in a minute with the load on it. It leaves the manual decks for dead to be honest,” he said.

“It has really changed the efficiency of the build. We are not spending time on labour trying to retract them manually. We need two big guys to retract, particuarly when they are loaded and, now, we can do this with the push of a button. Anyone can now work the decks and, with the click of a button, the job is done.

“We are happy to pay a little extra, but, frankly speaking, there is not much of a price difference. For the greater efficiencies they provide for the build, it’s a no brainer.

I will never go back to the manual deck.”

Remaili talks about the requirements for onsite power to power the BAB HLD 2200.

“There’s been no issue with getting power to the decks, they only need 240v, so it’s been very straight forward, with one lead and one power point, so it’s not

“When you understand the difference between manually handled loading decks and the features and benefits of electro hydraulically powered loading decks, it really is a lightbulb moment.” and the features and benefits of electro HLDs, it really is a lightbulb moment. I believe this product will be around for perpetuity in Australia and I can see a genuine opportunity to export the product and also manufacture in other parts of the world,” he said.

“Honestly, it might take a couple of years to be Australia-wide, but it will change the way the industry looks at loading decks.”

Recently, Gye was visiting a site in Sydney’s eastern suburbs where Gledhill Constructions has installed, and is operating, four of the BAB 2200 2.2m HLDs. He met with Daniel Remaili, Gledhill Constructions’ 32 / CAL March/April 2022

a problem at all,” he explained.

“This is an eight-storey project and we are working on four floors at a time.

We’ll get the crane to move the deck on level one to level five and the deck on level two to level six and change them over like that. The decks fit the site perfectly – with them being 2.2m wide, they fit the gyprock perfectly as well.

“The BAB HLD 2200 is an innovation the construction sector has been waiting for and it’s the type of innovation you don’t know you need until you see it action. It really is game changer.

“In my role as the senior contract administrator, I manage the build program and I can see the decks are helping the boys

Sammy Khan, crane operator for the Attenna Group IV, couldn’t do his job without the BAB Engineering hydraulic loading deck.

to get the job done quicker, we are receiving deliveries quicker, and we are able to unload them quicker as well. The decks just make life easier on the site.

“Our client is very happy and he hadn’t seen the decks before. It reflects well on Gledhill Constructions that we are seen to be bringing new innovations to the site, which are increasing productivity and efficiency.”

Remaili goes on to discuss the installation of the decks.

“There wasn’t a problem with the installation process, it only took a couple of hours, which is nothing at all. We’ve been operating them for a while now and, quite honestly, there isn’t anything we would www.cranesandlifting.com.au

change. I think the decks are a quality product, the propping is excellent and the way the decks have been performing is spot on,” he said.

Aiden Coyle, Gledhill Constructions’ site manager, has been in this type of construction for seven years. He explains how the BAB HLDs improve the build process from his perspective.

“The BAB decks have been great. A major benefit has been the increase in manoeuvrability for the guys on each floor.

The decks help us load apartments, they help us clear apartments and they are safe and easy to use,” he said.

“But the biggest difference is how the decks have dramatically increased the speed www.cranesandlifting.com.au

of the build – everything is happening at a much faster pace.

“The decks enable us to load and unload twice as many crane lifts of materials as a manual deck, and that is a massive increase in terms of productivity. The client is over the moon with our program and anything that enhances the build program is going to make the client happy. I know this client will definitely want to see these HLDs on future projects.

“Our construction manager has been advising the directors of our business just how well the program is going and what an integral role the decks are playing in increasing productivity and the efficiency.

“We are saving so much time and money

in terms of labour. When a delivery arrives, one man can extend the deck ready for loading with the push of a button and then retract it when it’s loaded. Before, it would take two or three guys to push a deck out and, when they are doing this multiple times a day, it all adds up,” he said.

Sammy Khan is the crane operator for the Attenna Group IV project in the Crows Nest, which is also operating the new BAB HLDs. He is operating the crane via remote control, and he is also managing the BAB electro HLDs. “The BAB loading decks are terrific, it takes between 30 to 40 seconds for the decks to retract and this is with the push of a button. Without the decks I would March/April 2022 CAL / 33

IN FOCUS / BAB ENGINEERING

be struggling because I’m here by myself,” he said.

“If these were manual decks we would need four to five labourers to extend and retract them. Now this process has been automated, the business is saving a tremendous amount of man hours on the project.

“In my opinion, these decks are 100 per cent changing the industry. When it was first brought on to the site I couldn’t believe, I was shocked and said: ‘We have electric hydraulic decks now? I’d never seen anything like it.’ I was then told they were brand new, and we were one of the first sites to be using them.

“If the bigger decks, the 3 2s for the bigger construction projects, become electrically hydraulically operated that will be really huge for the industry, that will be a real game changer. It will be a huge step for decking and craning, and the tasks associated with this.

“Another advantage with these decks is the clarity of where the load must go on the deck – other decks don’t do this.

Let’s say you are sitting in the crane and you can’t actually see the deck and you are putting a 3t load on the tip of the deck – that is going to cause a massive issue.

“As the dogman, rigger, and crane operator on this job, I can tell you the BAB loading deck has changed the way this site operates. I simply couldn’t do my job without these decks,” he said.

Altmeyer is pleased with the feedback from both Gledhill and Attenna and he explained that, in his experience, it is important to listen to customer feedback, both positive and negative.

“Successful companies listen to their customers. BAB Engineering is not an arrogant organisation and thinking we have everything right. We are constantly asking ourselves and customers: what we can do better? We are currently testing our new 3.2m deck which has been requested from a number of the Tier One builders and a number of crane companies.

“There have also been requests for other sizes including builders in Western Australia and Victoria who are interested in 2.8m decks. It appears different 34 / CAL March/April 2022

BAB Engineering’s manufacturing processes are highly organised, making the factory extremely efficient and productive.

builders across various states are looking for different configurations and this is something we need to process to better understand the markets’ demands,” he said.

From day one, Gye has been impressed with the value proposition offered by BAB Engineering, Altmeyer, Klein and their team.

“Gerd’s positioning on pricing is based on fairness, he wants to be fair to the client.

The BAB HLDs might be the Rolls Royce of crane loading decks, but they are definitely not priced accordingly. As Gerd says: ‘Be fair or be forgotten,’” said Gye. “From an idea and opportunity, Gerd and his team have developed a world class product with an extremely productive, efficient, and streamlined design.

The engineering and manufacturing facility might not have the largest of footprints, but it is extremely efficient in manufacturing the BAB HLD decks, and this is a major reason we are priced so competitively,” he said.

Altmeyer’s experience in manufacturing hydraulic products, particuarly scissor lifts,

is apparent in the way the BAB HLD decks are manufactured. Organisation is the key he said.

“When you are manufacturing, you have to be organised and our guys on the factory floor have to have all the components at their fingertips… everything is simple, easy and organised and that way we are extremely efficient and productive in the factory,” he said.

“My manufacturing philosophy is simple – you know the cost of your materials and components, you know the cost of your labour, you know your overheads. If we can manufacture a product and price it competitively, we are going to, and we will not fear anyone trying to compete with us.

“The market’s response to our HLDs has been quick and positive.

It’s just a matter of time before the other deck manufacturers decide they need to follow us with powered loading decks – that’s why the BAB Engineering HLDs are being viewed as a new era in Crane Loading Decks,” said Altmeyer. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / TIDD PICK AND CARRY AND CRANES COMBINED

CRANES COMBINED TIDD; ANOTHER FIRST FOR APPLE ISLE CRANE HIRE Cranes Combined recently took delivery of its first 28t TIDD pick and carry crane. Chris Kolodziej, managing director of Cranes Combined, talks about the growth of his business, the reasons for the purchase of a new TIDD PC28, and how it has been performing.

“OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, WE HAVE been adding cranes which have filled niches in our fleet, and we have also replaced a couple of cranes we have been operating for a while,” explained Kolodziej of recent developments.

“We purchased two new city cranes last year and these have enabled us to get onto sites with limited access. They also have great lifting charts, so we are now able to tender for jobs we weren’t able to compete for in the past. They are still reasonably-sized machines but, with the limited tail swing, they are proving to be very versatile cranes for us.

“It is the same with the new TIDD PC 28 pick and carry, which is proving to be an excellent all-rounder for us. We were in a position where we needed an articulated pick and carry quickly, and when I called the Brisbane branch of TRT, I was glad to learn they had a unit being assembled in New Zealand and it was ready to be painted. The timing couldn’t have been better for us. After a few weeks of operating the TIDD, I am delighted to say it has surprised us with its safety features and overall performance,” he said.

Kolodziej confirmed this is the first TIDD to be delivered in Tasmania.

“We have always taken an innovative approach to our crane hire business, and we’ve been the first to introduce a number of new cranes. This is the first TIDD to be delivered in Tasmania.

Over the past decade, we have grown substantially, from nine personnel to 42, and purchased around 20 cranes, of which over a dozen have been purchased new.

Some of them have been upgrades 36 / CAL March/April 2022

Chris Kolodziej and his wife, Cathy, take delivery of the new TIDD from TRT’s Philip White.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

and others have been new additions to the fleet. We see the TIDD as being another valuable asset to our business, that is for sure,” he said.

Kolodziej explained the reasons for purchasing the TIDD, which includes compliance requirements with Tier One construction sites on which the TIDD will be operating.

“Compliance was definitely a factor in our decision making process. We have a relatively long-term project for the crane, so the maths also stacked up.

We were also impressed with the TIDD’s extra safety features and TRT’s ability to deliver almost immediately was a real bonus,” he said.

The TIDD PC 28 features are designed to help operators work more efficiently and comfortably on the road or at a work site.

Slew Safe is designed to prevent rollovers. It uses a number of audible alarms, engine control unit warnings, and an engine de-rating to prevent further slewing. The system aims to restrict the driver from operating off the chart by using audible and visual alarms and steering restrictions.

Slew Safe cannot be overridden but will allow operations to resume when the load is back in the green. TIDD pick and carry cranes aim to maximise safety and minimise risks on the road and on the job.

The TIDD PC 28 is powered by a Mercedes Benz DM906 six-cylinder, turbo charged intercooled 205kW diesel engine, a 28t maximum lift on the lug and a 27.6t on the hook block to deliver improved efficiencies and greater lift options. Its 18.64 metre-high tensile full power boom features a 75 per cent stationary chart for heavy lifts and a 66 per cent pick and carry chart. The boom’s telescopic sections one and two are fully synchronised and provide hook compensation. Telescope section three is independently controlled with its own hydraulic cylinder.

“We’ve been impressed with the performance of the TIDD. Its roadability is excellent, and it is a very comfortable drive. We’ve also been www.cranesandlifting.com.au

TRT’s technical personnel familiarisation processes were very thorough; going through the TIDD and explaining everything.

“The TIDD increases our versatility as a crane hire business.” impressed with the crane’s compact nature. There will always be projects with hard-to-access areas and the TIDD provides a few extra degrees in articulation, which will make a big difference when the tolerances are very tight on site,” said Kolodziej.

“The TIDD increases our versatility as a crane hire business and, when it completes the current project, it will go into our regular fleet, where it will replace one of our older pick and carry cranes.”

Kolodziej has been impressed with the support received from TRT. “I have been dealing with Philip White, TRTs Trailer and Crane salesman. He and the entire TRT team have been really supportive.

The ability to travel has obviously helped with the delivery process and TRT’s technical personnel were here for the handover.

Cranes Combined have been impressed with the performance of the TIDD. Its roadability is excellent, and it is a very comfortable drive.

The familiarisation processes they took us through on the TIDD were first rate and they were very thorough, going through the crane and explaining everything. Every time we have called with a question, the TRT team has been really responsive. I can’t fault their approach,” he said.

March/April 2022 CAL / 37

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IN FOCUS / BMS HEAVY CRANES

500TH WIND TURBINE CONSTRUCTION FOR BMS HEAVY CRANES AUSTRALIA BMS Heavy Cranes has been operating locally for five years.

With a specialised fleet of heavy lift cranes, the business has been focused on a number of key industry sectors including the renewable energy market, particularly the construction and maintenance of wind farms.

2022 WILL SEE BMS HEAVY CRANES construct its 500th wind turbine. Anders Egdal, managing director of BMS Heavy Cranes APAC, provides insights into both the global and local BMS organisations.

BMS A/S, the parent company of BMS Heavy Cranes, was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1953 as a state-owned construction and machinery company. BMS Heavy Cranes A/S started

2022 will see BMS Heavy Cranes install its 500th wind turbine.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

March/April 2022 CAL / 39

IN FOCUS / BMS HEAVY CRANES

in 2011 and, today, the company consists of approximately 500 permanent and committed employees spread over more than 20 foreign entities operating across the globe.

In 2004, the Enggaard family, who had successfully built another Danish crane company, purchased 50 per cent of BMS from the state and, by 2007, the acquisition was completed, providing the family with 100 per cent ownership. To this day, the business is wholly owned by the Enggaard family. In 2021, BMS rose to become the sixth largest crane company in the world according to the international Crane Index.

“BMS Heavy Cranes Australia was established in 2017 as a result of the region’s ever expanding renewable energy market. In 2022, we are due to erect our 500th wind turbine locally, demonstrating our commitment to being the leading crane supplier to the Australian wind energy market,” said Egdal.

“We have completed projects in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria, with projects beginning in Queensland and New South Wales. Our depot is based in Ballarat, Victoria but we mobilise our resources to wherever the cranes are required. The BMS Heavy Cranes Head Office in Melbourne manages the APAC region, which includes Asia and New Zealand, as well as Australia.

“BMS consistently goes above and beyond, providing an ‘all inclusive’ service to our clients. Our Australian team has been tailored to include experts in project management and execution, planning and scheduling, engineering and heavy lift design, as well as health, safety, and quality management.

“Our people and their inherent skills allow us to provide clear insights for our clients on proposed solutions throughout the progress of a project. Our long-term relationships and record of return customers demonstrates a high level of customer satisfaction, which we strive for locally and globally,” he said.

Locally, BMS Heavy Cranes is predominantly known for its capabilities 40 / CAL March/April 2022

BMS Heavy Cranes is making a concerted effort to diversify and bring heavy lift expertise to civil construction projects.

within the renewable energy sector. But, in Denmark and throughout Europe, BMS clients are more diverse across the heavy lift sector.

“BMS is recognised as a heavy lift specialist in civil construction, oil and gas, and both onshore and offshore windfarms. It partners with turbine manufacturers to provide cranage for the next generation of turbines, constantly lifting heavier prototypes to higher heights.

“Locally, we are making a concerted effort to diversify, by bringing our heavy lift expertise to more civil construction projects. This was recently demonstrated with our involvement in the $196 million

Ovingham Level Crossing Removal project in Adelaide,” explained Egdal.

Adelaide’s Ovingham Level Crossing Removal Project is a perfect example of a successful partnership between a local crane company and international heavy lift specialists to deliver the optimal solution for the end client, explains BMS Heavy Cranes construction engineer Liam Edwards.

For two months in the 2021–2022 summer, BMS Heavy Cranes partnered with Adelaide’s Crane Services to install the main steel girders on the Ovingham Level Crossing Removal Project.

The partnership between the two companies provided an optimal, cost www.cranesandlifting.com.au

the machine also benefitted the tight setup area as the team was able to pile foundations beneath the outrigger feet on the roadside for the second setup, reducing the need for large steel mats to disperse the load of the crane.

The crane was fully mobilised to site and ready to lift in two days, with the BMS crew demonstrating their well-trained commitment to safety when working at heights on a Tier One site.

The project demonstrated a successful collaboration between a local crane supplier and a global heavy lift company to provide the optimal solution to the end client. The collaboration enabled Crane Services to take on the full scope of work for the erection of the steel girders and associated temporary and permanent works and manage the project, with BMS providing its crane and crew along with engineering expertise to ensure the

terrain cranes with capacities up to the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1, lattice boom mobile cranes such as the Liebherr LG 1750 SX, which is its most prominent wind machine, and lattice boom crawler cranes up to the Liebherr LR 11350.

Recently BMS invested in a Huisman 3,000t ringer crane, which has the capability to lift components of 1,200t to heights of 225m.

“Within the Australian fleet, we currently operate four Liebherr LG 1750s as dedicated heavy lift machines. These are supported by over a dozen assist cranes in the form of Grove GMK 6300Ls, Liebherr LTM 1250s and Liebherr LTR 1220s. A Liebherr LTM 1750 -9.1 mobile crane is arriving back in Australia early this year to complement our fleet on the east coast,” said Edwards.

“Our fleet is tailored to provide an ‘all inclusive’ service, particuarly to the wind

“Our long-term relationships and record of return customers demonstrates a high level of customer satisfaction, which we strive for locally and globally.”

effective, and efficient lifting solution for the PTP Alliance, led by McConnell Dowell and South Australia’s Department of Infrastructure and Transport.

The site constraints included rail occupation windows, tight setup areas and a requirement for a fast crane relocation over rail.

BMS Heavy Cranes deployed its Liebherr LG 1750 SX with 56m of SL22 main boom and a 250t counterweight on the SP extension, which proved to be the ideal machine for the project. This configuration provided a capacity of 130t at 30m radius without the need for a superlift tray.

The mobile crane-style carrier of www.cranesandlifting.com.au

project was a success and delivering a complete turnkey operation to the client.

BMS Heavy Crane has a dedicated engineering team based in Melbourne, which services the APAC region.

This team is supported by the global engineering department in Denmark says Edwards.

“Our global engineering department is a world leader in innovative heavy lift solutions. When you are dealing with big cranes, not all of the answers can be found in the manual or the software.

“For this reason, BMS works closely with the technical departments of our crane manufacturers to seek approval for non-standard configurations as well as provide feedback for future improvements. These relationships give us the capability to think outside the square and provide tailored engineering solutions,” he said.

Worldwide, BMS has a fleet of over 600 cranes. This includes mobile all

energy market. We have tailored our fleet so we can mobilise the most effective cranes for main installation, pre-assembly and offloading activities.

“As we continue to diversify into civil construction, our efforts to ensure our fleet includes best in class machines is proving to be successful.

“We are demonstrating to clients the capabilities of machines such as the Liebherr LG 1750 lattice boom mobile crane. By utilising a shorter boom on a large outrigger footprint, we were able eliminate the need for a superlift tray that a crawler would normally require on some lifts.

“We have also seen the Liebherr LTM 1250s and the Liebherr LTM 1750 utilising the VarioBase and VarioBallast features for increased productivity and lifting capacity,” he said.

When it comes to safety and quality, BMS Heavy Cranes has an unmatched reputation within the wind turbine March/April 2022 CAL / 41

IN FOCUS / BMS HEAVY CRANES

BMS consistently goes above and beyond, providing an ‘all inclusive’ service to clients.

industry, said SEQ manager Tracey Gibbins.

“We have an exemplary safety record on all projects sites in Australia, and around the globe. We focus on providing safe, smart and solution-driven outcomes to our partners.

“Our safety record is maintained by a disciplined and systematic approach to the fundamentals of safety. This is underpinned by a cultural belief that all accidents are preventable.

“Our ground crew take a lead role in the health, safety and well-being of all activities undertaken on project site locations, seeking guidance from our experienced global engineering and HSE-Q team when required,” she said.

The depth of knowledge and skills within the BMS Heavy Cranes team offers a seamless ability to deliver large projects efficiently, with the highest level 42 / CAL March/April 2022

of safety and proficiency. BMS considers legislative, regulatory, advisory, client and internal engineering requirements, and a consultative approach sees BMS partner with all key stakeholders on a daily basis.

“This approach is required if we are going to work safety and resolve difficult situations,” said Gibbins.

“Our experienced crane supervisors and HSE-Q Coordinators not only understand the measures required to undertake the lifts safety, they live and breathe them with the ground crew for every lift.

“BMS Heavy Cranes is proud of our local crew, which has been carefully trained to operate have our lift heavy cranes.

“Originally, our crew consisted of mainly European operators and riggers but, over the last five years, we have acquired and trained local talent and

they have become highly skilled in these specialised machines.

“Our current crew mainly features local talent, which is supported by our global business and expert team, who travel around the world sharing their knowledge and heavy lift expertise,” she said.

Being a dedicated heavy lift company, BMS Heavy Cranes has developed working relationships with a number of general hire companies locally to provide the larger cranes required to win projects it typically could not have tendered.

“By utilising our larger cranes, these companies can provide a competitive service to their clients for smaller taxi cranes and have the capabilities to perform the larger lifts in collaboration with BMS Heavy Crane,” said Gibbins.

