Mining Support

Tractor

2008-02-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

History

Deere & Company began when John Deere, born in Rutland, Vermont, USA on February 7, 1804 moved to Grand Detour, Illinois in 1836 to escape bankruptcy in Vermont. Already an established blacksmith, Deere opened a 1,378 square feet shop in Grand Detour in 1837 which allowed him to serve as a general repairman in the village, as well as a manufacturer of small tools such as pitchforks and shovels.

Even more successful than these small tools was Deere's cast-steel plow, which was pioneered in 1837. Prior to Deere's introduction of the steel plow, most farmers used iron or wooden plows which stuck to the rich Midwestern soil and had to be cleaned very frequently. The smooth sided steel plow solved this problem, and would greatly aid migration into the American Great Plains in the 19th century and early 20th century. Deere's production of plows began slowly, but increased greatly when he departed from the traditional business model of making equipment as it was ordered and instead began to manufacture plows before they were ordered and then put them up for sale. This allowed customers to see what they were buying beforehand, and word of the product began to spread quickly.

In 1842, Deere entered a business partnership with Leonard Andrus and purchased land for the construction of a new two-story factory along the Rock River in Illinois. This factory, named the "L. Andrus Plough Manufacturer", produced about 100 plows in 1842 and approximately 400 plows during the next year. Despite the success, Deere's partnership with Andrus ended in 1848, when Deere relocated to Moline, Illinois in order to have access to the railroad and the Mississippi River. In Moline, Deere formed a partnership with Robert Tate and John Gould and quickly built a new 1,440 square feet factory in 1848. Production at the plant rose quickly, and by 1849 the Deere, Tate, & Gould Company was producing over 200 plows a month, and a two story addition to the plant was built to allow for further production.

John Deere bought out Tate and Gould's interests in the company in 1853, the same year that he was joined in the business by his son Charles Deere. The business continued to expand until 1857, when the company's production totals reached almost 1,120 implements per month. Then, in 1858 a nationwide financial recession took a toll on the company. In order to prevent bankruptcy, the company was reorganized and Deere sold his interests in the business to his son in law, Christopher Webber, and his son, Charles Deere, who would take on most of his father's managerial roles. The company was reorganized one final time in 1868, when it was incorporated as Deere & Company. The company's original stockholders were Charles Deere, Stephen Velie, George Vinton, and John Deere, who would serve as president of the company until 1886. Despite this, it was Charles who effectively ran the company. In 1869, Charles began to introduce marketing centers and independent retail dealers to advance the company's sales nationwide.

John Deere died in 1886, and the presidency of Deere & Company passed to Charles Deere. By now the company was manufacturing a variety of farm equipment products in addition to plows, including wagons, corn planters, cultivators. The company even expanded into the bicycle business briefly during the 1890s, but the core focus of the company remained on agricultural implements. Increased competition during the early 1900s from the new International Harvester Company led the company to expand its offerings in the implement business, but it was the production of gasoline tractors which would come to define Deere & Company's operations during the twentieth century.

In 1912, Deere & Company president William Butterworth, who had replaced Charles Deere after his death in 1907, began the company's expansion into the tractor business. Deere & Company briefly experimented with its own tractor models, the most successful of which was the Dain All-Wheel-Drive, but in the end decided to continue its foray into the tractor business by purchasing the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company, which manufactured the popular Waterloo Boy tractor at its facilities in Waterloo, Iowa. Deere & Company continued to sell tractors under the Waterloo Boy name until 1923, when the John Deere Model D was introduced. The company still manufactures most of its tractors in Waterloo, Iowa.

According to John Ratzenberger, host of the Travel Channel series "Made in America", Deere & Company never repossessed any equipment from American farmers during the Great Depression. This was revealed during the shows profile of Deere & Company.

Deere & Company Today

As of 2006, the Deere & Company employs approximately 47,000 people in 27 countries worldwide, including the United States, Turkey, Canada, United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, India, Poland, and Mexico, among many others. Inside the United States, the company's primary locations are its administrative center in Moline, Illinois, as well as various locations in the Midwest and southeastern United States. Most manufacturing sites are in Iowa or Illinois, as well as locations in Europe. Carl Westby is known as the person that coined the phrase "Nothing runs like a Deere."

