New folding crane concept from Shuttlelift

US crane manufacturer Shuttlelift has unveiled an unusual new folding crane concept for the wind power industry.

The SL100II LDG will initially be available on 100 ton capacity gantry cranes. The folding element is to reduce the height of the crane when it is travelling on site. It works by removing the retaining pins on each leg and folding down the top beams to let the gantry pass under existing overhead obstacles. Folding the top beams reduces overall height from a typical 33 feet 7 inches (10.2 m) to just under 16 feet (4.9 m).

It can be particularly useful when laying out wind turbine components prior to erection, according to Shuttlelift.