“This is a win-win situation for all parties.” www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / ALMACRAWLER MULTI-LOADER

BI LEVELLING: REVOLUTIONISED ACCESS The construction industry now benefits from an innovative, patented machine functionality that has evolved the capabilities of access equipment beyond traditional designs.

The Multi-Loader 6.0 is the largest crawler carrier, equipped with the bi-levelling system and radio remote controls.

WHAT IS THE PATENTED BI-LEVELLING SYSTEM? The bi-levelling system allows machines to overcome longitudinal slopes of up to 20°, and lateral slopes of up to 15°, depending on model. This functionality significantly increases performance, safety and comfort by auto-levelling the chassis or aerial structure even in the most extreme conditions.

The innovative technology will overcome many worksite challenges where inclined terrain or multi-level surfaces would otherwise require additional equipment and operators, 44 / CAL March/April 2022

as well as accompanying safety measures, time, and expenses.

This unique product capability, with simple user experience and superior market adaptability, caters to professional end-users including the construction and crane sectors and ensures a far greater return on investment.

This highly sought-after technology makes AlmaCrawler machines one of the most productive, safe, and reliable in the world it says. Today the bi-levelling system is installed on all lifts produced by AlmaCrawler, including the Multi-Loader 2.5 and 6.0.

MULTI-LOADER RANGE There are three models in the AlmaCrawler Multi-Loader range. The Multi-Loader 2.5 has a capacity of 2.5 tonnes and the largest model, the Multi-Loader 6.0, has a capacity of six tonnes. Both feature patented bi-levelling technology. The third model, ML3.0FX, is a three-tonne capacity loader that runs on a standard crawler track system and will be available in Australia from mid2022.

AlmaCrawler Multi-Loader carriers maintain a constant horizontal surface, even when operating on rough or sloping www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The bi-levelling system allows machines to overcome longitudinal slopes of up to 20°, and lateral slopes of up to 15°, depending on model.

terrain, thanks to bi-levelling technology.

The unique and innovative tracking system adopted by AlmaCrawler allows the carrier to operate on all different types of terrain, ensuring maximum manoeuvrability and precision even in the narrowest of spaces, with minimum ground pressure. Each model is available with full remote control which enhances operability and safety.

“This is a big plus when you think about some of the terrains a crane has to operate in. These are designed as support or assist vehicles, especially for the crane sector. Typically, you will see our MultiLoaders operating in confined areas, which can’t be reached by a crane. This might be because the crane is obstructed from getting to the load by a structure, or because of the distance,” said Bob Mules, general manager for Almac Pacific.

“A tunnelling project is a good example. Cranes are lifting material and equipment in and out of access points all the time. These products are then moved where required. Rather than tie up a valuable asset like a Franna pick and carry crane, the Multi-Loader can transport the product, safely and efficiently, to where it is needed,” he said.

Environmentally friendly and silent, the Multi-Loader 2.5 provides versatility for both internal and external environments. The dynamic levelling system of the load-deck is completely automatic, even on slopes and uneven surfaces.

The Multi-Loader can overcome both longitudinal slopes until it reaches 20° (40 per cent) and lateral slopes until 14° www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Multi-Loader 2.5 Performance.

“AlmaCrawler Multi-Loader carriers maintain a constant horizontal surface even when operating on rough or sloping terrain thanks to bi-levelling technology.”

(25 per cent) at the same time, always ensuring the absolute integrity and safety of the load being carried.

The Multi-Loader 6.0, equipped with the bi-levelling system and radio remote controls, is designed to meet the needs of those who carry heavy loads, up to six tonnes. To achieve such a high capacity, the AlmaCrawler design and engineering team has developed the Multi Loading platform – an innovative element that offers the possibility of handling large loads of different types.

The Multi-Loader 6.0 offers the same advantages as the smaller model, with a crawler drive system and low ground pressure. It can safely operate on multilevel terrain including steep slopes and offers excellent manoeuvrability in tight spaces.

In order to guarantee use in different environments, the Multi-Loader 6.0 is available in three versions with different types of motor units.

The Multi-Loader ELC is a fully electric model featuring 8 x 180Ah March/April 2022 CAL / 45

IN FOCUS / ALMACRAWLER MULTI-LOADER

The new ML 3.0 FX with its electric drive weighs less than 800kg and features longer tracks and adaptive rollers, representing AlmaCrawler’s desire to cater to its materials handling customers and their wide range of needs.

maintenance-free batteries, which ensures up to eight hours of mixed cycle operation, travelling at a maximum speed of 2.6 km/h. Thanks to the highfrequency battery charger installed directly inside the main chassis, it is possible to charge the battery completely in just five hours, while a 220V–2.2kW auxiliary electric pump allows for the carrier to be used on mains power.

The Multi-Loader EVO is equipped with a high-performance Yanmar 3TNV76 (diesel) – 25hp (19kW) combustion engine, reaches a maximum speed of 3.7km/h and is mainly suited for outdoor use.

Multi-loader Bi-Energy features two engines, combustion and electric, and this model offers greater versatility for both indoor and outdoor applications.

The applications for the Multi-Loader are numerous. With a six-tonne capacity there is significant demand for this model in the construction sector. This model is an ideal support vehicle for transporting building material, industrial and civil fixtures, glass panels and generators.

46 / CAL March/April 2022

With a continual commitment to innovate and improve products to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving construction sector, the AlmaCrawler design and engineering team has designed optional equipment for the Bi-Energy version of the Multi-Loader 6.0, including the T-Crane Kit. As the name would suggest, the T-Crane Kit is a small crane fitted to the platform. It has a maximum capacity of 990kg and a maximum reach of 4.3m incorporating an automatic load management system. When the T-Crane is not required, it can be easily removed from the Multi-Loader platform. The standard version of the T-Crane Kit includes an extension cable transducer, encoder for turret rotation, and an inclination sensor for the boom angle.

The latest addition to Multi-Loader line up is the ML3.0 FX, and will be available in Australia from mid-2022.

This model is a powerful and versatile flatbed tracked carrier that can be used in various heavy-duty applications both indoors and outdoors, with a maximum

load capacity of three tonnes. It has class leading electric drive with two super quiet AC electric motors, 5.3kW each [rated IP 67]. The ML 3.0FX can be fitted with both AGM or lithium batteries, both options are housed inside an easily extractable battery pack that will allow you to change it quickly on the job site and continue your work.

It has telescopic support beams on each corner to provide added support for extra-large loads. These can be positioned into place manually and therefore extend the platform either longitudinally or laterally. The standard swivel platform sits on a freely-rotating slewing ring with 16 different positions, which you can also manually choose from and easily adapt the platform to your load.

Finally, the new ML 3.0 FX, with its electric drive, weighs less than 800kg, features longer tracks and adaptive rollers, representing AlmaCrawler’s desire to cater to its materials handling customers and their range of needs. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES FOR A HIGHER RETURN ON INVESTMENT

ML 6.0

6.0T capacity Bi-Levelling technology also available in:

Multi-Loader ELC (electric) Multi-Loader EVO (diesel) Multi-Loader Bi-Energy (dual) + optional T-Crane

ML 2.5 Performance ML 3.0FX

2.5T capacity Bi-Levelling technology Environmentally friendly

3.0T capacity Lightweight, electric model Available mid 2022

0402 982 999

Call us for a no-obligation discussion

ALMAC-PACIFIC.COM.AU

IN FOCUS / SPECIALISED MACHINERY COMPANY

HEAVY LIFT SOLUTIONS DESIGNED, ENGINEERED, MANUFACTURED AND CERTIFIED LOCALLY Specialised Machinery Company (SMC) designs, engineers and manufactures a range of specialist lifting equipment for the crane sector. Many may not be aware of the full capabilities of the business, which is an issue SMC management is addressing.

SMC WAS FOUNDED BACK IN 1993.

Managing director Kim Grierson initially started the business designing and engineering specialised equipment for the mining and earthmoving sectors.

Since then, the business has been through a number of evolutions, servicing other industry sectors, and today it is focused on the design, engineering and manufacture of highly specialised lifting equipment. Kim and his management team, including general manager Matt Grierson and engineering manager Jeremy de Vene, explain more about SMC’s history and the range of lifting products it now produces.

“Over the years, SMC has deliberately worked on a wide range 48 / CAL March/April 2022

of products, which has included specialised lifting and rigging equipment, which has gone to market mainly through the larger distributors of rigging equipment,” said Kim. “In the past, we were concentrating on winching systems, including winch designs and working on projects where these designs can’t be bought off the shelf, which is where we managed to make our mark.

“We had customers coming to us saying a standard winch only holds 100m of cable and we need one which holds 400m, and it just moved on from there. We also worked with enquiries relating to rigging including spreader bars and ancillary equipment to the winches.

“By 2008, the big offshore oil

boom happened, and we quoted a large company some large winches for saturation diving systems. They were part of a complete package of large off-shore skids and were bolted to the supply ships supporting the oil rigs.

So, we diversified into this sector for a few years, which took us up until about 2014. We were manufacturing specialised, high end quality product for several navies and we worked on projects for the military via companies out of the US and Canada. SMC also designed and manufactured large heavy ROV handling hazard zoned winch systems for deep sea intervention, working to 4,000m depths.

“We were also designing, engineering and manufacturing products for submarine programs for the Turkish www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“SMC has the expertise and experience when it comes to the very specialised area of heavy lifting, engineering and the manufacturing of products for specific projects.”

Navy. So, there was lots happening.

And then, in 2014/15, the price of oil fell through the floor so we continued with what we knew and that was our lifting and rigging and specialised equipment. I am delighted to say this has gone very well for the business.

We have an expert and experienced inhouse design team who develop all the products,” he said.

Matt explains how SMC approaches a project when a customer needs to solve a particular lifting problem.

“We have customers approach us with a simple equation and, typically, they will say ‘we want to lift this object or move this from here to there, and we are not sure how to do it’,” he said.

“We sit down and take their brief, interpret what they have told us and generate a 3D drawing or model from the brief.

“Generally speaking, some new clients are surprised that we genuinely understand the challenges they have presented to us. We adopt a very consultative process, which helps us understand the challenges they face.

“With some projects, we have been asked to solve the problem of delivering divers from the deck of ship 1,000 feet down to the bottom of the ocean. We worked on the brief and came back with the 3D design concepts.

“We did this for the Turkish Navy on a project relating to submarine rescue ventilation systems for submarines that could be stranded on the ocean floor at 600 metres. In most instances, we understand the client will come back to us on our initial concepts and they may want to change elements of the design.

“We call this process the design spiral. It is very much like watching a www.cranesandlifting.com.au

kid with a lollypop. They start on the outside and you go round one circle at a time trying to get to the centre. It might go around five or six times before you hit the centre and that’s when we agree the solution is right and move to the engineering aspect of the solution.

“We have been supplying this type of service and solution right around Australia, indeed right around the world. We’ve proven the quality of our ideas and solutions with our work with the Defence Industry, and we have been involved with this industry for a long time,” said Matt.

SMC products are designed, engineered, manufactured and certified to the highest standards. They comply with all the Australian Standards, American Bureau of Shipping, DNV and whole range of globally-recognised standards, said Kim. “When a crane company comes to us, they can be assured that SMC will apply the highest levels of skill, experience and manufacturing knowhow to their particular project.

“We have had great success with the lifting houses around Australia – they view us as a one-stop shop. When they come to me, Matt, or Jeremy with a query, they know we will be responsive in terms of getting the designs, 3D models and the price back to them.

They know it is going to be a fully engineered product, they know the fabrication processes we adhere to and the finished quality we deliver. All of this is packaged on a pallet and shipped to them. A one-stop shop is what we are offering,” he said.

Products are available through a nationwide network of distributors, but Kim wants the market to know

SMC repaired and recertified 82t WLL Crane Hook block.

SMC designs, engineer and manufactures a wide range of lifting products, including two-person man cages.

that enquiries from crane businesses are welcome for bespoke products and solutions.

“SMC has the expertise and experience when it comes to the very specialised area of heavy lifting, engineering and the manufacturing of products for specific projects. We want the market to know this is an area within which we excel.

“Recently, we have had a number of successes which involved us working with crane companies on a direct basis and solving their particular project or problem. We want to build on these successes.

“We understand the challenges faced by crane businesses in the sector, and we understand many may not have March/April 2022 CAL / 49

IN FOCUS / SPECIALISED MACHINERY COMPANY

heard of Specialised Machinery Company before. There will be many situations and projects where a crane business is going to need specialist equipment for a lift, which can’t be bought off the shelf.

“Not only do we have a wide range of standard product, which is available throughout Australia via our distribution channels, crane businesses can buy from us a wide range of specialised equipment, fully designed, engineered, manufactured, and certified, which will enable them to complete complex lifts safely and efficiently. We can cater for their day-to-day needs and also the more complex and tailor-made solutions, so we are encouraging the crane sector to contact SMC and discuss our capabilities,” he said.

“We know a number of the larger crane businesses are using our products. We personally know a number of the WA-based crane businesses and they are frequently in our factory, but Australia is a massive continent and there are lifts happening every day and in extremely remote areas. It is these businesses we can help with our specialised capabilities.

For these reasons, we have decided to generate a greater awareness of SMC, our specialised capabilities and what our brand stands for in the crane sector,” said Kim. Matt understands that crane capacities are getting larger, lifts are getting heavier and more complex, and the lifting products and rigging equipment need to keep up with this evolution. He knows SMC is more than capable of assisting crane businesses who are facing these tasks.

“We are seeing mobile cranes, both crawlers and all terrains, increasing dramatically in capacities. We understand a 1,200t capacity crane won’t be lifting 1,200t at a radius of one metre that often, but it will be frequently lifting 300t at quite a distance on these larger projects.

50 / CAL March/April 2022

SMC R18 18t WLL articulated pick and carry combination beams.

“We have a 3D printer, which we use for prototyping if we are manufacturing a complex shape.

The major focus for the business has been to bring all our manufacturing capabilities in house.”

“We’ve just finished a project with a significantly sized crane hire company in WA. They approached us for some spreader beam systems for a 300t lift they were working on. They provided us with the parameters and their lift plans. The beams were 13m in length and they wanted to the beams to be built in sections, which enabled them to become modular. Obviously, the client wanted to utilise the beams on other jobs, which might require different configurations. We designed, engineered, manufactured, and certified the beams.

“We had to work closely with the client because the object they were lifting was very large and the boom length was limited to the crane they planned to deploy and there was restricted head height on the site.

“They took the beams to site and they worked perfectly, with the lift completed safely and efficiently. This is a perfect example of how we plan to work with other crane hire businesses.

We are a collaborative business with capabilities of solving the most complex of lifting solutions,” he said.

Jeremy de Vene has been with the business for 15 years. He explains more about the design engineering and manufacturing capabilities of SMC.

“I started as a mechanical fitter working on the cranes Kim had designed. I then went to university and completed my degree in design and engineering and now I’m focused on the engineering aspect of what we do at SMC. “We mainly work with Autodesk products during the design process, and we use Inventor 3D and AutoCAD. 95 per cent of what the teams does is 3D modelling and, this way, we can conduct all the finite element analysis and we use manual calculations to cross check these.

“We have a 3D printer, which we use for prototyping if we are manufacturing a complex shape.

The major focus for the business has been to bring all our manufacturing capabilities in house, which has meant we have doubled the size of the workshop and invested in new equipment including press brakes and paint shops.

“Managing everything else in house provides us the flexibility and responsiveness to design and manufacture these heavy lift solutions Kim has been discussing, very quickly.

Managing our own supply chain is critical in terms of lead times for these projects,” said Devene. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

NEW! AC 2.040-1

©Tadano Ltd. 2022. Tadano is a registered trademark of Tadano Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

THE START OF SOMETHING BIG MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE 2-AXLE IS A BIG DEAL

Introducing the future of the Tadano all terrain fleet. Jointly developed with the vast experience & technology of both Tadano’s Lauf and Zweibrücken manufacturing plants in Germany. The AC 2.040-1 is an extremely versatile and compact crane, showcasing exceptional strength at steep boom angles, it can lift 7.6t at an 8m radius when fully telescoped (35.2m). Engineered with a robust and reliable undercarriage that provides excellent gradeability, acceleration and smooth operation in confined areas. This is your ideal, ready-to-use taxi crane!

Learn more about the AC 2.040-1 and other news we have planned for the future at: thestartofsomethingbig.onetadano.com

Your Passion, Our DNA.

Crane and lifting MAR APR 22 - Tadano.indd 1

WWW.TADANO.COM.AU I 1300 823 266

22/02/2022 10:33:14 AM

IN FOCUS / POTAIN TOWER CRANES Established in 1959, the 133,000m2 Potain factory in Moulins, France, produces MDT topless cranes, MD top-slewing cranes and MR luffing jib cranes, as well as certain customised parts.

MANITOWOC INVESTS SIGNIFICANTLY IN EUROPEAN POTAIN TOWER CRANE FACTORIES Over the past three years, Manitowoc has made considerable investments in its Potain tower crane factories in Charlieu and Moulins in France, Baltar in Portugal, and Niella Tanaro in Italy.

52 / CAL March/April 2022

THE INVESTMENTS INCLUDE NEW buildings and extended production areas, new production lines with automated welding, custom tooling, and redesigned processes.

Industry-leading cranes require industry-leading manufacturing facilities, which is why Manitowoc is continuously investing in its production sites.

Over the last three years, Manitowoc has invested significantly in its European Potain tower crane factories, which have a combined surface area of 400,000m 2 . These investments have been implemented according to The Manitowoc Way,

its business system based on lean principles for driving operational excellence and increasing customer trust and confidence in every aspect of the business, and have led to significant improvements in safety, quality, and productivity, while reducing its environmental impact.

CHARLIEU, FRANCE – new 2.45m pivot production line At the Potain factory in Charlieu, Manitowoc has invested in a new production line for 2.45m top-slewing crane pivots to help improve quality and reduce lead time.

The new production line includes www.cranesandlifting.com.au

volume setting tools for improved ergonomics and safety, as well as an innovative automated submerged welding process. This allows not only for a large deposit of solder but also optimum penetration, improving quality and saving time.

MOULINS, FRANCE – new tube cutting line and bespoke K mast tooling At Moulins, Manitowoc has replaced the old tube cutting line installed 30 years ago with a new 35m long and 11m wide automated line.

The new tube cutting line has been designed specifically to Potain specifications and will be commissioned this month. Once operational, it will bring greater precision, quality, and safety.

The Moulins factory has also received new custom tooling to enable the mass production of 3.33m monobloc and 5m K masts.

By increasing production capacity, the new tooling will offer customers shorter lead times for the supply of these masts.

BALTAR, PORTUGAL – extended production areas, new machining centre, and welding tools Between 2017 and 2020, Manitowoc undertook a project to transform the Baltar factory to relocate production from the historic Fanzeres site. The project involved the extension of the welding and assembly halls, as well as the indoor and outdoor storage areas, and has resulted in increased capacity, efficiency, and quality.

Manitowoc also installed a new high-performance machining centre to produce large mechanically welded elements (such as cab masts and pivots) at the very end of the manufacturing process. This has enabled Potain to improve the quality of these elements, compliance with tolerances and ultimately the assembly of tower cranes on site.

Further investments in welding www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The new automated submerged welding machine installed at the Potain factory in Charlieu.

“Every day, we must challenge ourselves to do better, not only in the design of our cranes but also in their manufacture.” tools have likewise improved quality, safety, and productivity. The new manipulators, for example, guarantee optimal welding conditions for better organised and more ergonomic workstations.

NIELLA TANARO – new transport axle building, new test area, redesigned logistics flow, and paint line improvements At Niella Tanaro, Manitowoc has constructed a brand-new building dedicated to the manufacture of crane transport axles. At the same time, the factory invested in testing finished products and streamlined the logistics flow in shipping cranes.

Until now, the test area and delivery of cranes were carried out in confined spaces. As a result of these investments, employee safety,

The new tube cutting line installed at the Moulins factory.

productivity, and factory delivery times have all been improved.

Furthermore, the Niella Tanaro team has made great strides with the paint line. By implementing a series of measures to increase operational efficiency, downtime in the painting area has decreased, overall paint consumption has reduced by 10 per cent, and nontoxic solvents have lowered environmental impact.

“Most of the improvements realised are related to our Voice of Customer process. We pride ourselves on the quality, reliability and advanced technology of our cranes but staying at the forefront of the industry is not easy. Every day, we must challenge ourselves to do better, not only in the design of our cranes but also in their manufacture,” said Christophe Simoncelli, SVP for Tower Cranes Europe at Manitowoc.