Major North American factories include:

Waterloo Works (foundry, engines, large agricultural tractors, drive trains, service parts) Waterloo, Iowa
Harvester Works(large combine harvesters) East Moline, IL
Cylinder Division (hydraulic cylinders) Moline, Illinois
Seeding Group (planting equipment) Moline, Illinois and Valley City, North Dakota
Davenport Works (wheel loaders, motor graders, articulated dump trucks, forestry equipment) Davenport, Iowa
Dubuque Works (backhoes, crawlers, skid-steer loaders, forestry equipment) Dubuque, Iowa
Des Moines Works (tillage equipment, cotton harvesters, sprayers) Ankeny, Iowa
Ottumwa Works (hay and forage equipment) Ottumwa, Iowa
John Deere Thibodaux (cane harvesting equipment, scrapers) Thibodaux, Louisiana
Horicon Works (lawn & garden and turf care) Horicon, Wisconsin
Augusta Works (small commercial and agricultural tractors) Augusta, Georgia
Welland Works (agricultural and commercial front loaders, rotary cutters, Gators) Welland, Ontario

Other Important Factories:

John Deere Equipment Pvt Ltd (5000 Series Tractor manufacturers) Pune, India
Werke Mannheim (6000 Series Tractors) Mannheim, Germany
Werke Zweibrücken (Harvesting equipment) Zweibrücken, Germany
John Deere Forestry Oy, Joensuu, Finland works: Cut-to-Length Forestry equipment
John Deere Reman - Edmonton: Remanufacturing facility for hydraulic and powertrain components for off-highway products. (C&F Division) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Operating Units

Deere & Company is currently organized into three major equipment divisions and six primary operating units:

Agricultural Equipment
Construction & Forestry Equipment
Commercial & Consumer Equipment
John Deere Power Systems
John Deere Parts
John Deere Credit

Subsidiaries & Affiliates

The John Deere Pavilion in Moline, Illinois.

AGRIS Corporation (John Deere Agri Services)
Chamberlain Tractors (Australia)
John Deere Capital Corporation
John Deere Landscapes - a supplier of landscaping plants, materials, and irrigation equipment
Waratah Forestry Attachments - manufacturer of forestry harvesting heads
Agreentech
NavCom Technology, Inc. (Precision positioning systems and intelligent mobile equipment technologies) Torrance, CA
Phoenix International Corporation (Ruggedized Off-Road Electronics) Fargo, ND
ReGen Technologies - remanufacturing facility for engines and engine components

Ningbo Benye Tractor & Automobile Manufacture Co. Ltd. Ningbo, China - Chinese Tractor Company

Collaborations and Partnerships

North American distributor of Hitachi-branded construction equipment.
Deere-Hitachi, located in Kernersville, NC, is jointly owned by Deere & Company and Hitachi, and manufactures hydraulic excavators for the North American market.
A partnership with Bell Equipment of South Africa provided Deere with articulated dump truck technology. In exchange, Bell manufactures Deere backhoe loaders in South Africa for distribution internationally.
John Deere is provider of backhoe loader technology to Telco Construction Equipment Company, a subsidiary of Tata group in India.Source

Environmental record

Researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts Amherst placed Deere & Co. on its "Toxic 100" list of top corporate air polluters in the US for the year 2000.^[1] Deere's "toxic score" (pounds released x toxicity x population exposure) ranked it 18th on the list. The score accounts for both fugitive (unintentional) and stack (intentional) releases. In terms of volume alone, Deere's roughly 410,000 pounds of toxic chemicals released in 2000 placed it 79th among the 99 companies listed.^[2] Over 90% of the company's score came from the release of 3055 lbs of diisocyanates in 2002.^[3]

P&H Crane History

2008-01-24T05:41:00.000-08:00

An Enduring Symbol of Reliability

P&H Mining Equipment spans more than a century of American and global industrial development.

Founded when the American West was still wild and a horse was a transportation mainstay for country and city folk alike, P&H Mining Equipment today delivers superb and highly reliable mining equipment for the very cost-focused world surface mining industry.

The sun never sets upon P&H drills, shovels, draglines and our allied products deployed to nine of ten surface mines around the world. And through our global network of P&H MinePro Services dealers, that equipment delivers exceptional productivity value through our life cycle management support.

When you see the P&H brand, you see an enduring symbol of quality and service reliability forged over more than a century.

1884
Alonzo Pawling and Henry Harnischfeger join forces on December 1, 1884, starting up a small machine and pattern shop to transform industrial component and device ideas into models and patterns. As word of the craftsmanship of Pawling & Harnischfeger spreads, the partners begin manufacturing components and equipment for knitting, grain-drying, stamping, brewing and brick-making - and they do a great deal of repair work as well.

1887
Pawling & Harnischfeger rebuild and improve upon the design of a damaged overhead crane made by another manufacturer. The safer, more durable crane powered by three electric motors quickly attracts attention and generates orders from factories, utilities and railroad repair shops across the country.

1911
In failing health, Alonzo Pawling decides to sell his interest in the business to his partner, Henry Harnischfeger, who decides to keep the now well-known P&H trademark as the former partnership goes forward as a corporation called “Harnischfeger Corporation.”

1912
Harnischfeger Corporation begins making earth-moving equipment. Trenching machines and wheel loaders are among the first “P&H” digging machines, followed soon after by crawler-mounted digging equipment including backfillers and wheel-type trenchers.

