What makes pick and carry cranes versatile?

Indoor pick and carry electric cranes are popular in Europe, says Ormig

As pick and carry cranes are highly manoeuvrable they are a practical alternative to a forklift or telehandler, says UK-based GGR Group, which offers several small cranes for rental.

Due to their size, they are easier to travel on roads and can access smaller and more cramped sites with awkward conditions.

Pick and carry for indoor environments

The requirements of the present industrial lifting market covering electric cranes have given Italian manufacturer Ormig the idea for a new project – special cranes for handling work in cramped indoor environments.

Ormig offers lifting capacities from 15 to 100 tonnes with important features such as reduced overall dimensions and weight suitable for the transport on the road without transit permits.

A notable performance feature of Ormig cranes is a special steering design giving an extra small turning circle, allowing the crane to turn in its own length.

Italian manufacturer Ormig has been developing a new indoor electric crane

Maximum stability of the crane is given by four points of wheel contact with the ground, so a safe working condition can be assured, this also being a basic aspect of cranes travelling with a load on the hook.

These machines find considerable success in the market and several units have been sold, mainly in Europe, the company says.

The main features customers are asking for are remote control for all the crane’s motions, pallet forks, different hydraulic and mechanical fly jibs and hoisting winches.

The experience of clients using this type of Ormig crane is positive and has led several users to go on with the purchase of more units, the company says.

Benefits of an electric pick and carry

Other manufacturers and distributors are also seeing demand for electric pick and carry cranes.

“Pick and carry cranes are known for their strength and robustness,” says Carl Cooper, sales and aftersales manager at Hird, a Manitex Valla distributor.

“They operate in challenging, busy environments, are designed to be used almost continuously to support many industrial processes. Yet they still have an operational life stretching in some cases into decades.

“Companies looking to replace older cranes, many of them possibly diesel cranes, must consider what the level of usage of diesel-powered machines might be in 10 to 15 years.

Manitex Valla’s electric pick and carry can be operated via radio remote control

“In all other commercial and consumer sectors, thermal power is being replaced with electric power. Costs of using diesel-powered equipment, in terms of emission controls and additional regulation, are increasing rapidly.

“These trends and risks need to be carefully assessed. The answer is very often clear. The case for switching to electric lifting is undeniable,” he says.

There has been growth in demand for electric cranes and there are new models being developed by Manitex Valla. ICST will follow and report on this development.

The Valla 220SE is a 22 tonne capacity DC electric slewing crane with blocked and pick and carry duties.

How pick and carry cranes are changing the construction game These mini movers are mighty, taking all manner of components from A to B, and manoeuvring around all types of sites. With larger lifting capacities than you might expect, these cranes are a massive force to be reckoned with

It was developed for the aviation industry but is now being considered by companies looking to retire old Iron Fairy and Speed cranes.

It also has range of V cranes, including the 3.6 tonne V36R, 5.5 tonne V55R, 8 tonne V80R, 11 tonne V110R and the 20 tonne V210R.

Manitex Valla’s 20 tonne capacity battery-electric V210R can be operated via a radio remote control or from its cabin.

Similar to Ormig’s crane applications, it is aimed at indoor applications and is designed to be as compact as possible for its capacity.

Picking right

The specific capabilities of a crawler crane with a telescopic boom were instrumental in the success of a project to construct a solar energy park in Germany.

Specialist contractor Autodienst Eineder began using its Liebherr LTR 1060 in October.

With the crawler tracks retracted, the LTR 1060 is 3 metres wide

The Bavarian company made the most of the crane to install transformer stations, namely its off-road capability, manoeuvrability and the ability to travel with a full load. These translate into lower cost and less time needed on site.

Peter Eineder, managing director, explains, “Its off-road capability and manoeuvrability makes the LTR 1060 ideal for jobs in solar parks.

Its pick and carry mode is particularly good as it enables us to carry transformer stations weighing up to 20 tonnes from the transport vehicle to the installation site.”

Pick and carry travel on site is possible with a full load on the hook.

The LTR 1060 has a maximum 4.8 metre wide track and can also work with the track width reduced to 3 metres.

“That is a major benefit on constricted sites. We also appreciate the sensitive control of the LTR 1060 when things are tight,” Peter Eineder explains.

The crane can assemble itself without needing an assist crane. Eineder also said it is easy to transport the crane. Its overall height of 3.15 metres means standard semi low loaders can be used instead of special low height versions.

Complete with turntable and central ballast the LTR 1060 weighs 62.6 tonnes. On a five axle trailer and three axle tractor the axle load is less than 12 tonnes, Liebherr says.

Removing ballast reduces weight to the net weight of the basic 37.5 tonne machine. That means less than 10 tonnes per axle on a 4-axle low loader with three axle tractor.

Hybrid-powered pick and carry crane

Escorts Construction Equipment launched its NXT13DC CNG crane, which it says is India’s first hybrid pick and carry crane. It runs on dual fuel, either diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG) and has a 13 tonne lifting capacity.

The crane has a 49.5 horsepower BS III engine compatible with CNG and a robust straight axle backend.

India’s first hybrid pick and carry crane from manufacturer Escorts, based in Faridabad

The crane offers a low operating cost and rear deck utility for the movement of material and manpower from one site to another.

The crane is equipped with front outriggers for stability and safety during erection or high height work. It is equipped with anti-toppling features that provide enhanced safety on site.

Sanjeev Bajaj, chief executive at Escorts Construction Equipment, says, “The ongoing push for infrastructure projects is expected to continue to increase the demand for stable, safer, advanced tech equipment and more productive solutions in construction and material handling equipment industry space and we at Escorts are already headed in that direction to aptly equip ourselves to cater to the demands of our customers.”

Escorts is also partnering the government across airport upgrades, Bharat Mala, Bullet trains, ports and bridges, and intends to create a platform of cranes that will solve

This article originally featured in the February edition of International Cranes and Specialized Transport. Click here to read the full issue.