“We need to employ the most up-to-date equipment, the most efficient processes, and the most highly skilled people in our factories.

In this respect, The Manitowoc Way has been our guiding star.”

March/April 2022 CAL / 53

IN FOCUS / BORGER CRANES AND LIEBHERR

BORGER CRANES AND RIGGING SERVICES UPGRADE HEAVY LIFT CAPABILITIES WITH NEW LIEBHERR CRAWLER Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services recently increased its heavy lift capabilities, with a new Liebherr LR 1600/2 joining the fleet. The new crawler joins other Liebherr heavy lifters including the LTM 1750-9.1 and the LTM 1650-8.1.

The Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 has proved to be a very valuable addition to the Borger Cranes and Rigging Services fleet.

54 / CAL March/April 2022

EMBRACING INNOVATION AND NEW technology is important if Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services is to stay ahead of the competition. Leading the market and not following is the only way Shawn Borger, Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services’ general manager and his team know.

“In my opinion, innovation is a key factor to succeeding in the crane hire business. And the introduction of the new LR 1600/2 and the arrival of the first LTM 1650-8.1 in the country mid last year are a testament to this approach. If we see a crane that will change the market, we want it in our fleet,” he explained.

“Liebherr delivered the LR 1600/2 at the end of last year and it’s been in our Newcastle yard since then. It has been set up in all the various configurations and it is now working on a project in Glen Innes in northern New South Wales,” he said.

Although the LR 1600/2 was initially designed for the wind farm sector, Borger can see many applications for the crawler in other industry sectors.

“The new crawler will certainly help Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services compete for more work in the wind farm sector. In my opinion, it’s not as good as the Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 for this type of www.cranesandlifting.com.au

With its VarioBase counterweight, the Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 has provided clients with options they have never had before.

work, but our cranes can’t be everywhere.

“The LR 1600/2 will work well in the wind farm sector, but it is also ideal for large infrastructure projects and for some of the large mining projects which are in the pipeline. It will suit most projects where you need to lift over 500t,” said Borger.

The LR 1600/2 is one of the most popular crawler cranes designed by Liebherr. Although it was primarily designed to work in the wind farm sector, there are 223 operating on varying projects right across the world.

In addition to the standard LR 1600/2 version, a version with narrow crawler track, known as the LR 1600/2-W, was also marketed successfully over a period of 10 years. The main feature of this version was the fact that it could travel along narrow crawlers in wind farms considerably easier than the standard version. The narrow track version accounted for around one-quarter of all these cranes in use worldwide.

Initially, the LR 1600/2 was delivered in its SL4DFB configuration, designed for wind turbines with a hub height of 130 to 135 metres. In this configuration, the crane had a main boom of 138 metres and a fixed jib of 12 metres. This was www.cranesandlifting.com.au

the benchmark for turbines with a hub height of 135 metres. Over the next few years, however, the size of wind turbines increased dramatically up to hub heights of 150 metres or more. This altered the requirements for the crane, which the designers at Liebherr followed closely.

The lifting capacities and hoisting heights of the boom systems were continuously modified with the SL10 and SL13 versions, which both became established on the market. These booms enabled the crane to handle wind turbines with hub heights of 150 metres.

The Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services teams can’t wait to get their hands on the new crane.

“Our crews always love to work with new equipment, and I know it will be the same with the LR 1600/2. As I said, the Newcastle crew have had some time with the crane and worked on its various configurations so it will be really interesting to see how it performs during the first project,” said Borger.

The Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 has proved to be a very valuable addition to the Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services fleet, said Borger.

“The LTM 1650-8.1 has been deployed to 20 jobs so far, which is exceptional for a heavy lift all terrain. It has proven to be a great addition to the fleet. With its VarioBallst® counterweight positioning it has provided clients with options they have never had before. It is the same size as many of the 500t capacity all terrains, but it can lift considerably more, which is an obvious benefit.

The Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1 is designed to deliver maximum performance. The eight-axle all terrain is designed to deliver maximum flexibility and fast set-up times.

The LTM 1650-8.1 travels with an axle load of 12 tonnes complete with its 54 metres of telescopic boom and the front supports.

To minimise the set-up time, however, the rear supports are installed as a complete support box in a single hoist and connected using quick-release couplings.

As with all new developments over the last few years, Liebherr can offer the LTM 1650-8.1 with a very wide range of transport weights and axle load versions

to ensure cost-effective global mobility for axle loads both above and below 12 tonnes.

As with its predecessor, the LTM 15008.1, which dominated the large telescopic crane class for 20 years, Liebherr can supply the new crane with two telescopic boom lengths – 54 metres or 80 metres.

Customers can also buy both lengths and change them easily by replacing telescope section three and roller head with telescope sections three to five.

In keeping with the concept to deliver the ultimate crane on eight axles, the load capacity increases, compared to its predecessor, are between 15 and 50 per cent, depending on whether the telescopic boom includes guying or not. The standard VarioBase variable support base delivers additional increases in performance in the zone above the supports.

The designers used the time-tested technology from the LTM 1500-8.1 for the Y-guying of the new LTM 1650-8.1 – although they upgraded the single-rope system to achieve better performance. The benefit of easy handling was retained.

The LR 1600/2 is one of the most popular crawler cranes designed by Liebherr.

March/April 2022 CAL / 55

IN FOCUS / BORGER CRANES AND LIEBHERR

“Everyone in the business has been impressed with the performance of the LTM 1650-8.1. We had high expectations from the beginning, but it has surpassed these expectations.”

The LR 1600/2 will work well in the wind farm sector, but it is also ideal for large infrastructure projects where you need to lift over 500t.

The experts from Ehingen focused on achieving an easy, fast, and safe set-up process during the design process.

A range of lattice booms enables it to work efficiently and with a fixed lattice boom from 6 to 62 metres in length, the telescopic boom can be extended particularly easily and quickly. It is attached at an angle of 0°, 10°, 20°, or 40°. As an option, the fixed boom can be adjusted between 0° and 38°. The luffing lattice boom, with a length of 21 to 91 metres, delivers maximum height, radius, and performance. Both lattice booms can be attached to the 54-metre and the 80-metre telescopic boom.

High performance normally requires a large ballast radius, but often there is simply not enough space on sites. This means the ballast radius must be as small as possible. Liebherr meets this challenge 56 / CAL March/April 2022

with its VarioBallast innovation. The new LTM 1650-8.1 has adopted the timetested system from the LTM 1450-8.1 where the ballast radius can be infinitely adjusted using a simple hydraulic slewing mechanism – on the LTM 1650-8.1 between 6.3 and 8.4 metres.

The new Liebherr eight-axle crane operates with a maximum ballast of 155 tonnes. To enhance economy, the ballast plates are compatible with the slabs from the LTM 1350-6.1, LTM 1400-7.1, LTM 1450-8.1, Liebherr’s nine-axle mobile cranes and the LR 1350/1 crawler crane.

This means that all large LTM cranes have standard ballast slabs; a massive step forwards in logistics for crane operators.

An eight-cylinder Liebherr diesel engine in the undercarriage, which develops 505kW/677hp and torque of 3,160Nm provides the LTM 1650-8.1 with all the power it needs. The engine satisfies the new stage V emissions directive and can also be built to comply with the regulations that apply in countries outside of Europe, for example Tier 4f for the USA or stage III for low regulated countries.

The power is transferred to the crane axles using the innovative 12-speed ZF TraXon Torque gearbox. A torque converter enhances manoeuvring and starting. ECOdrive is a new feature, providing an additional eco mode that delivers enhanced drive properties, which both save fuel and reduce noise.

Meanwhile, Hillstart Aid makes starting on gradients easier. The intarder, a zero wear hydrodynamic brake integrated in the gearbox, acts as a retarder. In addition a Telma eddy current brake is standard.

The Liebherr single-engine concept has now proven itself in over 800 cranes and also features on the new LTM 1650-8.1. The superstructure is powered by a mechanical shaft. Gear shafts are routed from the distributor gear in the

substructure via two mitre gears through the centre of the slewing ring to the pump distributor gear in the superstructure.

A mechanical shaft ensures a particularly high efficiency level and low engine speeds in the chassis engine provide sufficient power for crane work. This ensures the economy of the new concept in terms of fuel consumption. The benefits of not having a separate superstructure engine include reduced maintenance work and lower weight.

The lower weight can be used for loadbearing components, thus increasing the crane’s load capacity. In ECOmode, the complete pump drive can be disconnected automatically when the engine is idling and then reconnected by the intelligent controller in a matter of seconds.

Borger has been impressed with the performance of the Liebherr LTM 1650-8.1.

“Everyone in the business has been impressed with the performance of the LTM 1650-8.1. We had high expectations from the beginning, but it has surpassed these expectations. Our crews think it is well ahead of its time with the new technology with many of its features and it is most definitely providing Borger Cranes with a significant competitive advantage.

“It is not a difficult crane to mobilise and de-mobilise and it is not dissimilar to the LTM 1500-8.1 and the LTM 17509.1 in size, so we have allocated trailers which enable the crane to be sent to site in a timely manner.

“The addition of the LTM 1650-8.1 has made a very positive contribution. It gives Borger Crane Hire and Rigging Services the additional capacity we needed within the heavy lift division, and it is providing customers with further confidence that we can always supply the right crane to solve whatever the challenges they might be facing,” said Borger. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Customer Training Courses 2022 DATES

COURSE

LOCATION

18.01. – 19.01.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Perth WA

2 Days

15.02. – 16.02.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Perth WA

2 Days

22.02. – 24.02.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Perth WA

3 Days

01.03. – 02.03.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Brisbane QLD

2 Days

22.03. – 23.03.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Auckland NZ

2 Days

24.03. – 25.03.2022

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Auckland NZ

2 Days

05.04. – 07.04.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Perth WA

3 Days

27.04. – 28.04.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Sydney NSW

2 Days

03.05. – 05.05.2022

Active rear axle steering

Perth WA

3 Days

17.05. – 18.05.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Melbourne VIC

2 Days

19.05. – 20.05.2022

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Melbourne VIC

2 Days

31.05. – 01.06.2022

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Sydney NSW

2 Days

13.06. – 14.06.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Auckland NZ

2 Days

15.06. – 17.06.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Auckland NZ

3 Days

12.07. – 13.07.2022

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Perth WA

3 Days

26.07. – 27.07.2022

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Brisbane QLD

2 Days

09.08. – 10.08.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Sydney NSW

2 Days

11.08. – 13.08.2022

Active rear axle steering

Sydney NSW

3 Days

23.08. – 24.08.2022

Crane Service and Maintenance including an Introduction to Diagnostics

Perth WA

2 Days

06.09. – 08.09.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Melbourne VIC

3 Days

20.09. – 22.09.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Sydney NSW

3 Days

11.10. – 13.10.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Brisbane QLD

3 Days

18.10. – 20.10.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Perth WA

3 Days

07.11. – 08.11.2022

Influence of Wind including LICCON Work Planner

Auckland NZ

2 Days

09.11. – 11.11.2022

LICCON I & II with data bus

Auckland NZ

3 Days

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IN FOCUS / ANDROMEDA INDUSTRIES

SAFER AND STRONGER SLINGS FROM ANDROMEDA Andromeda Industries is an established innovator in the Australian wire rope industry.

Andromeda is the only manufacturer of flat woven steel slings in Australia.

Andromedas Industries business development manager Scott Taylor explained more.

“AS A BUSINESS, OUR CORE FOCUS IS the design and manufacture of plaited and woven steel cables as well as terminal fittings for these cables. Our products are used extensively in the lifting and rigging industry and they have been for 60 years,” said Taylor.

“Over the last 12 months, we have been involved with some of the bigger infrastructure projects on the east coast of Australia, including a significant amount of project work on the Cross River Rail Project in Brisbane, the Metro project in Melbourne, and we have been heavily involved in the Project Energy Connect interconnector powerline project running between Robertson in South Australia and Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, where our slings were used for pulling conductor cable.

“Our ability to manufacture our Superflex wire rope and a range of fittings in house at our six hectare Moonbi facility has allowed us to supply a varied range of specialised slings through our network of 58 / CAL March/April 2022

The Deano sling is designed to equalise loads on high-capacity ramshorn hooks.

distributors, which include Bullivants, Nobles, and Bunzl Safety,” he said.

The Andromeda Industries’ range of products includes Superflex, a plaited 12-strand wire rope as opposed to a conventional wire rope with a sixor eight-strand round strand.

“We take the round-stranded cable and plait it into what becomes our Superflex wire tope.” said Taylor.

“This process makes it a highly flexible, more robust, and easier to handle wire rope for making slings.

The plaited design makes it ideal for choking around smooth surfaces, and for lifting anything you can imagine wire rope gets used for.

“Our Superflex cable starts at 10mm and goes through to 96mm.

We buy cable from 2.5mm to 24mm as our feed stock and this gets plaited into a three by four plait, which gives us our 12-strand Superflex fi nished product.

The reason it is so flexible is because it incorporates 912 individual wires woven into the wire rope. A standard six by 36, which is what

would normally be used for a sling, is manufactured from 216 wires.”

Eighteen months ago, Andromeda Industries founder Raymond McLaren commissioned a new plaiting machine.

The new horizontal plaiting machine was fully designed and constructed onsite at Moonbi by Raymond and his dedicated staff.

“Prior to the installation of this machine, our Superflex product used to stop at a 40mm diameter, but we are now able to make slings up to 96mm in diameter. This diameter has a breaking strain of 434 tonnes and a working load of 84 tonnes in a single leg direct configuration.

“With the greater diameter, we are able to manufacture a couple of different styles of slings, including our double ended strop, which can then take the working load up to 168 tonnes. We would be the only organisation in Australia capable of manufacturing a cable like this,” said Taylor.

Recently, Andromeda Industries worked closely with John Holland on www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The Deano sling enabled the safe lifting of tunnel boring machine parts.

Andromeda Industries worked closely with John Holland on the Level Crossing Upgrade Project in Melbourne.

a major projects, providing custommade slings explained Taylor.

“We worked closely with John Holland on the Level Crossing Upgrade Project in Melbourne. They were looking for some slings to lift and rotate the Bridge Piers. We Supplied 48mm diameter [Twelve-0] Superflex strops at the required length with a cast thimble in the sling to protect the rope from wear,” he said.

“John Holland designed the lifting trunnion on the pier to suit our thimble. This is an example of how being a local supplier of a high quality product allows us to work with customers and suppliers alike to achieve positive outcomes.

“Throughout the year we have also worked with Cross River Rail in Brisbane, The Metro Tunnel Project in Melbourne and Sydney.

Through our distribution partners we have been able to work together to supply some very specialised slings.

In many cases these have been time sensitive jobs,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“We take the round-stranded cable and plait it into what becomes our Superflex wire rope.”

For each of these projects, Andromeda Industries supplied one of their own unique product designs called the Deano sling. These slings are designed to equalise loads on highcapacity ramshorn hooks. The Deano sling is one of Andromeda’s double ended strops with a cast thimble fitted onto the sling body to reduce damage and wear. By running the eyes of the sling over the ramshorn hook the need for the use of two separate slings on the hook is eliminated and ensures the load is centred under the ramshorn.

“The projects used our slings to enable the safe lifting of tunnel boring

machine parts. The Melbourne project showed the versatility of the Deano by using it as a two leg sling lifting off a single point hook. These are a unique product designed and manufactured onsite at our Moonbi factory,” said Taylor.

Andromeda Industries is National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited and also a full member of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA).

When Androemda Industries manufactures a sling, it comes fully tested and certified to the relevant Australian standards.

March/April 2022 CAL / 59

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IN FOCUS / FLEURIEU CRANES AND TADANO

FLEURIEU CRANES EXPANDS FLEET WITH TADANO ALLTERRAINS

Fleurieu Cranes recently invested heavily in the Tadano all-terrain range – specifically the AC220-5, which is now the Tadano AC 5.220L-1.

Leading Adelaide crane hire business Fleurieu Cranes recently added two Tadano AC220-5 220T capacity Tadano all-terrains to its fleet – taking the fleet of AC220-5s to a total of three.

FLEURIEU CRANES HAS ALWAYS operated a wide variety of Tadano cranes in its fleet and the latest additions were ordered as a result of their performance.

Cesar Federici, Fleurieu Cranes business development manager, explains more.

Fleurieu Cranes is a family owned and run business that started operations in 2005 when the three founders believed there was a gap in the South Australian crane market. They could see the opportunity for a company with a sincere focus on delivering complex projects and turnkey solutions for clients.

Initially based in Macclesfield, the business moved to a purpose-built depot in Wingfield to accommodate the fast growth of the business. Federici explains the typical profile of a Fleurieu client.

“Typically, our clients understand the value Fleurieu Cranes brings to their project through our expertise, experience and value-add services, such as our www.cranesandlifting.com.au

March/April 2022 CAL / 61

IN FOCUS / FLEURIEU CRANES AND TADANO

dedicated Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) team, along with our in-house Lift Engineering Department, and the industry knowledge which comes with 10-plus supervisors,” he said.

Federici goes on to discuss the make-up of the Fleurieu Cranes fleet.

“Because we have such a broad range of clients operating in numerous industry sectors, our crane fleet is broad and varied. Our fleet capacity starts at 3t and goes all the way up to 400t. We operate a large range of pick-and-carry cranes, including a 40t capacity AT40 – which was the first in South Australia. We also operate city cranes, truck mounted cranes with capacities between 30t and 60t, mini crawlers, a large range of all-terrains up to 400t capacity, vehicle loading The long boom five-axle combination means Fleurieu Cranes can achieve 24hr travel in South Australia.

62 / CAL March/April 2022

cranes, telehandlers, and elevated work platforms,” he said.

Fleurieu Cranes has had long and ongoing relationships with all major crane brands and suppliers in Australia, including Tadano, explained Federici.

“We have always operated Tadano city class cranes and truck mounted cranes, but we recently invested heavily in the Tadano all-terrain range – specifically the AC220-5, which is now the Tadano AC 5.220L-1. After purchasing our first AC220-5 and

operating it for close to a year, we realised just how flexible the crane is. The longboom five-axle combination means that we can achieve 24hr travel in South Australia, and there are not many jobs that the AC220-5 can’t do,” he said.

“We then proceeded to order an additional two Tadano AC 5.220L-1s, due to the increased demand for this class and size of crane in the market. The cranes operate long hours and are proving to be very reliable cranes,” he said.

“The Tadano AC 5.220L-1s have

“We visit every site before the lift – this is one of the added values we provide to our clients.” performed on a wide range of projects since being added to the Fleurieu Cranes fleet. Jobs have varied from medium and large commercial projects around town to large infrastructure projects as well as mining and resources activities.

“Our operators really enjoy the AC220s – they are comfortable to operate in, have intuitive systems and are safe to access and egress. Tadano has been very supportive of any queries or requests from our team. The support has come from their workshop and maintenance team and also their engineering department. In every instance, they have been responsive and thorough with their support,” said Federici.

The five-axle Tadano AC 5.220L-1 – formerly the Demag AC 220-5 – features an eight-section 78m main boom plus an 11.4m to 27m bi-fold swing away extension for a maximum tip height of 102m.

Federici explained how the nature of the work influences the fleet make-up.

“Demand and growth in particular industries influences our buying strategy relating to the new cranes coming into the fleet. When selecting new cranes for our fleet, we look for a best-in-class solution.

“Our operations, workshop, and engineering teams are always involved in new crane purchase decisions – ensuring www.cranesandlifting.com.au

new cranes are able to service existing and future projects and clients,” he said.

Fleurieu runs a mixed fleet that includes the following brands: • Comedil • Tadano Demag • Grove • Kato • Liebherr • Manitowoc • Maeda • Potain • Tadano • Terex • TRT Fleurieu Cranes services clients operating in a broad range of industry sectors, including large infrastructure projects both road and rail, the renewable energy sector including the construction and maintenance of wind farms. It also services utilities, general projects, shutdowns in the mining and resources sector, large commercial projects, machinery removal/relocation, and steel erection.

“Typically, our clients are Tier One and Tier Two companies, with over 80 per cent of our clients being existing or returning customers. There are a number of clients with whom we have been working for over a decade,” said Federici.

“We cover all of South Australia, country New South Wales, country Victoria and the southern parts of the Northern Territory. We place a high emphasis on customer service and satisfaction, but safety always comes first,” he said.