1914
During World War I, Harnischfeger Corporation concentrates on making overhead cranes for the war effort. After the war, development of earthmoving equipment resumes. Harnischfeger engineers design the world’s first gasoline engine-powered dragline. Soon after that, Harnischfeger engineers develop a shovel-type excavator mounted on crawlers.

1930
Co-founder Henry Harnischfeger dies and is succeeded by his son Walter Harnischfeger as president. During the Great Depression P&H struggles but moves forward, converting its cranes and excavators to all-welded design and fabrication for increased strength and efficiency.

1935
Harnischfeger Corporation introduces “Bantamweight” gas-powered excavators with up to ½-cubic-yard capacity. P&H also introduces new Ward-Leonard drive electric excavators.

1942
World War II brings the American economy to full capacity, and Harnischfeger Corporation mass-produces its “P&H” cranes and excavators for the war effort. The firm earns “E” awards from the Navy and Army for efficiency in meeting stepped-up production needs.

1945
Peacetime marks the beginning of a world-wide industrial boom. P&H excavators and overhead and construction cranes contribute in a major way, both in America and in emerging markets worldwide. P&H introduces a new-generation electric mining shovel featuring simpler control components and factory-installed wiring for faster field erection and commissioning.

1946
Harnischfeger Corporation engineers develop “Magnetorque” electro-magnetic brake and control system to replace traditional friction mechanisms for greatly increased digging power and speed. Magnetorque revolutionizes the heavy equipment industry and continues to be used on smaller electric shovels for decades to come.

1952
P&H introduces its largest capacity electric dragline to date - the Model 1855 with up to 10 cubic yards bucket capacity. Magnetorque magnetic clutch system applied to every operating function: digging, hoisting, swinging and propelling. Designed primarily for strip mining, the 1855 brings new standards of performance to the field of large excavators.

1954
P&H rolls out its new Model 1800 electric mining shovel - the latest and largest heavy-duty digging machine in the P&H line with electronic control, centralized AC motor drive, and numerous mechanical improvements.

1959
Harnischfeger Corporation continues to expand its global network of customer support operations by entering into a joint ownership of a new company in Australia, P&H Power Cranes and Shovels, Pty., Ltd. Henry Harnischfeger, grandson of the founder, becomes president and guides Harnischfeger Corporation through significant growth in the 60s and 70s.

1960
P&H shovel maximum dipper capacity reaches 12 cubic yards to help meet growing demand for highly productive taconite and other hard-rock mining excavators.

1962
P&H embarks on formal training programs for personnel engaged in operating and maintaining P&H equipment.

1967
P&H shovel maximum dipper capacity increases to 15 cubic yards.

1969
In a major leap forward, the P&H 2800 electric shovel debuts initially with a 25 cubic yard dipper capacity to help meet growing world demand for coal, iron and copper. P&H 2800 innovations include solid-state electronic control and planetary propel, enabling the new-generation shovel to greatly increase productivity and overall performance.

1973
Walter Harnischfeger dies. Over the previous six decades he led the firm through the Depression and transformed Harnischfeger Corporation into a global leader in the supply of equipment and support to the mining industry.

1976
P&H increases maximum dipper capacity on its 2800-class shovel to 40 cubic yards. More significant, P&H introduces “Electrotorque” solid-state control for DC motors - a single-stage controlled power manipulation that delivers an abundant adjustable-voltage DC power supply, along with easy-to-understand control troubleshooting, maintenance and repair.

1984
Harnischfeger Corporation reaches 100 consecutive years of product quality and service excellence on behalf of industry.

1988
The company acquires the Page Engineering walking dragline product line and begins modernizing the line for increased performance value.

1991
Harnischfeger Corporation acquires the Gardner-Denver line of large rotary blast hole drills and proceeds to implement needed upgrades for increased performance value. Also in 1991, the P&H 4100-class shovel line rolls out to help mines 3-pass-load 240-ton haul trucks. The 4100 features 85-ton dipper payloads and numerous ease-of-maintenance features including modular components - improvements resulting from growing consultation with mine managers.

1994
P&H 120A blast hole drill rolls out with numerous performance-boosting improvements.

1995
The underground mining equipment supplier, Joy Mining Machinery, joins P&H Mining Equipment in the holding company known as Harnischfeger Industries, Inc.

1996
P&H Mining Equipment launches its global network of regional P&H MinePro Services centers to provide local service and distribution support for surface mine customers. Also, the 4100 shovel evolves into the 4100A, featuring DC digital “Electrotorque Plus” drive for faster digging cycles due to optimized peak horsepower, and improved information systems for the shovel operator and maintenance team.

