New Furukawa straight boom

On show at the Intermat exhibition in Paris last month was a new straight boom crane for truck mounting from Japanese manufacturer Furukawa Unic. European distributor Unic Cranes Europe is showing the crane as a potential alternative to knuckle booms. The new crane was at Intermat to test market reaction with a view to CE marking it for sale in Europe.

From the V500 series the new UR-V504 is one of a range of 1 to 15 tonne capacity models. Maximum boom length is about 13 m. The one on show had four hydraulic extensions and would mount on a 12 tonne gross vehicle weight chassis.

Advantages of this type of crane, Unic said, include that it is easier to operate than a knuckle boom, it is simpler and more stable. The hydraulic extension cylinder and all mechanisms are contained inside the boom instead of the exterior mounting on many knuckle booms. It has one double acting cylinder for the first two sections and cables for the second two. The boom is the same as those used on the Unic mini crawler range.

Boom extension from fully retracted takes 15 seconds, Unic said, and slewing speed is 2.5 min-1. It has a fabricated base and continuous rotation via a worm drive. Cable remote control is standard and radio remote is optional.

If Unic decides to sell the crane in Europe it will debut at the Bauma exhibition in Germany next year.