Fleurieu Cranes employs 10 site supervisors, each of whom conduct preliminary site inspections for each project. They take back the vital information relating to the site and the project and feed the lift and site safety information to both the company’s HSEQ team and its Lift Engineering team. Operators are then given all the required lift documentation as well as site-specific HSEQ documentation prior to arriving on site. This ensures they are prepared for the job.

“We visit every site before the lift, this www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The five-axle Tadano AC 5.220L-1 – formerly the Demag AC 220-5 – features an eight-section 78m main boom plus an 11.4m to 27m bi-fold swing away extension for a maximum tip height of 102m.

is one of the added values we provide to our clients. A site supervisor is assigned to all jobs booked into our system. Our site supervisors collate the site visit information and drawings supplied by our clients and relay this information to our Lift Engineering team. This team then produces lift plans and lift studies for supervisor and client final review – prior to being assigned to the job file. We utilise both OEM-issued and third-party software to input crane parameters into our lift plans/studies – such as KranXpert, CraniMax, AutoCAD, Demag Lift Planner and LICCON,” said Federici.

Fleurieu Cranes employs over 100 South Australians, all with different levels of skill and experience in the industry.

“Our operators and riggers are extremely loyal to our company and understand the importance of a ‘safety first’ culture,” he said.

“We strongly believe that Fleurieu Cranes is a great place to work. This can be seen through some of the demographics of our crane operators and riggers where we have three sets of father and son teams, one father and daughter team, and one pair of siblings in the company.

“If we didn’t truly operate with a ‘safety first’ company culture, we believe we wouldn’t see these types of demographics given the high-risk nature of the work we perform in the crane industry,” said Federici.

March/April 2022 CAL / 63

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IN FOCUS / DRA ENGINEERING’S HUMMA PICK AND CARRY Mining companies are insisting all vehicles required to work underground must have the failsafe wet brake.

HUMMA 35 RELEASES THE WET BRAKE You may ask what is a wet brake?. The layman’s answer is it is the brake of last resort, used when conventional hydraulic or pneumatic brake systems fail to safely bring the vehicle to a stop. DRA Engineering’s Peter Dalla Riva explained the background to this safety innovation for Humma articulated pick and carries.

PICK AND CARRY CRANES WORKING underground or in open cut mining where they are required to travel down a decline can sometimes result in the brake system overheating, with loss of braking efficiency, which causes the driver to lose control of the crane. If the crane is carrying a load the braking system is required to not only stop or slow the rate of decline of the crane but has the added task of contending with the load, which could double the design capability of the crane braking system.

“Working in this environment it is not uncommon for Pick & Carry Cranes to lose braking systems on long declines necessitating the driver to take evasive action which can result in endangering the life of the driver and surrounding www.cranesandlifting.com.au

personnel with potential damage to the crane and other machinery in the area.

“Driving procedures do exist when driving down declines but, with the increased amount of underground mining, wet brakes are being specified by mining companies, which are insisting all vehicles required to work underground must have the failsafe wet brake. Where a vehicle manufacture cannot fit a wet brake easily for genuine mechanical reasons, miners are forced to give a dispensation for a limited time, allowing the manufacturer to carry out the design and testing of a wet brake system capable of being incorporated in a new model if it cannot be retro fitted to the existing model pick and carry,” he said.

Like most research and development for Humma, the wet brake project was as a result of a request from a mining company, said Dalla Riva.

“It is interesting to illustrate what happened. The safety department at BHP Olympic Dam, one of the world’s leading miners, contacted us to see if a wet brake could be fitted to a Humma.

“They explained the problem with their Frannas working underground [was that they] did not meet the safety requirement of being fitted with a wet brake.

“BHP had given Franna time to come up with a solution and, after two years, BHP were advised that the wet brake could not be fitted to Frannas and they would have to allow them March/April 2022 CAL / 65

IN FOCUS / DRA ENGINEERING’S HUMMA PICK AND CARRY

The boom rear mounting allows a second winch to be fitted to operate under the boom.

to continue to operate underground as a non-conforming crane.

“BHP Safety considered the position taken by Franna [to be] totally unacceptable, especially since the site had over 15 Frannas working above and underground. DRA was then asked if a wet brake could be fitted to a MAC25.

“Obviously, we had no interest in designing a brake for our competitor.

However, we did an investigative evaluation of the MAC chassis and driveline. Our conclusion was that it could be done but required considerable redesign time and cost possibly necessitate changes to the chassis.

“BHP then asked if a wet brake could be fitted to Humma 35 [same width as a MAC25]. We informed them that the Humma chassis design had the capability to absorb the energy from deacceleration caused by the wet brake being applied without structural damage and we needed to establish the size of the wet brake capable of handling the weight of the crane and load, and then seeing if it could be 66 / CAL March/April 2022

installed within the Humma’s existing driveline. Wet brake systems can be fitted elsewhere on a pick and carry – the Humma wet brake can be fitted as an extra to the new model Humma 35MK3, where it is bolted into position.

“Within an eight-week project period, the Humma 35 wet brake was developed with designs allowing manufacture to proceed. As part of the

to travel at highway speeds in crane travel mode,” said Dalla Riva.

Having solved BHP’s underground pick and carry crane safety issues, DRA also solved it for all underground miners worldwide where pick and carry cranes operate. The speed with which the solution was found was not based on smart 2020 engineering; the ability to solve the problem dates back to 1996

“The Humma development was two-pronged involving the prime mover and the boom system.” project, BHP requested a 500kg manbasket with overhead protection for underground service, which was also completed. This fulfilled BHP Olympic Dam safety criteria of having a Humma 35 fitted with failsafe braking operating with the large capacity overhead protection man-cage.

“The Humma 35 wet brake system provides braking at full load on a 1:5 gradient whilst still retaining the ability

when the design and specification for Humma was prepared.

“Having started in the 1950s, the Linmac business ceased trading in 1996. Franna was the remaining manufacturer of pick and carry cranes, having launched in the 1980s. Both used design and technology that was either out of date or quickly becoming outdated.

“Air-spring suspension had arrived, www.cranesandlifting.com.au

with Mack trucks being the early users, leaf springs were on the way out.

The crane hire market was growing, so pick and carry design needed to have the prime mover capable of being driven at highway speed safely with the gearing allowing good acceleration, the chassis had to be rigid not only for use as a crane but capable of being used as a prime mover suitable for fitting other attachments,” said Dalla Riva.

“The Humma development was two-pronged involving the prime mover and the boom system. The Humma 35 chassis is capable of being multifunctional. In 2001, it was fitted with a 14T capacity fork for Heinz Foods and used for moving 10t bins of tomatoes in the paddock whilst harvesting. The Humma prime mover can be fitted with a tyre attachment for handling of a large mine site tyre assembly and a telehandler attachment.

The Humma range of pick and carry cranes are very multi-functional.

“The boom rear mounting allows a second winch to be fitted to operate under the boom. A Humma 25 with the dual winch was built for a client in South Australia, who fabricated stainless steel flat bottom tanks up to three metres in diameter. A Humma 25 dual winch allowed the tanks to be lifted horizontally, loaded onto a semitrailer, delivered to site then unload

horizontally and installed vertically, where the support was on the centre of the tank roof.

“The rear chassis configuration allows sufficient space to allow modifications that may be required when fitting attachments. The 1996 chassis design made the wet brake installation economically and mechanically possible,” he said.

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IN FOCUS / PACE CRANES AND SENNEBOGEN TELESCOPIC CRAWLERS

The new Sennebogen 6103 E has a lifting capacity of 100t and a maximum boom length of 62m.

SENNEBOGEN LAUNCHES 100T CAPACITY TELESCOPIC CRAWLER Pace Cranes, national distributor for Sennebogen, recently announced a major addition to its product portfolio with the launch of the Sennebogen 6103 E 100t capacity crawler crane.

THE SENNEBOGEN TELESCOPIC CRAWLER crane concept has been successfully established with customers worldwide for many years and is present in numerous markets. With the popular performance class up to 100t load capacity, Sennebogen is expanding its extensive portfolio of telecrawlers with a new top-of-the-range model, whilst marking a small anniversary.

With 70 years of experience, Sennebogen has successfully established itself on the international market with mobile and crawler telescopic cranes.

68 / CAL March/April 2022

Customers from the construction and crane rental industries all over the world trust in the reliability of Sennebogen telescopic cranes.

In its anniversary year, Sennebogen is introducing a new 100t model – a crane that will fill the gap between the existing models and will be an interesting solution for construction companies in building and civil engineering, and for crane rental companies in particular. With its current product portfolio from 16t to 130t load capacity, Sennebogen already covers a wide range

of applications, where the telescopic crawler cranes in particular offer many advantages when lifting, moving and positioning large loads.

The new Sennebogen 6103 E is a telescopic crane with a load capacity of 100t and a maximum boom length of up to 62m, specially designed for demanding pick and carry applications.

The new addition to the product line is equipped with a 186kW diesel engine of emissions stage V, which also hydraulically drives the powerful crawler drive of the 100t machine as www.cranesandlifting.com.au

well as main and auxiliary winches with 100kN tractive force each and allows cable speeds of 125m/min. Thanks to a wide range of equipment solutions, the machine can also be configured to meet a wide range of customer-specific requirements in special civil engineering or hydraulic engineering, for example with working area limitation, safety and low-temperature package or for operation with organic oils.

With outstanding working heights, the Sennebogen 6103 E features a five-section pin boom, which has a maximum length of 46.8m for the driver in standard configuration. The reach can be optionally optimised up to 62m with the fly jib and extension. The boom system thus enables comfortable working heights of up to 50m. Operation is carried out simply and intuitively via joystick movement.

The Sennebogen 6103 E offers maximum flexibility. Like all Sennebogen telescopic crawler cranes, the 100t machine also allows you to work on rough terrain. Thanks to the robust, telescoping crawler undercarriage with a maximum track width of 4.20m, there is no need for time-consuming positioning or supporting the machine. The crawler undercarriage is also stable and secure during crane operation.

The robust design of the machine, as well as the boom, is particularly noticeable when working at inclines of up to 4° and with high load capacities.

The 6103 E sets an impressive standard in its performance class here.

As a pick and carry crane, the telescopic crawler crane can also be moved with up to 100 per cent load on the hook and thus offers a wide range of applications, particularly in prefabricated part and component assembly and on large construction sites.

In addition to the tried-and-tested equipment features, the spacious Maxcab offers operators even more options for making everyday work particularly comfortable and safe.

The telescopic crane has a cab that can tilt 20° as standard. As an option, the cab can be hydraulically elevated to www.cranesandlifting.com.au

an eye level of 5.60m. Large-scale window elements and the tried-andtested access area with sliding door leave nothing to be desired and provide an optimal workplace for the driver, says Pace Cranes. There is also the option of operating the crane from outside the cab via radio remote control, which offers added precision and safety in many applications.

However, for contractors and rental companies alike, transport costs and set-up times are key criteria for efficient crane use.

The new Sennebogen 6103 E telescopic crawler crane offers two major advantages here. The machine can be transported completely in one piece. For this, only the ballast must be removed to achieve a transport weight of around 61t and a width of 3.48m. The crane weighs

less than 40t and is therefore even easier to transport by low loader, when the crawler tracks are removed beforehand.

The highlight is that all assembly steps can be carried out by the machine itself.

Auxiliary cranes are not required thanks to the Sennebogen self-assembly system.

With the new premium model, Sennebogen is adding a real highlight to its product range for the 30th anniversary of the green telescopic crane, which is sure to cause a stir in the popular 100t class – as was demonstrated impressively in the first test applications of the machine in demanding customer applications.

Pace Cranes confirms the Sennebogen brand and range of products is highly popular in this part of the world with over 100 machines operating regionally.

“Thanks to the robust, telescoping crawler undercarriage with a maximum track width of 4.20m, there is no need for time-consuming positioning or supporting the machine.”

As a pick and carry crane, the Sennebogen 6103 E crane can be moved with up to 100 per cent load on the hook, offering a wide range of applications.

March/April 2022 CAL / 69

IN FOCUS / SANY AND TUTT BRYANT HEAVY LIFT & SHIFT

SANY HEAVY LIFTERS FOR TUTT BRYANT

Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift (TBHLS) recently took delivery of the first of two 800t capacity lattice boom crawler cranes, the Sany SCC8000A. MALCOM SMITH, GENERAL MANAGER, TBHLS explains the reasons for the purchases and where they will be operating.

“There are a number of reasons for the purchases, with fleet renewal high on the list. We are looking to dispose of our 600 tonne Capacity Demag CC2800-1 which has served us well on the east coast of Australia. We are also looking to step up in capacity as the jobs and projects are getting that bit larger in size. So, we will be replacing the 600t Demag with the 2nd of the 800t Sany which arrives in February into Brisbane.

“We will also be sending one of our Manitowoc MLC650 back to the 70 / CAL March/April 2022

east coast. We’ve had this crane in WA for a few years, and it will soon be operating on a Melbourne project from September 2022. The new 800t Sany in Western Australia will therefore bolster our large crane offering in the west. We used to have a 550t Kobelco which we moved between projects in both the east and west. This unit was sold last year and we didn’t replace it at the time.

The new SCC8000As will upgrade our capabilities and replace gear we’ve sold more recently,” he said.

Smith goes on to discuss the new technology featured in the new Sanys.

“The Sany cranes, like most of today’s cranes, with their superlifts, all feature some form of vario or extender

frame which enables you to adjust the counterweight in and out and up and down. The Sany SCC8000A that came into Western Australia has 99 meters of main boom (non superlift) along with 111 meters of main boom and full superlift – with extender frame and split counterweight tray,” he said.

The SCC8000A arriving in Queensland will have 99 meters of main boom (non superlift), 111 meters of regular main boom with superlift, 123 meters of mixed main boom with superlift, 147 meters of mixed main boom and full superlift. The crane also comes with 165 meters of power boom which includes 3.5 metre sections which are fitted into the boom and it features www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The Sany SCC8000A which arrived in Western Australia has 99 metres of main boom (non superlift) along with 111 metres of main boom and full superlift.

a super power boom. This is made up of two booms side by side for a certain portion of the main boom. TBHLS has also purchased the crane with a short wind jib which can be used to install wind turbines to a hook height of 177 meters. It has a full luffing fly of 96 meters as well.

“The crane headed for Brisbane is going to have greater capacities than anything else in the market right now.

So, for the next generation of wind turbines coming up in the future, this crane is certainly very suitable for that work.

“We have also purchased two lengths of derrick, 36m and 42m with extender frame which means the counterweight can go in and out from 18m to 24m, as well as up and down” he said.

The crane also has a split superlift counterweight tray enabling quick removal of 100 tonnes of superlift counterweight making the crane extremely flexible. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The cranes feature the Porsche cab which is designed to provide high visibility for the operator. They also feature world class componentry says Smith.

“Sany has been working and developing the Porsche cab for the past decade or so and it features on all of their crawler cranes. It’s a really popular cab with the operators as it’s quite spacious and with the increased visibility enables the operator to thoroughly view his surroundings and operate the crane safely.

“They also feature European winch motors and controls and they are powered by a Cummins engine.

These cranes feature exactly the same components and equipment that you will find in models manufactured by other leading crane OEMs. By running this quality of gear, the productivity, reliability and longevity of the crane is greatly enhanced.

“Sany, along with many of the other Chinese crane manufacturers, are progressing rapidly with their product development. We have the factory examining some additional features which we would like to see on the crane which will help with the advancement of the machine,” he said.

“From TBHLS’s point of view, Sany is a proactive crane OEM. They are listening to our feedback on the

product and act on the suggestions we put forward. Their response times for improvements and engineering solutions are really impressive and the level of service they provide is excellent.”

Smith confirms critical spare parts are coming with each crane.

“We have sat down with Sany and identified all the critical spares which may be required if the crane was to break down. These will be supplied in containers for each of the units we have coming. This means we will have stock in Australia and we won’t be relying on delivery from China or from Europe, stock will be available locally.

“Time is of the essence when you are operating big cranes and most of the time the cranes are on the critical path for the projects they are working on.

This means that it is essential we have utilisation and availability with these pieces of equipment,” he said.

“The Sany cranes, like most of today’s cranes, with their superlifts, all feature some form of vario or extender frame, which enables you to adjust the counterweight in and out.”

Sany has been working and developing the Porsche cab for the past decade or so and it features on all of their crawler cranes.

March/April 2022 CAL / 71

IN FOCUS / SANY AND TUTT BRYANT HEAVY LIFT & SHIFT

Sany, along with many of the other Chinese crane manufacturers, are progressing rapidly with their product development.

are looking at what the industry requires, and probably looking at what the opposition is developing. Like all OEM’s, Sany is focused on providing a competitive edge with its products.

“When we have had conversations with Sany about improving the product, we have seen improvements.

With the first units received from Sany, we made suggestions on how they could be improved. By the third unit, the changes we suggested had been included. Their engineering teams are really cooperative and responsive. They also send kits for the initial units we’ve purchased enabling us to retrofit the upgrades including software upgrades.

“From our point of view, this type of relationship is excellent for us. We are listening to our customers and registering their feedback and the comments they might have when they are using the equipment. We then discuss this with Sany and their teams.

Sany has taken a very progressive

“From our perspective, our customers, the end users are able to complete their jobs without delay because of the Sany support they receive via Tutt Bryant. Although the pandemic has significantly interrupted the global markets our relationship with Sany has continued to operate seamlessly,” he said.

The first Sany SCC8000A is on site in Western Australia and will start operating in February. TBHLS have lined up a number of projects for both cranes.

“From there the West Australian crane will move immediately to another project up north where it will be based, for upwards of nine months.

“The crane headed to Brisbane is going to be busy with projects planned along the East Coast. It will look impressive with the twin boom, the luffing fly, the power boom and the superpower boom all great features. The crane is one of

“From our perspective, our customers – the end users – are able to complete their jobs without delay because of the Sany support they receive via Tutt Bryant.”

Chinese manufacturers are pushing the boundaries in terms of capacities and capabilities with Sany developing and deploying the SCC40000A, a 4000t capacity lattice boom crawler, and Zoomlion launching the W12000-450 a 450 tonne capacity tower crane, the world’s largest Top-Slewing tower crane, leading the era of super-large tower cranes, says Smith.

“The Chinese manufacturers are constantly evolving, examining the market and listening to their customers in Europe, the US, Australia and China.

I understand Sany has a significant position in the Vietnam wind industry sector where there are a number of 700t and 800t capacity cranes completing multiple wind tower projects.

“Sany engineer and manufacture highly productive machines and they 72 / CAL March/April 2022

approach with the way they are evolving the product.

“They are constantly looking to improve with what I call ‘one percenters’. They are addressing these one percent issues to elevate themselves up to a level where they are now competing with the other OEM’s. With some products, I’d say they are leading the market,” said Smith.

“We have a strong relationship with the engineering teams at Sany. When we have made suggestions about increasing the wind speed, or increasing the lifting capacity or asking if we could run both winches at once to do a rotation, they are very reactive in examining the possibilities and then coming back to us with solutions. Their engineering capability and the speed at which they respond is excellent.

only a few in Australia that has these configurations available. It’s going to be a versatile crane which goes from a standard 800t to a heavy lift 800t and with the extender frames it matches any of the European cranes operating in today’s market,” said Smith.

“We think it’s great technology and our large crane operators have been in the seat, driving and familiarising themselves with the crane here in Perth. They have said that the operations are simple to learn and easy to understand, making it a very easy crane to drive. These operators have been operating the largest cranes in our fleet and probably the largest slew cranes in the country and they rate the Sany product. They are strong, reliable and they are true to their load charts,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

CR-130Rf Max Lift 13T x 1.7m (5.3m Boom)

CR-200Rf Max Lift 20T x 1.7m (6.5m Boom)

“We recently took delivery of a new 13t capacity Kato city crane, model CR130Rf and a 20t capacity CR-200Rf city crane. We have had Kato city cranes in the fleet for a while as well as two 20t Kato rough terrains. As far as the new city cranes are concerned, we’ve been impressed with their performance, they are compact machines and easy for the lads to operate,” Bianca Wilson (General Manager)

brisbane | sydney | melbourne adelaide | perth Peter Lawgall Philip Chadwick

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Peter.Lawgall@tuttbryant.com.au Philip.Chadwick@tuttbryant.com.au

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21/02/2022 9:18:44 PM

IN FOCUS / ANGLOMOIL AND FULLER MOBILE CRANES

FULLER MOBILE CRANES DELIGHTED WITH ANGLOMOIL PERFORMANCE Fuller Mobile Cranes has been using Anglomoil products for over seven years. Kane Fuller discussed the relationship with Paul Laganis and the team at Anglomoil and why they continue to utilise the locally manufactured and stocked oil and lubricating products.