1997
P&H 4100TS rolls out and quickly gains a foothold in the Canadian oil sands as a high-performance loading tool.

1999
P&H Mining Equipment introduces the Bigger, Faster, Smarter P&H 4100XPB - a versatile loading tool tailored to mines utilizing 240-ton, 320-ton and 360-ton haulers. Bigger payloads of 100-plus tons, faster cycle times, and smarter control systems for optimized digging performance and increased productivity. P&H Mining Equipment parent company Harnischfeger Industries, Inc. files for Chapter 11 financial restructuring stemming from sister firm Beloit Corporation (papermaking machinery) severe difficulties in wake of Asian currency devaluation crisis.

2001
In a collaborative effort with oil sands mines, P&H Mining Equipment introduces the P&H 4100BOSS, a higher-performance successor to the well-regarded P&H 4100TS. Parent company “Harnischfeger Industries, Inc.” emerges from Chapter 11 financial restructuring and undergoes a name change to “Joy Global Inc.”

Mining Truck Applications:

2008-01-23T06:13:00.001-08:00

Quebec Cartier Lac Jeannine
Palabora, South Africa
ISCOR, South Africa
Nchanga, Zambia
Rossing Uranium, Namibia
Barrick Goldstrike, Nevada

Quebec Cartier Mine - 1970 to 1977

QCM at Lac Jeannine, Quebec was the first successful application of modern trolley-assist. This trolley system collected power from an overhead busbar using a trolley pole arrangement. Trolley trucks included KW Dart 85 ton, Unit Rig M85 (85 ton), and Unit Rig M100 (100 ton) trucks. For more details, see the history writeup.

For more historical details, click here.


Truck on Line	Unit Rig truck Entering Line	More of Overhead Line

Side View	Details of Entry Pan	View of Entrance Pan

Suspension Tower	Details of Trolley Pole	Pole in Stowed Position

Truck on Line	Entering the Line

Palabora Mining, South Africa - 1980 to 2001

Palabora's initial trolley test system incorporated a trolley pole/conductor arrangement. At conclusion of the testing, the poles were discarded and replaced with pantographs. The early trolley fleet was comprised of 75 Unit Rig Mark 36 trucks, with 170 ton capacity. Euclid R190 trucks were later added to the trolley fleet. For more details, see the history writeup.

For more historical details, click here.


Test Truck with Pole & Conductor	Early Pantograph Arrangement	Final Pantograph Arrangement

Unit Rig M36	Palabora Open Pit	Truck Silhouette

Sunset	Announcement

ISCOR Mining, South Africa - 1982 to 2001

ISCOR is presently the largest user of trolley assist in the world. These photos are primarily of the "early" ISCOR trolley system, with the exception of those showing the Euclid R280 AC truck. ISCOR has perfected a "lightweight" overhead line system, which is fed by many small substations. It is hoped to add photos of the current system in the near future.

As of February 2001, the Sishen mine was operating a trolley haulage fleet consisting of 32 Komatsu 730Es and 9 Unit Rig M36s. The Grootegeluk mine was operating a trolley haulage fleet consisting of 14 Komatsu 730Es, 11 Marathon-LeTourneau 2200s, and 1 Euclid R280 AC.

For more historical details, click here.


Sishen trolley trucks	Pantographs on Canopy	Details of Pantograph Mounting

Unit Rig M36	M36 on trolley	Haulpak 685E

Recently Rebuilt M36	MLT2200 at Grootegeluk	Grootegeluk

Closeup of MLT Panto Mount	Trolley Truck Lineup	Lots of Trucks on Line

Euclid R280	R280 at Grootegeluk	Closeup View

	Side View

Nchanga Mine - 1983 to 198?

The ZCCM mine at Nchanga installed a trolley system that collected power from an overhead busbar using shoes mounted on trolley poles. Many of these pictures are screen shots from a GE-produced video. For more historical details, click here.


Photo Courtesy of GE	Haulpak 120C	Photo Courtesy of GE

Screen Shots from GE Video	Trolley Poles & Resting Point	Raising Poles

Poles Raised	Entering the Pan	On the Line

Front View	View Along the Line	Side View

Closeup of Poles	Carbon Shoe	Bolted Joint of Bus

Rossing Uranium - 1986 to 2001

Rossing was a "sister" mine to Palabora, and when they installed their trolley system, sometime around 1986, they patterned it after Palabora's.

As of February 2001, Rossing was operating a trolley haulage fleet consisting of 11 Komatsu 730Es.

Barrick Goldstrike - 1994 to 2001

Barrick conducted numerous trolley feasibility studies and in 1993 gave the go-ahead to proceed with the installation of a system at their Goldstrike mine in Nevada. The system was patterned after Palabora's, except that the equipment was upsized to accommodate Goldstrike's larger trucks (190 ton vs. 170 ton).

