Reaching high

Kobelco's High Reach SK3500D consists of a three-piece boom and four-piece attachment that reaches up to over 65 m, mounted on a 200 tonne crawler crane carrier that together weigh in at 328 tonnes.

Kobelco has developed a built-in hydraulic quick hitch that breaks the attachment down into six components, allowing safe and rapid disassembly. Moving the machine from site to site is achieved by breaking the whole unit down into 17 component sections using a crawler frame disassembly system that uses hydraulic cylinders and translifters. These are then transported individually to the new site.

Safety when working at such heights is of course a major concern, and Kobelco has built in a number of systems to minimise the risk of accidents. Anti drift boom and arm holding valves prevent the boom from suddenly dropping in the event of hydraulic system malfunctions, and all cylinders are equipped with counterbalance valves. An inclination alarm alerts the operator in the event of the carrier exceeding safe working angles and a system automatically monitors the boom to alert the operator when he is approaching the edge of the safe working envelope to prevent tip-over.

Kobelco has fitted a camera to the boom to allow the operator a clear view of the attachment, with a second camera providing a clear view to the rear of the carrier.

Power comes from an Isuzu 6WG1 15,7 litre turbocharged six cylinder diesel producing 235 kW at 1800 rpm. Its travel speed is 1,1 km/hour.