“UP UNTIL SEVEN YEARS AGO, WE were using a competitive product, but we could see the machines were not performing at their optimum levels and we were having issues. We bought a testing kit, which enabled us to check the viscosity of the oil, and we compared the new oil from the drum to the oil which had been drained as part of a service. The test revealed the new oil was sitting at the same specification as the used oil,” said Fuller.

“We immediately went on the hunt for another supplier. I spoke to Paul, and he came back with the right pricing for the Anglomoil product, and we were on board. Since then, Paul has continued delivering what he says he will, and in the time frames we discuss.

“Quite honestly, we have been amazed by the performance of Anglomoil’s products and, over the seven years we have been using their products, we haven’t had a problem.”

“We service our cranes as per the OEM’s recommendations and we know the oils are performing because there has been no need for interim maintenance.

This provides us with peace of mind and we can focus on more important aspects of our business. Recently, we moved to Anglomoil for all our greasing and other lubricating products, which means we use them for everything,” said Fuller.

Fuller goes onto explain how well 74 / CAL March/April 2022

he is serviced by Laganis and the Anglomoil team.

“Paul is phone call away and, if we need him here, he will be in the yard within the hour. It makes life so much easier when we are dealing with one person for everything as opposed to calling four different suppliers.

Anglomoil’s products perform, there is no doubt about it, and Paul’s customer service takes away any hassle. When you call, you are not talking to a machine, which seems to be the direction everything is headed,” said Fuller.

Fuller Mobile Cranes brings in subcontractors for some of the maintenance of their machines. It brings their own tools and parts, but Fuller makes sure they use the Anlgomoil oils and greases.

“With all of our machines, we find the Anglomoil product performs really well.

You can check the viscosity of the oil in our cranes and we find the Anglomoil products keep their shape for longer.

Some of our cranes are still showing 70 per cent viscosity when they are due for a service, which is outstanding.

Anglomoil product is in our fleet of cranes, trucks, and cars, including my personal car,” said Fuller.

Fuller Mobile Crane’s facility has full tanks for the main oils and these feature airline connections. They have also built a bay for the 200-litre drums.

“With all of our machines, we find the Anglomoil product performs really well. You can check the viscosity of the oil in our cranes and we find the Anglomoil products keep their shape for longer.” www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Kane Fuller and Anglomoil’s Paul Laganis.

Fuller goes on to discuss the return on investment he receives by paying for and utilising Anglomoil’s premium products.

“Oils appear to be priced similarly, but if my cranes can perform at optimum levels without requiring additional maintenance between planned services, then that’s a huge advantage for us, and we are prepared to pay a small premium for this performance,” he said.

“If our machines are not breaking www.cranesandlifting.com.au

down, we are making money. For us, downtime on a machine is bad and we want to avoid this at all costs. But, if a machine does break down, it might cost a few thousand dollars to have it up and running. When you factor in the salary of the two or three guys required to operate the machine, their unproductive time really starts to add up and can cost serious money,” he said.

“So, we have very few breakdowns and we always have oil in stock. We don’t

have to wait for deliveries because Paul and his team are on their game. Oils are probably the cheapest element of a maintenance program for your fleet.

If you change your oil and grease on a regular basis, with quality products, there is a higher chance your machine is going to perform over an extended period of time,” said Fuller.

Fuller is surprised the crane sector hasn’t switched on to the benefits of working with the Anglomoil March/April 2022 CAL / 75

IN FOCUS / ANGLOMOIL AND FULLER MOBILE CRANES

Fullers Mobile Cranes recently moved to Anglomoil for all greasing and other lubricating products.

organisation and the products it manufactures locally.

“Our industry operates on traditional business values, which are relationshipbased. Fuller Mobile Cranes has a seven-year relationship with the team at Anglomoil and we haven’t had a problem with the quality or the performance of their products,” said Fuller.

“I’m not sure why the rest of the industry hasn’t switched on to Anglomoil. Maybe it is because they have been flying under the radar and competitive products have been making more noise in the market.

“From our perspective, Anglomoil works extremely well with Fullers Mobile Cranes. When we moved to Anglomoil, we started using their Euro specified oils, including the Euro 10W40, which is a Euro 5 oil, which looks after most of the engines right up to the new Euro engines.

“It’s a premium product and, accordingly, you pay a price, but we have been so pleased with the performance we will pay the 50c a litre premium all day every day.,” he said.

“As I’ve said, oil is the cheapest product you can use in the maintenance programs relating to your cranes and the equipment that supports them.

Rather than worrying about the price 76 / CAL March/April 2022

“It’s a premium product and accordingly, you pay a price, but we have been so pleased with the performance we will pay the 50c a litre premium all day every day.” of a premium oil product, I suggest crane companies look at the cost of breakdowns and, if poor oils are part of the cause, it is worth paying a 50c per litre premium on Australian-made product designed to minimise breaks downs,” said Fuller.

It’s been a big couple of years for Fuller Mobile Cranes. The business had been operating from its Holroyd yard for 30 years, but the business had outgrown the facility to the degree that the Fullers were operating two separate yards, which were holding cranes and trucks, as well as a third yard of a sub-contractor holding more trucks.

Father and son team Larry and Kane Fuller knew they needed a yard where everything could be accommodated.

They found the right premises in Smithfield and moved in July 2019.

“We can accommodate all our cranes and trucks, we have our dedicated wash bay, an inhouse fuel tank. The workshop can accommodate our own mechanics and, if we sub-contract mechanics in for

work, we have all oils and equipment right here and at their disposal. We also needed a bigger yard because we will be adding a larger capacity crane to the fleet, later in the year,” said Fuller.

“It’s the perfect facility for us and the location is ideal as we wanted to stay closer to Parramatta and the city and not be out at ‘crane central’ where most of our competitors are. We are also right on top of the M4 which, for now, does not have a toll and this works in our favour as well,” said Fuller.

“Over the past three years, we’ve added more cranes, we’ve added more staff, and we’re now in a great facility.

I give Larry full credit for this. For 33 years, he has worked hard on the business, and it is because of his efforts and experience that the business is in such a solid position.

“We work well as a team, we keep safety front and central and our customers respect this, that’s why we are still working for customers who Larry started out with 33 years ago,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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28/2/22 2:15 pm

IN FOCUS / THE BADEN DAVIS CRANE CONNECTION

CRANE CONNECTION DELIVERS AGAIN

McPhan Cranes and Transport recently took delivery of a Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2, which had been sourced from Germany by used cranes experts The Baden Davis Crane Connection.

The new Liebherr LTM 1040-4.1 will partner McPhan’s Tadano ATF 100G-4.1.

MCPHAN CRANES AND TRANSPORT HAS had a long association with The Baden Davis Crane Connection and Anthony Davis, explained Tony McPhan.

“We’ve worked with Anthony, Ben, and Gerhard over many years.

We bought our first all terrain, a 35t Liebherr, from the guys almost 19 years ago. The Liebherr LTM 1090-4.2 will be the fourth Liebherr in our fleet and the third we have purchased directly from Anthony,” he said.

“Why do we use The Baden Davis Crane Connection to source our cranes? I regard Anthony as a 78 / CAL March/April 2022

consummate professional, a personal friend, and key fleet advisor for our company. Ben is our ‘go to’ guy for all significant repairs and he provides an excellent service. It is a pleasure dealing with a family-oriented business with synergies to ours.

“Anthony’s ‘superpower’ is the honest advice he provides to his customers, even when he isn’t selling the product he is recommending.

Through regular contact with him and his global contacts, Anthony matched our needs with an ideal machine, which he sourced from Germany.

“Anthony and the team at The Crane Connection have never let us down and their small family business structure offers a personalised experience. The team at The Crane Connection genuinely care about what they do and the customers they have,” said McPhan.

The four axle Liebherr LTM 10904.2 provides a lifting capacity of 100t with 60m of main boom, a maximum lifting height of 76m, and radius of 62m. It also features outstanding mobility, power, and economy. The LTM 1090-4.2 can be driven all over www.cranesandlifting.com.au

the world at low cost as it can be configured with a whole series of different axle loads for driving on roads and sites. ECOdrive and ECOmode reduce its fuel consumption and noise emissions making it better for drivers and the environment. The Liebherr VarioBallast and VarioBase innovations enhance its capacity, safety, and flexibility.

McPhan Cranes and Transport was founded in October 2002 by Tony and his father, David, when they purchased the Davies Bros Cranes business.

“I was working away remotely in the mining industry and wanted to be with my newborn son every night.

When the opportunity to buy the Davies Bros Cranes business, my father and I grabbed it. We run a family business in every sense of the word, with our employee’s wives and children frequently part of our workplace culture,” said McPhan.

“We have been operating out of our 8,000m2 yard in North Wyong on the Central Coast of New South Wales since June 2007, with plans to potentially relocate as the business continues to grow.

“We have a wide and varied customer base including Tier 1 contractors in the power and infrastructure sectors through to clients in mining, councils, and private customers installing pools, spas, and everything in between. We don’t touch arborist work, we leave that to the specialists,” he said.

McPhan discusses the shape of the McPhan Cranes and Transport crane fleet.

“We operate a mixed fleet of cranes and vehicles, which includes Frannas and all terrain mobile cranes. We also operate rigid trucks with vehiclemounted cranes and a tilt tray.

With the Frannas, we have four in the fleet – one with a 15t capacity, two with 20t capacity, and one 25t Franna.

With the all terrains, we range from 40t, 55t, 90t, and 100t capacities. Our brands include Terex Franna, Tadano, and Liebherr,” he said. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

McPhan’s father and son team, Dré and Tony McPhan.

“We continually re-invest in our equipment to ensure the fleet is efficient and relevant and we work hard to maintain our reputation for delivering a prompt, professional, and personalised service. We focus on maintaining long-term relationships and I am delighted to say many our customers have been with us for the 20 years we have been in business.

“We operate throughout the Central Coast and into the Lake Macquarie and Hunter Valley regions. We place a major emphasis on customer service

and satisfaction, which helps to develop long-term relationships with our regular customer base, which is paramount. Repeat business with individuals and companies alike is the cornerstone to why we exist,” said McPhan.

Safety and lift planning are integral to the way McPhan Cranes and Transport operates. Mcphan explains measures are in place to ensure lifts are conducted safely.

“Safety is the main priority with everything we do. We regularly conduct March/April 2022 CAL / 79

IN FOCUS / THE BADEN DAVIS CRANE CONNECTION

McPhan Cranes and Transport also operates a fleet of Frannas.

site inspections overlaid with the latest lift study software to equip our staff with all the information and tools to perform the service safely and efficiently. We like to visit a site before the lift and we will conduct an initial site consultation with the customer and then provide a documented lift study utilising current software where required,” he said.

McPhan goes on to discuss the experience he has within his team.

“My father, David, retired recently after a career as a structural engineer, which spanned 45 years. I have a number of titles, which include director, operations manager, janitor, and complaints department. I spent 10 years in the mining sectors and I’m now in my 20th year with cranes. I have 80 / CAL March/April 2022

“Safety is the main priority with everything we do. We regularly conduct site inspections overlaid with the latest lift study software to equip our staff with all the information and tools to perform the service safely and efficiently.” a Diploma in Engineering, and I’m currently completing a Batchelor of Social Science in Psychology.

“My sin Dré McPhan looks after our allocation and compliance and he is currently studying a double degree Law and Commerce. Britt runs our accounts department, and she has 11 years’ construction trade and customer service experience. All our operators have open tickets and possess diverse

experience working in all aspects of the Australian crane hire and rigging landscape.

“Our lift team not only facilitate services to the customer but provide management with invaluable back up and know-how. The experience in our team is the reason we can offer a personalised service which is the reason our customer’s keep asking us back to help with their lifts,” said McPhan. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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28/2/22 9:12 am

IN FOCUS / NEW LIEBHERR ALL TERRAIN

The Liebherr LTM 1300-6.3 sets a new world record by carrying a 90 metre telescopic boom with an axle load of just 12 tonnes.

LIEBHERR LAUNCHES RECORD BREAKING 300T CAPACITY ALL TERRAIN Liebherr has literally reached new heights with the unveiling the LTM 1300-6.3 all terrain featuring a 90 metre telescopic boom.

THE LTM 1300-6.3 ALSO SEES LIEBHERR set a new world record – never before has a mobile crane been able to carry a 90 metre telescopic boom with an axle load of just 12 tonnes. The new 300-tonne model will add to the portfolio of Liebherr six-axle cranes. It is a versatile, economical fasterecting crane with a peerless telescopic boom length.

The latest Liebherr innovations are included to enable the LTM 1300-6.3 to deliver economical, safe, and powerful crane operation – ECOmode, ECOdrive, VarioBase Plus, VarioBallast, AutoBallast, single-engine concept and wind 82 / CAL March/April 2022

speed load charts. The LTM 1300-6.2 will remain in the portfolio as the entry point model into the class of luffing jib cranes.

Liebherr has extended its portfolio of all terrain cranes with another 300-tonne model. With its 90 metre telescopic boom, the LTM 1300-6.3 sets new standards in the six-axle class and goes well beyond what the current cranes on the market have to offer.

It is designed to be used as a fasterecting crane with a high capacity at great hoist heights with a raised boom. That makes it ideal for erecting tower cranes and antennae as well as for wind turbine maintenance work.

The LTM 1300-6.2 with 78 metre telescopic boom, offered by Liebherr in parallel, is the economical entry into the luffing jib class and in this configuration already offers unrivalled load capacities for a six-axle mobile crane.

Liebherr has made it possible to drive the LTM 1300-6.3 with different axle loads and gross weights, to ensure that

it can be driven economically all over the world. Components such as the telescopic boom and outriggers can be installed and removed quickly and easily to achieve axle loads of less than 12 tonnes.

One particularly interesting feature in this respect is tele-separation, which enables individual telescopic sections to be removed particularly quickly. This makes it straightforward to set up the crane for the road with a gross weight of less than 60 tonnes and axle loads of under 10 tonnes.

Liebherr can also deliver a self-assembly solution that enables the telescopic sections to be removed without the need for an auxiliary crane. This is compatible with other models such as the LTM 1650-8.1 and the LTM 1450-8.1. The flexibility and economy of the crane is increased enormously as a result.

RECORD-BREAKING BOOM The record length of 90 metres is achieved by the new LTM 1300-6.3 using an eightwww.cranesandlifting.com.au

section telescopic boom – the pivot section plus seven telescopic sections. That is one section more than similar cranes in this class. To ensure that the complete boom as well as all the outriggers plus the hook block can be carried on public roads with an axle load of 12 tonnes, Liebherr has optimised the entire steel construction of the crane for lightweight construction.

Although the LTM 1300-6.3 is not designed for use as a luffing jib crane, it has a wide range of lattice jibs available – 11.5- to 20-metre double folding jib, two seven metre lattice sections to extend the telescopic boom, a 39-metre powerful fixed jib, and a 43-metre hydraulically adjustable fixed jib. This enables the new 300-tonne crane to reach hoist heights of up to 120 metres. Particularly economical, various lattice sections are also compatible with other models in the Liebherr portfolio.

WIDE RANGE OF INNOVATIONS Wind speed load charts – wind charts are available for various wind speeds are available for the LTM 1300-6.3. They deliver enhanced safety and longer operating times for crane work in windy conditions. Load charts for cranes are generally only valid for gust wind speeds of up to 9m/s. To ensure that work can continue safely in even higher wind speeds, Liebherr has calculated the load charts for additional maximum wind speeds and programmed them in the crane control system.

For the LTM 1300-6.3, for example, it is 11.2m/s, or even 13.4m/s when using lattice equipment. In pure telescope mode, the tables even allow for a speed of 15.6m/s. If the wind speed measured on the crane’s boom during a job exceeds the set chart wind speed, the crane operator can simply switch to a load chart with a higher maximum wind speed, which will often allow the job to be continued.

VarioBase Plus – the rear supports have a double-stage design and achieve a support width of 9.4 metres – two metres wider than the front supports. This increases the capacity over the rear supports even more. The single-stage front outriggers have a lower weight, which also benefits the boom length. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

ECOdrive – an eight-cylinder Liebherr diesel engine in the undercarriage that develops 455kW/610hp and torque of 3,068Nm provides the LTM 1300-6.3 with all the power it needs. The power is transferred to the crane axles by the 12-speed ZF TraXon Torque gearbox. A torque converter ensures perfect manoeuvring. The additional ECOdrive mode delivers enhanced drive properties that save fuel and reduce noise.

Single-engine concept with ECOmode – Liebherr has continued its single-engine strategy on the new LTM 1300-6.3 with a mechanical power unit for the superstructure. The weight reduction created by removing the superstructure engine has been used to deliver a longer boom and more ballast, with an axle load of 12 tonnes. ECOmode in crane operation helps to reduce fuel consumption and noise emissions. The complete pump drive is disconnected automatically when the engine is idling and then reconnected by the intelligent controller in seconds.

VarioBallast – the new LTM 1300-6.3 can be operated with two different ballast radii: 4.94m or 5.94m. The ballast radius can be reduced quickly and easily by one metre using standard mechanically-adjusted ballasting cylinders. This solution is one of the main benefits of the new 300-tonne model when used in constricted conditions.

The large ballast radius achieves maximum capacity. In fact, with its VarioBallast feature, the new crane can be operated with eight tonnes less ballast compared to the LTM 1300-6.2, without any significant reduction of its lifting capacity. That reduces both transport logistics and CO2 emissions.

Auto-Ballast – a single touch of a button is all that is required to secure the ballast to the turntable. That takes the strain off the crane operator as the automatic ballasting process is simple, fast, and convenient.

In addition, safety is also enhanced, particularly for routine procedures.

The maximum ballast on the LTM 13006.3 is 88 tonnes. The 10-tonne suspended ballast blocks on the right and left are compatible with the LTM 1230-5.1 and

The latest Liebherr innovations are included to enable the LTM 1300-6.3 to deliver economical, safe, and powerful crane operation.

LTM 1250-5.1 crane models. That makes them another economical solution for operators with these cranes in their fleets.

There is also the fact that the individual ballast slabs have been modified in terms of their weight and dimensions to make them suitable for economical transport and fast, easy set-up on site. All the ballast can be placed on the crane with just five hoists.

The basic ballast of 42 tonnes has a width of just three metres, which means that it fits within the overall width of the vehicle.

This makes it significantly easier to move the fully set-up crane on constricted sites.

New options – the optional central lubrication system for the king pin bearings on the chassis is a new feature. It delivers grease to 24 lube points on the six-axle crane automatically. Another highlight is that a total of six LED rear lights are available to order, which illuminate the working area perfectly with bright light for manoeuvring on the site.

March/April 2022 CAL / 83

IN FOCUS / UAA AND CAPITAL CRANES

CAPITAL CRANES MITIGATING RISK WITH UAA Digger Misner, managing director for Capital Cranes, has used Underwriting Agencies of Australia (UAA) insurance for many years. He explains why he has remained loyal to the UAA brand.

“OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD TO HAVE INSURANCE right from the beginning otherwise we would not have been able access finance for the cranes. Finance and insurance are indelibly connected,” said Misner.

“When I started Capital Cranes, I was introduced to Mike Bramble, a broker at Sanderson Insurance Brokers, by another crane company. Sanderson was

Digger Misner with the new Liebherr LTM1250. Misner has been loyal to UAA for years.

84 / CAL March/April 2022

started in 1972 as an insurance brokerage and, subsequently, the management at the time saw a gap in the mobile plant and machinery market. There wasn’t a combined single policy for a business to go to; they had to buy separate coverages.

As a result, the management developed a product and formed Underwriting Agencies of Australia (UAA) in 1988 as a stand-alone underwriting agency.

“As an industry, we should be grateful UAA is still backing us with their policies. Who else would insure a high risk industry with the potential for there being very large pay outs if there is an incident of any kind? When you look at the industry this way, there won’t be too many insurance companies keen to insure plant. There are not many with specific knowledge of plant and they don’t have the expertise,” said Misner.

Misner went on to talk about his philosophy around risk and how insurance is only part of the answer to mitigating risk in his business.

“Insurance is there to mitigate the human errors that occur in any industry.

You can have the safest crane in the world with the world’s most experienced operator, but things can still go wrong.

How do you account for human error?