Overhead lines and substations were supplied by Siemens, and were of a full-catenary heavy-duty design. Pantographs, from TransTech of South Carolina, were used for current collection. Their "half-scissor" design differed from the "full-scissor" design used at Palabora.

By October 1994 five trolley lines, which totaled 2.9 miles in length, were in service - along with 50 Komatsu 685E haul trucks that had been converted for trolley operation. Barrick continued to expand the trolley system, with a total of 74 trucks and 4.5 miles of trolley lines in service.


Haulpak 685E at Goldstrike		Multiple Trucks on Line

Siemens Wayside Substation	Installing Trolley Line	Mobile Platform

Connecting the Substation

Categories Mining Truck

2008-01-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

Caterpillar 797

Liebherr TI272

Liebherr T282

Liebherr TI272 - The sign by the Liebherr TI272 provided the following information: "320 Short Ton, Diesel Electric, EVW : 334,000 lbs, GVW: 974,000 lbs, Engine: MTU/DDC 16V4000 2700 HP, Electric Drive: AC Siemens/Liebherr, Dump Body: 230 cu yds@2:1 Heap, Tires: Michelin 50/80 R57, Dimensions: 42'8" Length, 26'11 Width, 21'9" Height."

Liebherr T282 The sign by the Liebherr TI282 provided the following information: "400 Short Ton, Diesel Electric, Light Weight Body, EVW: 449,000 lbs, GVW: 1,248,000 lbs, Engine: Cummins QSK 78 3500 HP, Electric Drive: AC Siemens/Liebherr, Dump Body: 290 cu yds@2:1 Heap, Tires: Bridgestone 55/80 R63, Dimensions: 48'5" Length, 29'1" Width, 21'9" Height"

Terex MT3300AC 150 ton AC
Terex MT5500AC 360 ton AC

Terex MT3300AC - The sign by the Terex MT3300AC provided the following information: "150 Ton (136 mt) Capacity, DDC 12V400/1800 hp (1343 kW)Engine, DDC 12V400/1800 hp (1343 kW) Engine, General Electric AC Drive, 33R51 Tires, EVW:232,000 lbs (105215 kg), GVW: 532,000 lbs (241270 kg), 3 Pass Loading with RH200, Dimension: 39'11"L x 21'4"W x 20'11"H (12.17 m x 6.5 m x 6.38 m)."

Hitachi EH4500 (formerly Euclid R280)
Details of the Trolley Pantograph Hardware

Hitachi EH4500 - The Euclid R280 , powered by the Siemens AC drive system, is now designated as the Hitachi EH4500. Their truck line still maintains the Euclid name badge on the radiator shell. This truck is equipped with hardware for trolley assisted operation. A similar truck was commissioned on trolley at an ISCOR mine in South Africa earlier this year.

Komatsu 930E-2SE - This 930E is a "special edition", equipped with a new 3500 hp engine that was "designed by Komatsu, Ltd. and Cummins Inc." and "manufactured by Cummins Inc.". According to a sign at the display, the 930E-2SE is equipped with a Komatsu Engine (SSDA18V170) with an output of 2611 kW (3500 bhp) which can operate at an elevation of 3658 meters (12000 ft) without deration. The GE AC drive system can also be operated at this elevation without derating. GVW is rated at 498,957 kg (1,100,000 lbs).

Belaz Wheelmotor - The sign by the Belaz wheelmotor provided the following information: "Maximum rimpull 400 kNm,Rated rimpull 140 kNm, Reduction gear ratio 15, Maximum wheel rpm 110 min-1. Advantages of motorized wheel with permanent magnets: less maintenance, lower operating costs, bigger payloads, faster cycle times, high efficiency in the whole rpm range."

Production Truck Photos - These two posters apparently show two production trucks having 130 tonne and 120 tonne capacities.

Model of Proposed Truck - Belaz 7570 - The sign by the model of this proposed Belaz truck provided the following information: "Model of open-cast mining dump truck BELAZ-7570. The open-cast mining dump truck BELAZ-7570 features electromechanical drive of alternating/alternating current, two diesel-generators with 2700 hp rating each, wheel arrangement 4X4 and tires 55/80 R63, which allowed to rise payload capacity of the truck up to 420 tonnes and to ensure high specific power, significant traveling speed when upgrading in laden condition as well as to achieve lower handling costs as a result."

Museum Crane

2008-01-23T04:18:00.000-08:00

Alatas provide crane engineers for Liebherr ship cranes and Liebher marine cranes worldwide. Engineers can carry out all types of ship crane repairs including crane troubleshooting, voyage repairs, crane inspections and crane repairs worldwide - all aspects of crane care that are too complex to be handled by ship engineers and onboard personnel alone.

Crane engineers and crane technicians are trained in electrical, electronic, hydraulic and mechanical crane repairs. As such the crane engineers can carry out all aspects of work on Liebherr marine cranes.

