Altec partnership produces tough terrain cranes

Truck mounted crane manufacturer Altec Industries, Inc. has partnered with Prinoth to install cranes on its crawler-based Go-Tract range of vehicles.

This includes the 38 tonne capacity Altec AC38-127S telescopic crane upper which has been mounted on Prinoth's GT4500 tracked vehicle, designed for use on usually inaccessible terrains.

Altec can install 18 to 38 tonne capacity telescopic booms up to 46 m long, pressure washers and digger derricks on the Prinoth track vehicles. "These unique features will allow for work in places previously not accessible by trucks, offering a significant cost reduction on operation and gain on time. Typical uses include construction of remote transmission lines and oil field applications in both boggy and permafrost conditions," said an Altec spokesman.

There is a range of chassis options with Prinoth's tracked vehicle from the 20 tonne payload Go-Tract 4500 to the 4.5 tonne payload Muskeg. The Altec AC38-127S mounted on the GT4500 is suited to the £400 million (US$580 million) Beauly-Denny powerline project in Scotland, UK which gained government approval on 6 January 2010.

With a 58.5 m sheave height the crane can handle pylon construction and line placement and can double as a two-man aerial platform. The insulated jib and platform options on the AC38-127S provides live power line working capability to 58 m, which can replace the more costly means of access by helicopter commonly seen in the UK, says Altec.

The AC38-127S/Go-Tract 4500 combination will be presented at Bauma 2010.