You can’t. When you have humans operating machines or interacting with large pieces of equipment, incidents will happen. All you can do is mitigate against the risks. You can invest in the best lift planning tools, you can ensure the cranes are serviced and fit for purpose, but you still have an operator interacting with the machine and there is always the potential for human error. For this reason, I have taken my business down the path of certification,” said Misner.

Capital Cranes is Australian and Internationally certified and accredited to safety, management, and environmental systems, including AS/NZS 4801, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001.

Misner got fed up with the extensive www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Insurance is there to mitigate the human errors that occur in any industry.

and complex onsite OHS requirements that differed from site to site.

“I decided to enrol in a Cert. 4 in workplace health and safety [WHS]. As a business owner, the WHS course helped me better understand my responsibilities to all stakeholders as a PCBU [person conducting a business undertaking].

The course continually referred to the Australian standards as the benchmark to comply with WHS Systems,” he said.

Following the completion of the course, Capital Cranes implemented a business management system that had been designed and installed following a consultative process with management and staff. The system was then certified by a third-party certifier.

“The certification is to Australian and International standards, with third-party www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“As an industry, we should be grateful UAA is still backing us with their policies. Who else would insure a high risk industry with the potential for there being very large pay outs if there is an incident of any kind?” audits to ensure our systems are run correctly,” said Misner.

Every 12 months, a surveillance audit is conducted to ensure Capital Cranes is operating within the parameters of the management system and, if the audit detects any issues which need addressing, they are recorded and reported back to Misner.

To retain accreditation, Misner needs to demonstrate that Capital Cranes is compliant with the standards. These international standards include ISO

9001 Quality Management Systems Standard Certification, ISO 45001 Safety Management Systems Standard and ISO 14001 the Environmental Management Systems Standard.

To ensure operations are within the standards, the business follows the management system the way it has been designed to function, with all the processes associated with the system documented. For example, the Capital Cranes team has to demonstrate it has adhered to safe operations when setting March/April 2022 CAL / 85

IN FOCUS / UAA AND CAPITAL CRANES

up cranes. They also have to demonstrate the right lift plans have been presented to the client and the client agreed to them prior to the cranes getting onsite.

Both parties are then assured the operations are carried out in a safe manner. Records of these actions are maintained so the relevant information and documentation can be produced when the annual audits are conducted.

This type of accreditation is not common in the crane industry. Capital Cranes is the only company operating mobile cranes based in Canberra that is third-party certified for operations.

With a company that has this accreditation, the systems are in place so if something goes wrong, they can prove with the records kept that all the relevant processes and procedures have been followed and the business has undertaken all the necessary precautions.

Capital Cranes is Australian and Internationally certified and accredited to safety, management and environmental systems including AS/NZS 4801, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

“It’s important to have a good relationship with your insurance broker.

They need to understand you and your business to ensure you have the right levels of coverage in your policies.”

“These certifications make a difference to our customers looking to hire a crane company. For example, if a crane hire business is working directly with the ACT government, it needs to be prequalified for that sort of work,” said Misner.

Because Capital Cranes has the third-party certification, it has a prequalification for this sort of work. Also, for larger companies that require safe systems, Capital Cranes is in a strong position when tendering for large jobs.

Tier One builders and contractors will be looking for this type of accreditation.

With Tier One and Tier Two customers, it can be a condition of the tender to only engage companies that have third-party certification of their management systems.

“In my experience, we are reactive in this industry and probably not as proactive as we should be. We tend to put policies in place when an incident 86 / CAL March/April 2022

happens rather than put in place preventative measures to prevent the incident happening in the first place.

Insurance plays a critical role when something does go wrong,” said Misner.

Misner works closely with Kath Tosic, who is with the Canberra-based finance and insurance business Ford & Associates.

“It’s important to have a good relationship with your insurance broker.

They need to understand you and your business to ensure you have the right levels of coverage in your policies. We recently took delivery of a new Liebherr LTM 1250-5.1 and Kath spent some time looking at renewing our policy and including the new crane. Apparently, there aren’t many, but there are underwriters looking at this sector.

“She spoke to UAA and their costings were slightly higher. Anyone that knows me knows I am loyal to a brand and it’s the same with UAA. Kath went back to

UAA to tell them I was remaining loyal to them, and they really appreciated this and sharpened their pencil because of it,” he said.

Misner explains how he works with the broker on special projects which can involve lifting high value products.

“My ‘on hook’ cover is for $500,000 and there is nothing I lift on a day-today basis above this value. From time to time we will be asked to lift special items, which could be an MRI machine, or a lift for the Armed Forces, or even a statue. Any of these could be valued at over $1 million, we will increase our cover for these particular projects.

We pay the extra premium, and we demonstrate to the client that we have the extra cover.

“I have a strong business safety record and, with the systems I have implemented to mitigate risk, UAA recognises Capital Crane’s commitment to WHS. “UAA is an insurance underwriter and a business which has to make money. As an industry, we have to understand that if incidents continue to happen, we can expect our premiums to increase. I have been loyal to UAA, and they repay that loyalty,” said Misner. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / KOBELCO AND COASTLINE CRAWLER CRANES

The crawler has been designed to involve less work when mobilising and demobilising the crane.

NEW KOBELCO FOR COASTLINE CRAWLER CRANES Tilt panel specialist Coastline Crawler Cranes recently took delivery of a new Kobelco CKS1100G 110t capacity crawler.

Owner Kevin Robertson has been around crawlers since he was a little boy. He explained why he is a big fan of the Kobelco range.

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“I’VE BEEN AROUND CRANES SINCE I WAS five years old. My father ran his own crane hire business, R&M Crane Services, for many years. When I joined the business, 18 years ago, we were operating two crawlers, both were Kobelco with 80t and 70t capacities. I joined the business as the full-time panel rigger back in 2004, and then, in 2007, the business was sold to another crane company.

I moved to the new crane company as an operator focusing on tilt up panels,” said Robertson.

“Then, in late 2010, I put a deposit on a brand new 80t Kobelco through the previous Kobelco distributor. And I started the Coastline Crawler Cranes business in 2011 with that new crane.

Just recently, I purchased another new Kobelco 110t crawler, the CKS1100G, from Troy Hand, crane sales at TRT Australia,” he said.

Coastline Crawler Cranes is a tilt panel lifting specialist says Robertson.

“We have always specialised in panel lifting work and I service many clients across various industry sectors where this type of work is required. The Kobelco crawlers are ideal for lifting panels up to 50 tonnes, but if the project requires a heavier lift, I will dry hire in a larger crane for the project. Recently, I had a machine on a project with a 280-tonne capacity to lift 70-tonne panels.

“The work is varied. We can be lifting panels on a construction site one day and the next we’ll find ourselves building a barn shed on a large cattle property.

Anything to do with lifting concrete panels is what we specialise in and Kobelco Crawlers are ideal for this type of work,” he said.

In 2018, Robertson traded in the 80-tonne Kobelco.

“I purchased a M11000 from TRT, which is a 100-tonne capacity Manitowoc. I operated this for 12 months before a customer in New Zealand wanted to purchase it, because it featured free fall winches. I traded that machine in for a late 2019 M12000 model. Then, in December of 2021, I took delivery of the new Kobelco CKS1100G. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Coastline Crawlers’ Kevin Robertson receives the new Kobelco CKS1100G from TRT’s Troy Hand.

“Kobelco cranes feature traditional Japanese design, engineering, and manufacturing values. The crawlers are very easy to transport, with the assembly and breakdown of the crane being quick and straightforward.

“We’ve always purchased Kobelco crawlers, even the Manitowoc is built in a Kobelco factory. Manitowoc and Kobelco had a manufacturing and distribution agreement up until a couple of years ago and then it stopped. You can’t buy this style of Manitowoc anymore. For me, the M12000 and the CKS1100G operate identically; the difference is one is red, the other yellow,” he said.

Robertson went on to explain why the Kobelco crawler has played an integral role in the family crane business over a long period of time.

“You can’t fault the Kobelco crawler.

They are ‘grunty’ machines that are not afraid of hard work or difficult conditions. They have zero problems if you know how to operate them properly. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The biggest thing with crawlers and the heavy lifters is you have to look after the walking gear to get longevity out of them, and we do this.

“Six months ago, I brought a mate, Clint Holden, into the business. We both learnt the same work ethic from my father, and he then went on to spend 20 years with another crane business. We’d always spoke about working together lifting panels and he resigned six months ago to start with us, which has been a real bonus,” he said.

Robertson discussed his relationship with Troy Hand and the TRT Australia organisation.

“I met Troy many years when Phil Chadwick, a good mate of mine, who worked for TRT at the time, made the

introduction. Troy is a terrific bloke, he’s very nice to deal with, and we have become good mates over the years. The support we receive from Troy and his team at TRT is second to none. Everyone in the TRT yard is right behind you and their approach to customer support cannot be faulted,” he said.

Robertson outlined the features and benefits he likes with the Kobelco range, and particularly the new Kobelco CKS1100G. “Kobelco cranes feature traditional Japanese design, engineering, and manufacturing values. The crawlers are very easy to transport, with the assembly and breakdown of the crane being quick and straightforward. It’s simple to push the tracks out and it’s a crane which is March/April 2022 CAL / 89

IN FOCUS / KOBELCO AND COASTLINE CRAWLER CRANES

Kobelco cranes feature traditional Japanese design, engineering, and manufacturing values.

very simple to operate. There are some days where we will be moving from site to site, and we can have the crane operational within an hour of arriving and ready to lift. The Kobelco has 200 hours on it now and it’s just a beautiful machine and it is a pleasure to operate it,” he said.

A major design advantage for Kobelco with the CKS1100G model is transportability. The crawler has been designed to involve less work when mobilising and demobilising the crane. With more efficient loading and unloading the cost of transporting can be reduced, but the increase in productivity and the speed at which the crane becomes operational is one of the most beneficial features for cost efficient operation.

The self-removal device allows assembly and disassembly of the crawler, 90 / CAL March/April 2022

carbody weight and counterweight boom without the assistance of another crane.

That’s a real cost saver.

The CKS1100G features a nested boom that allows the luffing insert jib to be stored in the middle of the boom. Like the self-removal functions, this reduces the number of vehicles and staff required for transport, but its also requires less space for storage.

This new design of the main boom, with increased lifting capacity, makes assembly and disassembly easier too. The upper frame of the CKS1100G is very rigid using quality high tensile steel plate in its construction. The upper frame and body are much lighter than other cranes in the same class, with the reduced width improving accessibility.

The new G Series allows us to address and resolve some of the environmental impacts of our operation. Kobelco has

also focused on sustainability and the energy consumed by the CKS1100G. By eliminating needless operations and innovating the engine function, it has allowed Kobelco to reduce fuel consumption and transform systems to enable features that deliver a measurable benefit across the board.

The 110t capacity crawler features a G-Winch, which provides higher speed without increasing engine speed and as a result reducing fuel consumption. The high-speed mode works by allowing the line to be raised or lowered at maximum line speed without raising engine speed without a load, or even lifting with a light load.

The G Engine improves fuel consumption by keeping the engine running within fuel-efficient parameters by limiting maximum engine speed.

Engine speed is reduced but pump capacity is controlled to maintain maximum winch speed for running or lifting. Using this G-Engine function can reduce fuel consumption when compared to operations of a similar crane.

Although diesel engines consume less fuel and emit less CO2 than petrol engines, they also emit more harmful particulate matter and nitrogen oxide (NOx). The ‘clean energy system’ engine of the G-series utilises a diesel particulate filter to reduce particulates.

Kobelco has included a diesel particulate active reduction system, or DPR, with G-Series, which works by increasing the particulate collection efficiency of the filters. Simply, this means that the exhaust gas from the diesel engine is cleaner.

Steel wire reinforced glass fibres provides a superfine oil filter in the G-Engine, with excellent dirt capturing capability. What’s more, the time between filter changes has been extended up to four times longer than standard expectations, helping to keep maintenance and consumable costs lower. Fewer consumables also reduces scrap waste and the resulting burden on the environment. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

RELIABLE ON ANY JOB RAISING THE STANDARDS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY Kobelco’s CKE-G range of multi-purpose hydraulic lattice boom crawlers will help you get the job done with greater efficiency and safety, while reducing costs, fuel consumption and C02 emmisions.

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IN FOCUS / SPT BATTERY ELECTRIC MINI CRAWLERS

With sustainability and the reduction of carbon footprints on the agenda of crane hire businesses, there is a definite move to battery electric cranes, particuarly in the mini crane sector.

SPT BATTERY ELECTRIC MINI CRAWLERS GROWING IN POPULARITY MICHAEL KHAMAS, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR for SPT’s national distributor Jones Equipment, discussed the rise in demand for the battery electric range of SPT mini crawler cranes.

“SPT’s battery electric range are being sold all around the world and the demand is high in mature markets, such as Europe, and also all over Asia. The demand for battery electric mini crawler cranes is only going to increase,” said Khamas.

“The push for more sustainability and less emissions in the crane and lifting sector is driving the demand, and major crane hire companies are 92 / CAL March/April 2022

looking to do the right thing from an environmental point of view.

Running costs are also dramatically higher when using diesel fuels over battery operated power.

“The demand is also being driven by industry sectors where fuel emissions are not acceptable, and this includes most indoor applications, e.g., food processing plants where a mini crawler might be required for maintenance work or a shutdown,” he said.

There are currently three SPT mini crane models available in the battery electric option says Khamas.

“The SPT factory has been manufacturing the battery electric range for a couple of years now and, at the moment, it is manufacturing battery electric versions, including the two-tonne capacity SPT 199, the three-tonne capacity SPT 299 and the five-tonne capacity 499, and the engineering team is currently developing a battery electric version of the largest crane in the range, the SPT 1009.

“The SPT 199 is only 600mm wide and will fit through a standard doorway. It has a lifting capacity of 2t at 2m and a maximum working www.cranesandlifting.com.au

radius of 5.9m. The SPT 1009 has a lifting capacity of 10t at 2.5m and a maximum working radius of 19m.

You can also increase the reach with a jib and fly,” he said.

The move to battery electric has been gradual overseas and Khamas can see the move to battery electric will be the same locally.

“Although the SPT range comes with both diesel and electric as standard, I can see the market will take some educating regarding moving to battery electric, he said.

“In some cases, the applications don’t warrant a battery electric option, especially when crane is operating out in the open.

“I know there will be questions asked about the length of the battery charge and this obviously depends on the application and how much lifting and travelling the crane is doing. But, typically, the charging time for the

battery will be 10 hours and, when it’s fully charged, the crane will operate for 7.2 hours. Obviously, this will be less if the crane is travelling. Like the diesel electric model, the crane can be plugged into the mains if electricity is available on the site,” said Khamas.

There is no doubting the quality of the SPT mini crane product, and it will be the same for the battery electric range says Khamas. He has also been impressed with the responsive nature of the SPT factory.

“We’ve been impressed with the quality of the cranes we’ve brought Australia and we’ve also been impressed with how responsive the factory has been to our requests.

“At the end of last year, we received an out of the ordinary request for a major steel erecting business in Melbourne and they wanted a hydraulic jib fitted to a five-tonne capacity mini crawler crane.

a project. The client has been using mini crawler cranes for 15 years, he also has some larger cranes in his fleet. Some of these larger cranes are fitted with hydraulic jibs and he wanted to know if we could fit a hydraulic jib to one of our 499, mini crawlers which has a five-tonne capacity at 2.2m.

“We talked to the factory and explained the request. SPT’s design and engineering team collaborated on the project, designing a prototype and then fitting this to the crane.

It has since been fully tested and complies with all Australian standards,” he said.

Pre-delivery is being conducted on all cranes and they are CraneSafe approved to ensure they meet Australian and EN 13000 standards.

Every nut and bolt is tagged to confi rm it has been checked and every machine is tested by the crane

“We’ve been impressed with the quality of the cranes we’ve brought Australia and we’ve also been impressed with how responsive the factory has been to our requests.”

“This size of crane normally comes with a mechanical jib, not with a hydraulic jib. It is a complex process to fit a hydraulic jib on a mini crawler crane and not many manufacturers would take on such

inspectors. A Scanreco intelligent remote control is standard on all models and each feature the Yanmar diesel engine and an electric motor, says Khamas.

Khamas went onto explain how SuperService is working closely with Jones Equipment and the SPT product.

SPT’s battery electric range are being sold all around the world and the demand is high in mature markets such as Europe as well as throughout Asia. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

March/April 2022 CAL / 93

IN FOCUS / SPT BATTERY ELECTRIC MINI CRAWLERS

“SuperService is managing all of our pre-deliveries and the two-year warranty. They will also be managing any repairs Australia-wide. Right now, anyone operating on the east coast can have their crane serviced

by SuperService and they will fi x any warranty related issues; not that we expect many,” he said.

“We want the market to understand we are all about meeting the customers’ needs. When a customer spends $200K on a crane, and if there is an issue, he wants to be confident it’s going to be fi xed quickly and the crane will be back to work and earning money.

“SuperService has facilities in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, as well as a growing fleet of service vehicles. We will be working with them to provide the quickest service we can if and when there is an issue.

“I can see the battery electric range of SPT mini cranes gaining in popularity, it’s just a matter of time.

“Look at the forklift industry, 20 years ago, diesel and LPG-powered forklifts dominated the market and battery electric forklifts were a niche product. Now it’s the reverse with battery electric dominating the market.

6 Reasons to choose CraneSafe 1. Complies with Australian Standard recommendations 2. Supported by major crane manufacturers 3. Accepted by all State OH&S departments 4. Only NATA accredited crane inspection program 5. Nationally recognised by the CFMEU 6. Assessors are independently audited

Industry-led Independent Inspections

All models in the SPT range include a new streamlined and compact Scanreco remote-control system from Germany.

“It will be the same with battery electric mini cranes. The market is evolving and the benefits of battery electric cranes are being understood.

We are confident the SPT range will continue to gain traction within the Australian market especially the battery electric range,” he said.

CUSTOM ENGINEERED SPT499 FOR A CLIENT! 5 TONNE CAPACITY AT 2.2M SPT cranes now come with new Scanreco German made remotes.

This SPT499 was specially Engineered for a client that wanted a Hydraulic Jib on their SPT499.

No job too hard for Jones Equipment!

All SPT cranes come standard with Wireless Remote, Electric Power option and a Factory 2 Year Warranty!

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When you are considering your next mini crane you now have a viable option.

JONES EQUIPMENT | 02 4358 8924 | sales@jonesequipment.com.au | jonesequipmentsales.com.au

Jones Equipment FP.indd 1

13/12/21 1:49 pm

IN FOCUS / MCT EQUIPMENT AND MAGNI

Since production started in 2013, Magni’s produced 16 models - the widest range of rotating telescopic handlers currently on the market.

AFTER FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER’S footsteps and with 30 years experience behind him, Italian native Riccardo Magni founded Magni Telescopic Handlers in 2013; with the new company producing its first telescopic handlers in January of that year.

Early in his career, Magni saw that the market was in need of fundamental technological improvements to meet the ever-increasing safety standards and improved services laid down by new regulations and international clients.

Since 2013, Magni has produced 16 models – the widest range of rotating telescopic handlers currently on the market. It also has eight fixed, heavyduty models and a range of 11 fixed telehandlers. As a testimony to Magni’s success, in the last two years Magni has created not only the two tallest rotating telescopic handler models in the world but also the model with the highest payload.

Magni’s rapid success is attributed to its understanding of the market, its ability to get ahead of the game and its undeniable Italian precision and skill.

WHAT MAKES MAGNI DIFFERENT? The brand name, Magni, is fast becoming the go-to favourite for telescopic handlers, and there’s no doubt as to why. The Magni team are dedicated to their values, namely drive, quality, and craftsmanship.

Magni doesn’t just produce to industry standards, but surpasses them, it says.

Its products often supersede market averages in quality and safety, and, all the while, its product range is continuously expanding and pushing the boundaries of innovation.

MAGNI THE BEST CHOICE - PURE ITALIAN PASSION ‘Made in Italy’ is becoming a sought-after label says Magni’s Western Australia and Northern distributor MCT Equipment.

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MAGNI DRIVE Magni strives for continuous advancement and solutions within the market. It has an internal research and development team that makes sure its clients experience less downtime and more time to manage their own businesses. Magni also makes sure to handpick the right manufacturing partners and select staff who specialise www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The Magni team are dedicated to their values, namely drive, quality, and craftsmanship.

in their key function, allowing clients to experience unprecedented levels of expertise, it says.

MAGNI QUALITY Magni understands the need for meticulousness when it comes to selecting raw materials. Therefore, it pushes to attain the highest quality at all stages of production. Each product is a true Italian masterpiece.