Alatas can supply Liebherr crane spare parts. Crane parts are sourced directly from the component suppliers, providing exactly the same the same parts as provided by the crane manufacturer. As well as OEM crane parts, replacement Liebherr crane parts can be supplied.

Electrical, mechanical and hydraulic crane parts are available. Hydraulic pumps and motors are available for sale or they can be refurbished and supplied under our service exchange programme that seeks to keep older style, hard to find hydraulic units in circulation.

Gearbox repairs and winch repairs are available from our specialist workshops, we can provide excellent cost savings and improve the efficiency of your Hagglund ship crane and ensure continued crane operation.

Other Liebherr crane services include hydraulic cylinder repairs and boom repairs

Alatas are Liebherr ship crane specialists. Alatas was formed in 1989 by a group of ex Liebherr Engineers and Managers to provide original and replacement spare parts for Liebherr ship cranes and Liebherr marine cranes.


Liebherr crane voyage repairs (Black Sea)	Boom sensor repairs (Ireland)	Liebherr SB crane repairs (South Africa)	Load test on B25 crane (Indonesia Anchorage)



Liebherr gantry crane repair (Panama)	Hoisting winch inspection (Panama Canal)	Hoisting winch repairs (Panama Canal)	B25 winch repair (China)



Bolt torquing after slewring change (China)	Zollern hoisting winch removal (Dubai)	Cargo discharge monitoring (India)	Liebherr twin crane setup (USA)



Repair to Liebherr provisioning crane (Malaysia)	Liebherr CBM crane repairs (Guam)	Liebherr boom repairs (Dubai)	Liebherr crane repairs (Panama)

ATAS LATEST NEWS

KGW offshore crane slewring changeout

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Ship Crane inspection carried out prior to dry docking

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O+K ship crane winch removal and inspection

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Liebherr ship crane luffing winch repairs

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Liebherr Truck

2008-01-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

LIEBHERR

LIEBHERR MINING EQUIPMENT CO.
4100 Chestnut Avenue
Newport News, Virginia 23605-0200
Ph: (757) 245-5251 - Fax: (757) 928-8755

PRESS RELEASE OCTOBER 16^TH 1998

LIEBHERR T282 DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

BACKGROUND
Once again, Liebherr Mining Equipment Co. is in first place as the first OEM to provide the Mining Industry with a two axle, diesel electric, AC drive haul truck with a payload capacity of 360 tons/327 metric tons. This is the haul truck that the industry has been waiting to receive. Not only does the T282 have an increase in payload capacity, but the AC Drive system has been designed to allow for easy configuration as a trolley system with minimal additional equipment required bringing new economics to trolley operation.The T282 360 ton/327 metric ton hauler will provide fuel savings, reduce maintenance requirements, reduce downtime, and maintenance costs providing the mine owner with beneficial increases in productivity.Basic dimensions and weight of the T282 are:

Overall length:	47'6"/14.5 meters
Overall width:	28'7"/8.7 meters
Loading height:	21'2"/6.5 meters
Height body up:	45'9"/13.9 meters
Empty vehicle weight:	443,000 lbs/201,000 kg
Operating weight loaded:	1,163,000 lbs/528,590 kg
The T282 is equipped with:
Standard Engine:	Detroit Diesel 16V4000@ 2750 hp

Electric Drive System Siemens/Liebherr
Development of the T282 Liebherr, fueled by an aggressive development posture, began to pursue the over 300 ton diesel electric truck program as the availability of components and the need within the industry became apparent. Liebherr realized that to be successful in this development effort, there has to be the proper match of components, such as:Reliable, efficient (high life/weight) structural package High speed dependable diesel engine Drive system with reduced maintenance requirements and increased operating efficiencies Trolley adaptability Tires, capable of handling increased payload and transportable Lower overall maintenance and operating costsThe design and development program for the T282 was approached from the standpoint of utilization of existing proven concepts to create a new product, not stretching an existing product to meet the market need. In addition, the design criteria for the T282 included the requirement that the hauler envelope and handling performance be consistent with existing and planned mine infrastructure.Drawing upon proven Liebherr Load Management philosophy for the design of the mainframe, axle box and dump cylinder attachments coupled with the incorporation of the newest technologies available the T282 360 ton/327 metric ton diesel electric AC drive hauler is now a reality.
LIEBHERR'S LOAD MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHYAND HOW IT APPLIES TO THE T282
This engineering philosophy mandates how loads are transferred into the mainframe from the running gear attachments, and provides for reduction and control of redundant structures. This philosophy also provides a reduction of maintenance intensity, and has proven to improve vehicle operating and maintenance efficiency on otherstandard Liebherr haulers. There are four principal areas where Liebherr uses "Load Management" principals on the T282, the Mainframe, the front suspension arrangement, the dump cylinder attachment and the rear axle attachment.The mainframe design on the T282 allows loads to be taken directly into the rear suspensions on the top centerline of the rear axles. This application of load management in conjunction with the use of A710 high strength steel reduces the potential of stress and high cost maintenance.The front suspension and steering arrangement,, unique on all standard Liebherr haulers, provides a dual parallel control arm arrangement which provides better handling characteristics and extended tire life.The load application is spread over a large mainframe area using this front suspension and steering arrangement reducing unit stress and improving structural life and truck performance.The Liebherr "Load Management Philosophy" is also apparent in the dump cylinder attachment area on the T282. The dump cylinder cross member floats allowing some finite degree of flexibility between the dump cylinder crossmember and the mainframe major structure, reducing torsional deflection shared between the two structures. This attachment improves life of both major components resulting in lower maintenance cost, and improved vehicle operational performance.The rear axle attachment on the T282 also follows Liebherr's "Load Management Philosophy" through the use of a straightforward attachment of the rear axle. This eliminates traditional nose cone problems, reduces stress in individual components, and spreads loads over a large unit area of the rear mainframe. This arrangement also allows mounting of the rear suspensions directly on the center line of the rear axle, maximizing rear axle oscillation.

BRAKE, STEER, AND HOIST SYSTEM
The T282 haul truck brake and steering system are fully hydraulic with accumulator backup systems, which meet SAE codes and operate at pressures of 3000 psi or below. The parking brake system is also backed up by an accumulator providing capability to hold the hauler on grades consistent with SAE requirements.The hoist system on the T282 operates as a independent system from the steering/b raking system and includes electrical joystick operation from the cab, with hydraulic pilot valve components in an adjacent area for easy troubleshooting and system diagnosis.

ENGINE
The T282 is equipped with a Detroit Diesel/MTU 16V4000 engine @ 2750 hp. The 16V4000S engine has lower fuel consumption and runs quiet. The DDC-MTU 16V4000 engine's heavy duty design provides greater durability.

LIEBHERR ELECTRIC WHEEL
The new Liebherr electric traction motors used on the T282 have a unitized configuration, providing plug-in motor, mounted inboard and two stage planetary gear set outboard. The standard gear ratio will provide a maximum 40 mile an hour speed with excellent performance on grade. The wheel design provides for inboard armature speed braking. Applied design parameters on this wheel will give improved life cycle costs compared with existing equipment.

AC DRIVE SYSTEM
The Siemens AC Drive system utilized on the Liebherr T282 is based on technology used by Siemens Energy and Automation, Inc. in applications including shovel drives, locomotive and mass transit system applications.The AC control system provides an additional margin of braking allowing total dynamic retarding capacity up to 6,032 hp and down to.5 miles per hour at which time the service brakes are activated to achieve the final stop. The AC control system also advises the operator of the vehicles operation outside the retarding capability.

TROLLEY APPLICATION/OPTION
As an option, the AC drive system for the T282 has been designed to be operated with a Pantograph and overhead trolley system, providing increased performance on grade with significant fuel savings and extended engine life.

TIRES
Tires for the T282 are Michelin 55/80 R63 that provide higher load capacity in a smaller diameter tire with the potential of lowering tire costs. The 55/80 R63 tire operates at relatively low inflation pressures (87 psi) and provides package size and weight efficiency.

RIMS
The T282 is equipped with the RIMEX 6341 "Taper Secure Radial", TSR Series rims. This unique, new generation rim design is formed through machining, to provide a balanced fitment to seal and anchor the radial tire. The resulting total air retention and rims part stability provides for longer rim and tire life. The RIMEX TSR Series, with fully forged, seamless flanges, is the safest, most reliable rim built.

OPERATORS FUNCTIONAL CAB WITH REFINED LUXURY
The operators cab of the T282 has plush upholstery, heavy duty, environmentally specified insulation assuring the lowest dBa levels during all phases of the haulage operation.Incorporated into the cab environment of the T282, is an operators Pentium-based industrial-grade computer. The computer screen is mounted in the dashboard, replacing the traditional gauge arrangement. Designed to be easily read during the trucks operation, the in-cab computer provides more useable information to the driver allowing for quicker assessment of operational functions. The computer displays truck operating parameters such as ground speed, engine information, and drive system status. The T282 in-cab computer also provides secondary information by recording historical operating events and by keeping a history of system fault messages in chronological order.