MAGNI INNOVATION The Italian telescopic handler giant combines craftsmanship with innovation and technology to constantly improve and better its products. Riccardo said that the secret lies in precision.

“Having clear ideas is vital: We need to know where we want to go and what we want to create,” he explained.

MAGNI CRAFTSMANSHIP Magni’s outstanding artistry comes from the Italian tradition of manual www.cranesandlifting.com.au

skills and custom-built products.

‘Italian-made’ is now becoming synonymous with unique and advanced products especially within the innovative machinery space.

MAGNI, AVAILABLE IN WA AND NT, AT MCT EQUIPMENT In 2021, Perth-based lifting equipment company MCT Equipment expanded its existing support operations to include supply, parts, and support for Magni, with exclusive distribution rights in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. MCT place emphasis on innovation and efficiency, and its partnership with Magni will see new heights for telescopic handlers in Australia. MCT offers lifting equipment for the construction, mining, infrastructure, and marine industries.

Enquire today by calling 08 6500 3460 or visiting https://mctequip.com.au/

The Italian telescopic handler giant combines craftsmanship with innovation and technology.

March/April 2022 CAL / 97

IN FOCUS / SLINGRAKZ SlingRakz simplifies the storage of rigging equipment.

SLINGRAKZ SIMPLIFIES THE STORAGE AND HANDLING OF LIFTING AND RIGGING EQUIPMENT ANYONE WHO HAS WORKED FOR JUST A few years in the lifting industry will have encountered the Aladdin’s cave of storage areas where products have been dumped rather than stored, amid a confusing and vast array of obscure equipment. Not only is this an inadvisable way to house what are essentially pieces of safety equipment, it is difficult to lift and handle as well as hard to assess the condition of the gear.

Modern health and safety regulations makes it inadvisable to manually haul and drag heavy chains, slings, and equipment around the workshop. A changing demographic in the workplace may require that equipment is easier to handle by different people of different ages and sexes. Efficient equipment management and testing protocols are important for traceability and safety.

SlingRakz’s range of racking, storage, and safe handling products and solutions can: minimise manual handling; minimise physical lifting; allow for easier, more orderly storage; and reduce manpower requirements.

“Our aim is to develop products that will make lifting equipment easier to handle and create orderly storage solutions,” said Gus Pugliese, manager of Slingrakz in Australia.

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Lifting and rigging gear can be heavy and awkward to handle and store. The SlingRakz range of storage and handling solutions for lifting and rigging products have been developed in response to a changing working environment.

“When you walk into a business that doesn’t have an organised area for their lifting and rigging gear, it’s a good feeling when our SlingRakz products transform this important part of an operation into something that is easily managed and maintained.

“Also, our chain buddies and chain racks allow the user to lift directly without the need to lug, drag, or straddle heavy chains and wire slings, which eliminates heavy weights putting pressure on the back and shoulders of the user. At the same time, it makes the process of storing the gear more orderly and organised.

“The demographic of the workforce in the cranes and lifting is changing and it is no longer dominated by 100kg staunch chaps that can lift 50kg on each arm,” he said.

“The products are manufactured in Western Australia and are being distributed by partners in each state in Australia.

These include: • W A – The Rigging Shed, Total Lifting, Lifting Gear Hire & Sales • V IC– Lifting Victoria, Elevate & Alpha Rigging • N SW – On Call Lifting, All-Ways Rigging, Mr Lift IT • Q LD – Stenhouse Lifting & All-Rig

• N T – Stenhouse Lifting • S A – Schillings Hoisting Equipment & LIFTQUIP Australia • T AS – Webster Lifting.

As well as the chain buddy and chain rack, SlingRakz offers standard and budget racking and storage options, including wall mounted, floor or fixed, mobile, pedestal, cages, caddies and bins. Special requests can also be made to order.

For more information visit www.slingrakz .com

SlingRakz chain buddies and chain racks allow the user to lift directly without the need to lug, drag, or straddle heavy chains and wire slings, eliminating putting pressure on the back and shoulders of the user. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

TOUCH THE SKY

BECAUSE MAGNI LIFTS DIFFERENTLY MAGNI, WHERE INNOVATION IS AT ITS BEST. The renowned Italian telescopic handler brand, Magni, is breaking the mold. Our selection of rotational and fixed telehandlers are leaders in their class in terms of safety, capacity, and lift heights. We're also on our way to improve the industry from an economic and sustainability standpoint.

Engineered to meet ever-increasing safety standards and service requirements, Magni is rapidly becoming the preferred telehandler option for Australian clientele.

Magni has mastered the art of control and 360-degree rotation, meaning one machine has the capability of doing the job of three regular machines.

The full potential of these machines is brought to life by choosing the right attachment for the job. Magni boasts an extensive range of clamps, winches, hooks, jibs and more to lift you beyond new heights.

Why do best practice when you can do better practice?

MCT EQUIPMENT HAS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS FOR MAGNI IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND NORTHERN TERRITORY.

IN FOCUS / ZOOMLION

ZOOMLION LAUNCHES 450 TONNE CAPACITY TOWER CRANE Zoomlion releases world’s largest top-slewing tower crane, leading the era of super-large tower cranes.

ACCORDING TO ZOOMLION, THE RECENTLY released W12000-450 is the world’s largest top-slewing tower crane. The W12000-450 rolled off the assembly line at the Intelligent Tower Crane Factory of Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. in Changde, Hunan Province, China. Zoomlion especially designed and built the model for the world’s largest road-rail cable-stayed bridge project, the Changzhou-Taizhou Yangtze River Bridge, integrating an expressway, ordinary highway, and inter-city railway.

The W12000-450 weighs in at 4,000t, with a rated load moment of 12,000 tonnemetres. It’s the world’s first top-slewing tower crane, exceeding 10,000 tonnemetres, and has a maximum lifting weight of 450t and maximum lifting height of 400 metres, which is the equivalent of lifting 300 cars to a level of 130 floors in one lift.

The key technologies of building super-large tower cranes are complex, with high requirements for safety and reliability. Zoomlion has taken on the challenges of technological innovation and manufacturing requirements to venture into the unknown and set new records.

“In the absence of structural patterns to follow, we re-established a calculation platform for structural rigidity, stability, and modal analysis,” said Tang Shaofang, vice president of Zoomlion and general manager of Zoomlion Construction Hoisting Machinery Company.

“The W12000-450 tower crane has adopted several of Zoomlion’s selfdeveloped technologies, including full penetration T-joint welding technology, and conquered technical difficulties such as ultra-thick plate weld cracking, enabling the W12000-450 to not only achieve super

strong lifting performances reaching the 10,000-tonne-metre level, but also guarantee safety and reliability throughout the processes of transporting, assembly/ disassembly, and operation,” he said.

The W12000-450 is produced in the world’s largest Intelligent Tower Crane Factory. According to plans, the factory will be manufacturing construction hoisting machinery products covering the range from 80 to 20,000 tonne-metres.

It is fully digitalised to integrate big data analysis, industrial internet, information systems, visualisation, and more to achieve full-coverage networking and manmachine interaction.

Through intelligent, flexible assembly tools, the W12000-450 was manufactured in four months, compared to traditional manufacturing technology that would take at least 12 months.

According to Zoomlion, the recently released W12000450 is the world’s largest top-slewing tower crane.

100 / CAL March/April 2022

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Zoomlion especially designed and built the model for the world’s largest road-rail cablestayed bridge project.

In terms of general structure, Zoomlion has adopted a main flat top plus auxiliary luffing-jib mode with a L500A-32 mounted on the top of W12000-450 to ensure efficient installation. Since the job site has limited space for tower crane layout, Zoomlion designed a new type of ‘panelised’ tower section with a centre distance of only six metres.

With this recently designed tower section, the load capacity is ensured and the production and processing methodology facilitated. What’ s more, the new tower sections make installation and transportation of the tower easier and more convenient.

Zoomlion has adopted high-strength materials for the W12000-450 to reduce the dead weight of the jib. It can withstand large lifting moments and large lifting weights, and, at the same time, bear the inertial force in the slewing plane and the lateral wind load.

The connection between the tower section and the lower support is a completely unprecedented design, which Zoomlion calls eight pillars. This design greatly reduces the transportation requirements, and reduces the difficulties involved in manufacturing and transporting the lower support.

In addition to the required deep accumulation of technical information www.cranesandlifting.com.au

through research and development, the design and manufacturing of the W12000450 presented a number of challenges.

This giant involves almost 4,000t of steel. With the maximum size of a single piece being 14m x 6m x 6m, with a maximum weight of 66t, the total length of the weld seam is 5.8 kilometres. All this meant Zoomlion was faced with huge challenges around designing, welding, and manufacturing such a high-precision tower crane, said Tang.

“It takes about four months to complete the production of the entire crane.”

“In Zoomlion’s Intelligent Tower Crane Factory’s super-large tower crane workshop, we adopted a digital welding machine equipped with T-joint full penetration welding technology to overcome the technical problem of ultrathick plates welding cracking,” he said.

“We invested in more than 10 highprecision CNC machining centres to complete the precision machining of super-long, super-wide, and super-heavy components. We have built a super-large water-based coating line to ensure that

there are no dead corners in the coating and the coating can reach the marine environment anti-corrosion level. After 136 days and nights of dedicated work from 200 craftsmen in the six super-large work shops, this miraculous tower crane was successfully launched.

“By applying intelligent flexible jigs, the lead time can be significantly shortened. It takes about four months to complete the production of the entire crane. Compare this with traditional manufacturing processes, where the lead time will be at least 12 months.

According to the planned product roll out, the Zoomlion Intelligent Tower Crane Factory will be able to produce a full range of construction hoisting machinery products covering 80tm to 20,000tm,” said Tang.

The demand for super-large tower cranes is increasing as construction parts become heavier, buildings are taller, and bridges spans wider. The launch of W12000-450 will not only bring the latest solution for heavy industries, but also showcase Zoomlion’s industry leading capabilities in the research and development, and design and manufacture, of large tower cranes.

For more information on Zoomlion products visit the website nationwidemachinerygroup.com.au March/April 2022 CAL / 101

IN FOCUS / LOAD 28

LOAD 28 STEAMS AHEAD IN LOCOMOTIVE RESTORATION Load 28 deployed two Liebherr LTM 1095-5.1, 95t capacity all terrain cranes for the dual lift.

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Adelaide-based Load 28 recently provided lifting capabilities for the SteamRanger project, which restores old locomotives. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The Franna and the TIDD were lifting at radiuses of 3m to 4m.

IN NOVEMBER OF 2021, THE TEAM at Load 28 were again asked to help the SteamRanger Heritage Railway with the lifting of steam engines that are currently being restored at its Mt Barker workshops. George Protopsaltis, business development manager at Load 28, has been working at SteamRanger for eight years and he provides some detail regarding the recent lifts.

“SteamRanger is a not for profit organisation focused on the restoration and maintenance of old steam engines. They operate a number of trains across South Australia.

“Quite often, throughout the year, they will require our services for a day or two. Obviously, they want to make the most of having the cranes on site and, on this visit, we deployed two 95t capacity all terrains and two www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“We had a dual lift with the Liebherrs, which involved a 844 locomotive weighing 38t, and they also lifted a boiler, which weighed 21t.” pick and carries for the smaller lifts.

“There were a number of lifts for us to conduct, including positioning bogies, lifting the engines, and everything in between.

We deployed two Liebherr LTM 1095-5.1 95t capacity all terrain cranes, a 28t capacity TIDD and a 25t capacity Franna.

“We had a dual lift with the Liebherrs, which involved a 844 locomotive weighing 38t, and they also lifted a boiler, which weighed 21t.

“SteamRanger were very thorough with their planning, and we had

obviously worked on lift planning to ensure everything went smoothly, which it did. We had some spreader bars for the lifts, we cradled the various pieces of equipment, and we also had lift points,” said Protopsaltis.

SteamRanger Heritage Railway is the operating arm of the Australian Railway Historical Society (SA Division), and operates a number of different heritage steam and dieselhauled tourist trains between Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills, up over the crest of the southern Mt Lofty Ranges, down to Strathalbyn, and on March/April 2022 CAL / 103

IN FOCUS / LOAD 28

The team at Load 28 were again asked to help the SteamRanger Heritage Railway with the lifting of steam engines which are currently being restored at its Mt Barker workshops.

through the coastal holiday towns of Goolwa and Port Elliot to the tourist resort town of Victor Harbor. These trains include the iconic ‘Cockle Train’, ‘Southern Encounter’, and ‘Highlander’.

SteamRanger Heritage Railway welcomed the 844 locomotive in 2020. After several years of negotiations, the operational broad gauge locomotive 844 joined the fleet following its donation by OneRail Australia (formerly Genesee and Wyoming Australia).

Locomotive 844 was built by AE Goodwin & Co at its Granville, NSW workshops, and entered service with the South Australian Railways (SAR) on 25 October 1962, servicing on both broad and standard gauges, before being placed in storage at Dry Creek, following the cessation of stone train operations between Penrice and Osborne.

Locomotive 844 joined its sister unit 845, which is also under restoration at SteamRangers Mount Barker Depot, where the locomotive is receiving a cosmetic overhaul to its original livery, and undergoing 104 / CAL March/April 2022

“The team at SteamRanger know the capabilities of Load 28. Over the years they have seen our preparation and planning, and then implementation, of our cranes and crew for these lifts.”

the appropriate accreditation for operation on the Cockle Train service.

Another locomotive being restored is the 520. The 520 class was designed during World War II by FH Harrison, who was the chief mechanical engineer at SAR from 1938 to 1952.

New engines were urgently required because of the large increase in traffic caused by the war. As these engines were designed to operate on nearly all lines, from the heavy mainlines to the lightened branches, the axle load had to be limited to 16 tonnes.

Unique features of the engines include their streamlined appearance, fully enclosed cab, and the use of roller bearings on all axles.

The fi rst engine, 520, entered service

with the SAR on 10 November 1943 on the port Pirie line, achieving a maximum speed of 78 mph between Red Hill and Port Pirie.

520 was named ‘Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey’ after the Governor General of South Australia at the time. A total of 12 engines were built between 1943 and 1947, the latter nine having a more streamlined front end than their earlier sisters.

They were built as fully coal burners, but later converted to burn a mixture of coal and oil. 520 has since been converted back to a full coal burner.

The 520s were a very successful engine, so much so that they were the last of the ‘big’ steam engines to remain in service when the dieselisation arrived on SAR’s broad gauge. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The conditions were ideal for lifting with a flat and firm surface, which helped the pick and carry cranes.

“The work with SteamRanger is always interesting and varied.

It’s terrific to see the passion from the volunteers who are restoring these great locomotives and it’s even better to take a ride on one of the many trips offered by the SteamRanger Heritage Railway,” said Protopsaltis.

“The team at SteamRanger know the capabilities of Load 28.

Over the years they have seen our preparation and planning, and then implementation, of our cranes and crew for these lifts.

“We are delighted to play our part in seeing these proud old locomotives being brought back to their former glorious condition and flying down a rail track somewhere in South Australia,” said Protopsaltis.

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IN FOCUS / SKYJACK ELEVATED WORK PLATFORMS

SKYJACK INTRODUCES NEW ECO VERTICAL MAST Skyjack is proud to unveil its all new SJ12 E and SJ16 E vertical mast lifts to the Australian market.

The SJ12 E and SJ16 E have working heights of 5.66m and 6.72m, respectively.

The new SJ12 E and SJ16 E are zeroemission machines.

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www.cranesandlifting.com.au

IN RESPONSE TO A STRONG DEMAND FOR vertical mast lifts, Skyjack developed the SJ12 E and SJ16 E based off its award-winning SJ20 E. While vertical masts and spiders are both used indoors, the compact size and low weight of the vertical mast sets it apart from the spiders. Its compact size allows it to be used in several other applications where a spider would just not fit, making it a more versatile machine.

The new SJ12 E and SJ16 E are zero-emission machines with an improved duty cycle of up to 30 per cent, which means less charging, less power consumption, and a lower carbon footprint. The SJ12 E and SJ16 E have working heights of 5.66m and 6.72m, respectively. Both units feature the new green ECO label accompanied by an ECO Matrix that details additional sustainability benefits over previous models.

The ‘E’ in the product names signifies electric drive by means of a dual direct drive AC electric motors and gearbox combination, which provides up to 30 per cent improvement in duty cycles. Both units also feature up to 70 per cent less hydraulic connections.

“As governments around the world are increasingly promoting a more sustainable agenda, it’s increasingly down to rental companies and contractors to meet emission regulations. Our new models are examples of how we’ve been able to bridge practicality with sustainable efficiency by decreasing the overall carbon footprint for our customers,” said Ken McDougall, president at Skyjack.

“Together with the addition of the optional Skyjack ECOTRAY and biodegradable oil, these new models offer a high ROI while reducing the overall environmental impact,” said Rafael Bazzarella, product manager at Skyjack.

“Both units also incorporate a multistage hydraulic lift cylinder, which eliminates chains, cables sheaves and rollers, reducing maintenance needs.”

The top of the mast on the SJ12 E and SJ16 E is now in line with the platform rails, which is beneficial for overhead www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The top of the mast on the SJ12 E and SJ16 E is now in line with the platform rails, which is beneficial for overhead work.

“Together with the addition of the optional Skyjack ECOTRAY and biodegradable oil, these new models offer a high ROI while reducing the overall environmental impact.” work, especially where there are drop ceilings. Included in the new products is a dual ‘load cell’ overload system designed with both indoor and outdoor use in mind. The SJ12 E comes with a standard wind rating, and the SJ16 E features an optional wind rating for one person.

Other notable features include: • 90-degree steering with a zero inside turning radius • A simple, maintenance free, and fixed pothole protection system.

• Forklift pockets located at the rear of the base with tie down and lift points at each corner.

• Onboard CAN enabled control unit and multi-voltage “smart” charger; and

• Onboard diagnostics display with simple and plain language readouts.

Skyjack will continue to optimise its electric scissor lifts through 2022 in response to new customer demands.

New products will also continue to carry Skyjack’s recently introduced ECO label that details sustainability information in areas like operational carbon savings, duty cycle, and reduction of hydraulic connections. Skyjack’s ECO mark supports customers by providing products that deliver benefits in environmental performance and long-term sustainability, which increases overall return on investment.

March/April 2022 CAL / 107

IN FOCUS / MCKAY UNITED AND 3D LIFT PLANS

A PICTURE SPEAKS A THOUSAND WORDS: 3D ANIMATED LIFT PLANS SPEAK VOLUMES Amir Kamaee, McKay United’s heavy lift and transport engineer - MIEAust CPEng NER, examines the benefits of 3D lift planning.

For McKay United, lift planning is an essential part of crane hire.

FOR MCKAY UNITED, LIFT PLANNING is an essential part of crane hire. On most occasions, the 3D plans provide clients with a commercial evaluation and a clear picture of the challenges and risks.

McKay United provides 2D, 3D, and 4D lift studies to assist with the concept, feasibility, and detailed planning that meet the highest international standards.

Over the past few years, 2D lift planning has become the norm, providing great information and making jobs easier, however, it can come up short in many places when the lift procedure is more complicated.

McKay United crane hire continues 108 / CAL March/April 2022

to adopt leading innovations designed to improve safety and precision in lift planning and execution.

‘We have developed, amongst other new applications and spreadsheets, an in-house workflow to utilise multiple software [programs] to provide a detailed and highly accurate lift plan, promptly,” said Kamaee.

“3D and 4D animated planning add value to McKay United. Being able to deliver a plan involving work methodology, which highlights hazards that could otherwise be missed, is a great tool for presentations to management, supervisors, crew, and engineers,” he said.

“Time is money as they say and, as a

fast-paced crane hire business, McKay United continues to invest the required time in preparing detailed 3D lift plans and to develop a workflow for a project. These will save the client both time and money.

“This is achieved by utilising the very latest software, which enables us to develop a 3D plan but also an animated version of the lift.

“The 3D plan and animated version are updated in real-time by changing the lift plan in CAD [computer aided design] while maintaining all the constraints relating to the movements and maneuvers around crane assets required for the project,” said Kamaee.

Numerical precision is another www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Mckay United continues to invest the required time in preparing detailed 3D lift plans and to develop a workflow for a project.

advantage provided by the McKay United application, providing a ‘clash check’ in any given precision.

“For example, an overhead wire or jib bound clearance check is way easier to analyse and mitigate, as crane manufactures provide boom deflections for most scenarios and they are all readable in our software,” said Kamaee.

“The photos in this article relate to a project where we were lifting a new 134t vertical vessel and replacing the old vessel. The main crane is CC38001 [650t crawler crane], in SSL_1 configuration with 72m of the boom, 225t+50t counterweight, and 245t counterweight on super lift tray. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

“Being able to deliver a plan involving work methodology, which highlights hazards that could otherwise be missed, is a great tool for presentations to management, supervisors, crew, and engineers.”

“The tail crane is a GMK7450 [450t mobile crane], rigged with 160t counterweight with mega wing on and 35.3m of the boom.

“During the lift, the CC3800-1 upends the vessel at 41m while the GMK7450 tails to 16m radius and both lift the vessel into the vertical position.

“The CC3800-1 then slews the load over while maintaining the

radius to keep the super lift tray floating. It then tracks towards the final position and sets down the load onto the foundation.

“This is one out of many lift cases that we have provided to our clients, and we are currently working on our new applications to implement virtual reality to provide an even better and more comprehensive vision of a project.”

March/April 2022 CAL / 109

IN FOCUS / LCR GROUP

LCR TADANOS WORKING IN TANDEM LCR recently deployed two heavy lift Tadano all terrains to assist in the construction of a precast bike way bridge in Brisbane.

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THE LIFTS ARE PART OF THE LOGAN Motorway Enhancement Project involving upgrades to part of the Logan and Gateway Extensions, including improving key congestion hot spots and building a dedicated bicycle lane.

The project includes this distinctive bridge spanning a total of 145m from abutment to abutment allowing pedestrians and cyclists to travel over the new eastbound service road linking to the Gateway Extension Motorway.

LCR worked with the client to perform these heavy lifts inside their strict traffic disruption window of nine hours. This added another step to the complexity of the operation as each of the cranes were required to mobilise to the setup location, complete the lift and demobilise with in the tight timeframe.

The bridge lifts involved LCR’s

Tadano AC350, 350t capacity crane and its Tadano AC500-2, 500t capacity crane.

The heaviest lift throughout the project was 129.4t. The lifting radius for AC350 was at 12m, with a 92t chart capacity and 142t of counterweight.

The AC500-2 was at 16.8m with a 90.5t chart capacity and 180t of counterweight. The AC350 was working to 86.7 per cent of its charts and the AC500 to within 89.4 per cent which included the 20 per cent dual lift factor.

LCR continues to be heavily involved in the construction of some the largest infrastructure projects in Queensland and built a reputation for providing customers with reliable solutions for the transportation and erection of precast bridge girders.

These projects have included the construction of many of Queensland’s www.cranesandlifting.com.au

The bridge lifts involved LCR’s Tadano AC350, 350t capacity crane and its Tadano AC500-2, 500t capacity crane.

“The construction of projects in the infrastructure sector is evolving rapidly. LCR remains focused on delivering the right cranes and equipment for these major projects as we continue to drive new levels of constructability, efficiency and safety.”

LCR continues to be heavily involved in the construction of some the largest infrastructure projects.

LCR has always been a strong advocate for improving safety and productivity in the crane sector.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

major road, rail, and tunnel projects.

LCR has always been a strong advocate for improving safety and productivity in the crane sector. LCR introduced the first 350t and 500t class cranes to the Queensland over 10 years ago, and last year added the Tadano Demag AC1000-9 to its fleet.

The Demag AC1000/9 with its 1,200t lifting capacity is the largest all terrain crane on the east coast.

For such a large capacity crane it is surprisingly quick to mobilise and demobilise, and relatively simple to transport between projects.

LCR continues to add specialised precast heavy haulage equipment to its transport business, providing the capability to complete unique movements of oversized components, explains Scott Smith, LCR operations manager.

“Our extensive precast haulage fleet consists of high GCM [gross combined mass] heavy duty prime movers, 4 x 8 row steerable jinkers and a comprehensive range of modular platform trailers and specialised transport equipment. We also have developed strong partnerships with key Australian and international transport equipment manufacturers, which gives us with the flexibility to provide more specialised equipment when required. This allows LCR to offer fully integrated and tailor-made end-to-end logistics packages.

“The construction of projects in the infrastructure sector is evolving rapidly. LCR remains focused on delivering the right cranes and equipment for these major projects as we continue to drive new levels of constructability, efficiency, and safety,” said Smith.

March/April 2022 CAL / 111

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IN FOCUS / TADANO AND VICTOR HARBOR CRANES

NEW OWNER AND NEW TADANO FOR VICTOR HARBOR CRANES Marcus Rigney, managing director of Load 28 and current chair of the South Australian branch of the Crane Industry Council of Australia, purchased Victor Harbor Cranes after relocating to the coastal town of Victor Harbor on the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia late last year.

RIGNEY HAS BEEN TRAVELLING BETWEEN his new home and the city of Adelaide, where he manages the Load 28 crane hire business.

“Shortly after moving to Victor Harbor, I learnt of the local council’s Economic Development Strategy and long-term financial plan, which is focused on drawing more people to the region to live, work, and invest,” said Rigney.

“This strategy includes some significant infrastructure projects and I wanted to play my part in the region’s growth and development.

“As it so happened, around the same time, the owner of Victor Harbor Cranes was planning to retire after running the business for 20 years. I didn’t hesitate and purchased it from him, along with a 15t Franna and a 13t city crane.

“My aim is to keep Victor Harbor

Cranes as a staple within the local community and to continue to employ local residents and manage projects that keep the financial returns in the area.

“As with Load 28, Victor Harbor Cranes has a very keen focus on delivering customer satisfaction in everything we do. We are also integrating the processes and systems which have worked so well in Load 28 into the Victor Harbor Cranes’ business.

The GT-300EL has a maximum lifting capacity of 30t, a boom length of 34m, and a lifting height of 34m. It also features a load radius of 32m.

www.cranesandlifting.com.au

March/April 2022 CAL / 113

IN FOCUS / TADANO AND VICTOR HARBOR CRANES

“We have the added advantage to greatly expand the capabilities of the business by combining the resources of both crane hire busineses for any major projects in the region, which includes Cape Jervis and Kangaroo Island,” said Rigney.

Load 28 works closely with local councils and local government authorities, and this was another reason for purchasing Victor Harbor Cranes, explained Rigney.

“We are busy working with local councils, SA Water and SA Power Networks, and the acquisition provides us with the ability to geographically expand our coverage and ability to service this type of work, especially on a regional basis.

Rigney made some early decisions about the development of the Victor Harbor crane fleet, and this included the purchase of a new Tadano truck crane.

“Because the business services the surrounding areas, there is a fair amount of road going for the fleet. I could also see we needed to increase our capacity and increase our efficiency to travel to jobs in other areas.

“We decided to purchase a Tadano GT-300EL 30t capacity truck mount crane, which provides us with the required increase in capacity and great roadability. The crane is being utilised by both Victor Harbor Cranes and also Load 28, so it’s travelling to the city and back and it’s designed for this sort of travel,” he said.

The Tadano GT series is designed to meet demand for durable truck cranes with high lifting performance that are suitable for driving on both rough roads and then much faster on main roads or motorways.

The GT-330EL has a maximum lifting capacity of 30 tonnes, a boom length of 34m, and a lifting height of 34m. It also features a have a load radius of 32m.

The rounded boom is constructed from high tensile steel. Extra reach is provided by a two stage (9m/14.3m, 8.5m/14m) under slung jib, which makes installation in narrow spaces simple. It extends the lifting height 114 / CAL March/April 2022

Victor Habor Cranes purchased the Tadano GT-300EL 30t capacity truck mount crane because it provides the required increase in capacity and great roadability.

to 48m with a load radius reaching 40m.

The truck crane features a carrier equipped with leaf suspension at the front and rubber mounted suspension at the rear. The rear suspension was developed in collaboration with heavyduty suspension specialist Hendrickson.

The transmission is automatic and there is also a cruise control function.

Conventional cranes outriggers

standby. The cranes also have Tadano’s Hello-net telematics system that enables users to monitor crane activity, work history, machine position data, and maintenance information via computers and mobile devices. Tadano also uses this system to offer advanced customer support.

Rigney been impressed the performance of Tadano cranes and is

“We decided to purchase a Tadano GT-300EL 30t capacity truck mount crane which provides us with the required increase in capacity and great roadability.” extended to their maximum length provide uniform, circular rated load capacity footprints over 360° of slewing angle. However, thanks to its safety device and control system called Smart Chart, the crane can achieve a squareshaped rated load capacity footprint, with extended ‘corners’ over the rear outriggers. This increases the load radius depending on the degree to which the outriggers are extended.

The GT-330EL also features Tadano’s fuel monitoring system which has Eco-Mode to reduce fuel consumption when the crane is being operated and Positive Control, which reduces fuel consumption when the crane is on

also impressed with the service and support provided by the team at Tadano Oceania. These were the main reasons for purchasing the GT-330E EL. “We’ve been extremely impressed with our recent purchase of a 20t capacity Tadano City Crane. It is a well-engineered crane and with its cab features, it is a very nice machine to drive.

“With the GT-330EL, we have also been impressed with the features in the cab and the crane’s load charts.

And when you factor in the service and support from Tadano purchasing the crane was a no brainer for the business,” said Rigney. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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IN FOCUS / KATO CITY CRANES AND CENTURY CRANES

CENTURY RETURN TO KATO CITY CRANES Cairns-based crane hire business Century Cranes recently took delivery of the two new KATO city cranes – a 13t capacity CR-130Rf and a 20t capacity CR-200Rf.

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CENTURY CRANES HAVE BEEN OPERATING Kato city cranes for some time, and the new cranes are the result of the business increasing its capabilities and customer demand for this type of crane, explained general manager Bianca Wilson.

“Century Cranes is a family business and has been for over 40 years. It was started by my now-retired uncle, Mel Yelaska, and today my husband, Scott, and I run the business. We are based

in Cairns, and we obviously service the local and regional markets, but we also have had cranes on dry hire operating across the country and even in Papua New Guinea.

“We are a general hire company, which means our clients are anyone who needs a lift. We have strong relationships with Tier One builders and contractors, and we are involved with numerous large construction and www.cranesandlifting.com.au

Century Cranes recently took delivery of a new 13t capacity Kato city crane, model CR-130Rf and a 20t capacity CR-200Rf city crane.

“We are a general hire company, which means our clients are anyone who needs a lift. We have strong relationships with Tier One builders and contractors, and we are involved with numerous large construction and infrastructure projects.”

The 13t capacity CR-130Rf features a 24m, six section boom with a two stage, 3.6m to 5.5m hydraulic luffing jib and the CR-200Rf features a 28m, six-section boom with a 5.8m telescopic jib, as well as a 5t capacity searcher hook.

infrastructure projects. But we also cater to the smaller residential builders and private jobs where a pool or spa might need to be installed. We are a general hire crane company and Century Cranes will go where the work is,” said Wilson.

Wilson moved on to discuss the capabilities of the Century Cranes fleet and how the Kato city cranes are part of the planned expansion.

“Our fleet of cranes range from 2.9t to 250t. Our policy for purchasing cranes for our fleet is based on the needs and demands of our clients. We also might have to factor in that we may or www.cranesandlifting.com.au

may not be guilty of purchasing based on our love for a particular machine and brand.

“We currently run nine Frannas, including an AT40t, five Katos, four Demags and four Liebherrs, and a baby Unic mini crawler crane.

Our most recent additions to the fleet

include a 60t Liebherr, a 120t Liebherr, and we have a 230t Liebherr on the way.

Wilson explained more about the purchase of the new Kato city cranes and where they fit into the capabilities of the Century Cranes fleet.

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IN FOCUS / KATO CITY CRANES AND CENTURY CRANES

CR-130Rf, and a 20t capacity CR-200Rf city crane. We have had Kato city cranes in the fleet for a while as well as two 20t Kato rough terrains. As far as the new city cranes are concerned, we’ve been impressed with their performance – they are compact machines and easy for the lads to operate,” she said.

The 13t capacity CR-130Rf features a 24 metre, six-section boom with a twostage, 3.6m to 5.5m hydraulic luffing jib. The CR-130Rf city crane has a 13t maximum lifting capacity and the CR200Rf features a 28m, six-section boom with a 5.8m telescopic jib, as well as a 5t capacity searcher hook.

Peter Lawgall, Tutt Bryant Equipment’s business development manager, Cranes, had this to say.

“We are delighted to supply Century Cranes Hire with more Kato city cranes.

They have always been a pleasure to work with and it continues a strong demand for the Kato city cranes right around the country. We are supplying increasing numbers to the local market and demand continues to be high,” he said.

Enhancements to the CR-130RF and CR-200RF models include: increased maximum road speed; searcher hooks as standard equipment; completely redesigned operator cabins; an automatic outrigger levelling system; and new green-efficient Stage IV engines.

An industry first for mobile cranes is the parking distance assist system, which is fitted as standard to both models.

“Kato is a collaborative crane manufacturer and many of the enhancements and features of new models have been as a direct result of feedback between Kato engineers, local customers, and customers in key markets right around the globe,” said Lawgall.

Wilson went on to discuss the reasons Century Cranes continue to purchase Kato city cranes and why the operators enjoy working with the machines.

“So, we recently added two new Kato city cranes, which means we have two 13t capacity Katos, two 20t Kato rough 118 / CAL March/April 2022

Enhancements to the CR-130RF and CR-200RF models include: increased maximum road speed; searcher hooks; completely redesigned operator cabins; an automatic outrigger levelling system; and new green-efficient Stage IV engines.

“Kato is a collaborative crane manufacturer and many of the enhancements and features of new models have been as a direct result of feedback between Kato engineers, local customers and customers in key markets right around the globe.” terrains, and now the 20t capacity CR200Rf. As I’ve said, the operators like the compact nature of the machines, they are highly manoeuvrable and easy to operate.

“They are really good all rounders and ideal for truss work and light structural steel projects. They can get onto sites which have tight tolerances and complete lifts other cranes simply can’t. The cabs in the Katos provide excellent visibility for the operators and they also have excellent lift charts, which is important,” said Wilson.

“We’ve worked with the Tutt Bryant Equipment team for many years now and we always find them easy to deal with. With the new cranes, they actually had them in stock at the time we enquired with Peter Lawgall, so was it was a real bonus to be able to access the machines immediately.

“Tutt Bryant Equipment support their cranes well and we work with Ben Marczak in terms of service and support.

With these being brand new machines we haven’t really had to reach out to Ben as yet. So far, so good,” said Wilson. www.cranesandlifting.com.au

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WORKING AT HEIGHT ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

FALL PROTECTION INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION: MORE THAN JUST A TICK-BOX EXERCISE The Working at Height Association discusses why inspections can’t be missed.

ANNUAL INSPECTIONS ARE VITALLY important. Not only are they a regulatory obligation but, ultimately, they help save lives. That’s why it pays to partner with professionals with the necessary experience and competency to inspect and certify your fall protection equipment.

Can you afford not to?

There is a wide spectrum of potential issues that may arise when inspecting fall protection systems and personal protective equipment (PPE), all of which need to be addressed. After all, by its very nature, fall protection

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equipment can be exposed to the harshest conditions.

It’s also important to remember that the general state of PPE and systems can often be influenced by the competency of the person that has used the system and how frequently it has been used.

APPROACH TO QUALITY INSPECTION Some initial questions to consider when inspecting systems and PPE should include: • Has the system been accurately installed within the manufacturer’s guidelines?

• H as it been configured properly with the right components?

• Are calculations that help ensure safe levels of load absorption accurate?

If the answer to any of the above questions is “no”, then those working at height could be exposed to an unacceptable level of risk. Some key issues that quality inspection should cover include: • Inspection of all energy absorbers.

• Checking the cable for damage/signs of wear and tear.

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• A ny signs of corrosion.

• Re-tensioning of the cable if required.

• Inspecting lanyards and harnesses for cuts, fraying or breaks in the stitching.

• Looking for signs of damage to fittings.

POTENTIAL ISSUES By no means does quality inspection stop there. Sometimes, upon scrutiny of the system, an inspection may reveal that the system and equipment in place is not correct for the application. The original design process should have identified the key access areas needing to supported by a system and included PPE selection criteria appropriate for the type of work needed to be carried out.

It’s imperative that the PPE used is compatible with the system in place and that, in combination, they create the safest solution for the tasks required.

Understanding the difference between a fall restraint system which prevents you from falling versus a fall arrest system that protects you after you fall is important when determining the risk Not only are regular inspections vitally important and a regulatory obligation, ultimately they save lives.

factor and how it should be addressed, so it is imperative that the PPE used by an operative is suitable for the type of system they are connecting to. Even understanding how a ‘fall restraint’ system falls under ‘fall arrest’ as a work position informs PPE selection.

Remember, as well as inspecting and certifying it, a high-quality fall protection expert should also be able help you specify and install the right equipment at the very outset of a project.

Systems exposed to extreme weather conditions can degrade over time, and while, to a certain extent, this is an expectation, how quickly this occurs is

REMEMBER THE FUNDAMENTALS Having the right equipment in place and adhering to regular quality inspection and re-certification is important, but it counts for little without all required risk assessments and safety methods statements in place.

“The original design process should have identified the key access areas needing to be supported by a system, including PPE selection criteria. It pays to partner with professionals with experience and competency to inspect and certify your fall protection equipment.” dependent on the quality of the materials that constitute the fall protection equipment.

Not only does this reinforce the importance of regular quality inspections and re-certification, but it should also be a timely reminder to invest in high quality equipment and solutions to mitigate accelerated environmental degradation, maintain safety standards, and, subsequently, reduce maintenance costs. While the initial financial outlay may potentially be higher, ultimately you will likely reap the benefits of a lower total cost of ownership.

GOOD PREPARATION BEGINS WITH QUALITY TRAINING While the responsibility for the safety for those that work at height sits with the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), ultimately, the operators themselves should be able to take some responsibility for their own safety.

Unfortunately, despite ‘training’, some people still lack the appropriate knowledge, experience and/or practical

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training required to be able to accurately identify whether the PPE or a fall protection system is safe to use. This is a major concern, as failure to do so properly could be lethal. That’s why quality appropriate application based education and training is often the best form of first defence.

Even with annual re-certification, all equipment needs to undergo rigorous pre-use checks prior to accessing the work area. Organisations with employees that work at height can employ an external company to come in and check PPE and systems. Some will train people within the company to check equipment themselves.

Either way, proper checks need to have been done before use.

MORE THAN JUST A TICK-BOX EXERCISE Inspection and certification are critically important but, unfortunately, many still see it as a compliance issue, rather than the life-saving obligation that it is.

There is a clear responsibility under the WHS Act to provide a safe workplace for your people, and ensuring systems to manage high-risk activities are intact, safe and fit for purpose is clearly covered under this obligation.

If you own, specify or use fall protection equipment, you have an ethical and legal responsibility to ensure that inspections are carried out in an accurate and timely fashion. Lives may depend upon it.

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LIFT OF THE MONTH

PLEASE SEND YOUR LIFT OF THE MONTH ENTRIES TO SIMON.GOULD@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU

WHO: Bus retrieval after bridge collapse.

WHERE: Allegheny Crane Rentals in Pittsburgh had to quickly mobilise two of its cranes after bridge collapsed near Frick Park, Pittsburgh in the US. COMPLICATING FACTORS: Several cars and a bus were on a bridge when it collapsed. There were several hospitalisations but miraculously no fatalities.

CRANES: Allegheny utilised the Liebherr LTM 1350-6.1 350t capacity all terrain with Y guides and luffer to perform the lift. The second crane, a Grove GMK5275 275t capacity all terrain, featured a luffing jib and utilised 13.71m of the main boom.

The bus was the most challenging aspect of the lift. This was situated some 26 metres below the crane and weighed in at 21 tonnes, measuring 18 metres in length, 2.5 metres in width, and three metres in height.

CRANE CONFIGURATION: The configuration of the Liebherr LTM1350-6.1 included a 35.17 metre telescopic boom, guyed with a Y-frame at the eccentric on the telescopic boom extension (TYVE) at 75°. It also featured a 36m luffing fly jib (light version) (N) (16° offset).

The base: 100 per cent outriggers (8.9 metres x 8.5 metres) with 140 tonnes of counterweight. The lifting radius was 29 metres (360°) with the crane’s capacity at 29 metres being 23.5 tonnes.

The load included a hook weight of 794kg, total rigging weight of 955kg and the bus weighed 21 tonnes.

“It was a great collaboration between public and private partnerships in the City of Pittsburgh,” Allegheny president Kyrk Pyros said.

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