SUMMARY
The new T282 diesel electric AC drive Liebherr hauler, follows the precedent established by the Liebherr 240 ton truck design team in 1982 when the company was the first OEM to take the giant step up in payload capacity. Now Liebherr takes another giant step up in payload capacity to 360 ton /327 metric tons - the first OEM to respond to the Mining Industry's request for a large capacity AC drive haul truck that can be used in both standard operational mines and in trolley applications. Liebherr's T282, the biggest, diesel electric AC drive hauler on two axles in the world!T 262 / T 282 Specification Comparison

	T 262	T 282
HORSE POWER	2000 - 2500 HP	2682 - 3200 HP
TIRE SIZE	40.00 R57	55/80 R63
GVW	830,000 LBS.	1,163,000 LBS
EVW	330,000 LBS.	440,000 LBS
PAYLOAD	240+ TONS	360 TONS
WHEELBASE	20 FT.	21 FT. 6 IN.
WIDTH*	23 FT. 3 IN.	24 FT.
LENGTH	43 FT. 6 IN.	47 FT. 6 IN.
HEIGHT (OVER CANOPY)	21 FT. 3 IN.	24 FT.
LOADING HEIGHT*	18 FT. 4 IN.	21 FT. 2 IN.
SAE TURNING RAD.	48 FT. 6 IN.	53 FT. 8 IN.

Nissan Truck

2008-01-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

Nissan Hardbody Trucks were the successor to the Datsun 720 line of small trucks. The truck's name, "Hardbody", refers to its double-wall bed and overall styling. The Hardbody was produced for the U.S. Market from 1986 until 1997, and were direct competition to the Toyota mini pickup. The old to new Nissan body style changed in mid-year 1986, so the new 'D21' 1986 Hardbody trucks are referred to as 1986.5; they can be distinguished from the early 720 body by their two large headlights rather than four smaller. The D21 Hardbody was a close relative of the Pathfinder.

In the US, the Hardbody cab styles were 'Standard' and 'King' (also known as 'Extended'). Bed lengths were 'standard' 6-foot (2 m) and 'long' seven foot. International markets also received the 'Crew Cab' (4-door) version with a short four and a half foot bed. Both 4 and 6 cylinder engines were available, with the 2.4L 4 cylinder KA24E being a respectable-performance SOHC engine that replaced the Z24 for 1990-1997. The 6 cylinder 3.0L VG30E engine increased power and torque only modestly, and was not available on all the Hardbody variations. Five-speed, including overdrive, manual transmissions were the most common, but an automatic transmission was available for some configurations. Both rear wheel drive (4x2) and four wheel drive (4x4) versions were made in quantity. Major options included air conditioning, larger wheels/tires, sliding rear window, radios, and rear bumper. There were several trims available including base, XE, and top of the line SE. A driver's side airbag was added for 1996 while rear wheel ABS came only with 4WD models.

These low-cost, dependable Hardbody small pickup trucks sold very well worldwide, and are still often seen both on-road and off-road. They are renowned for their reliability and endurance, with the exception of body panel and frame rust over time.

They are still available new in Mexico as the Nissan Camiones.

Nissan Hardbody

Manufacturer	Nissan
Also called	Nissan Hustler, Nissan Camiones
Production	1986-1997
Assembly	Smyrna, Tennessee Kyūshū, Japan
Predecessor	Datsun 720
Successor	Nissan Frontier
Class	Compact pickup truck (1986-1997)
Body style(s)	2-door and 4 door truck
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Engine(s)	2.4L 106 hp I4 (1986-1990) 3.0L 145 hp V6 (1986-1990) 2.4L 134 hp I4 (1991-1997) 3.0L 153 hp V6 (1991-1997)
Transmission(s)	4-speed automatic 4-speed manual 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	104.3 in (2649 mm) 116.1 in (2949 mm)
Length	174.6 in (4435 mm) 190 in (4826 mm) 195.5 in (4966 mm)
Width	65 in (1651 mm) 66.5 in (1689 mm)
Height	62.4 in (1585 mm) 62 in (1574.8 mm) 66.7 in (1694 mm) 67.1 in (1704 mm)
Related	Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan Hardbody Truck with second facelift

The Nissan Frontier, which is also known as the Navara in other parts of the world such as Australia, is a pickup truck made by Nissan. Nissan was the pioneer of the compact pickup truck market in 1959, joined in the 1960s by Toyota. Since 1959, Nissan is known for a number of notable firsts in the compact pickup truck market, including the first extended cab body style (in the 1976 Nissan King Cab) and the first crew cab compact pickup in North America, in the 2000 Frontier. Frontiers are currently built in Smyrna, Tennessee, like its immediate predecessor, the Nissan Hardbody Truck.

First Generation

First generation

Also called	Nissan Frontier Bravado
Production	1998-present
Assembly	Smyrna, Tennessee Curitiba, Brazil Santa Rosa, Laguna, Luzon, Philippines
Engine(s)	3.3L 210 hp V6 3.4L 170 hp V6 3.3L 170 hp V6 2.4L 143 hp I4 2.7L 84 hp l4 Diesel
Transmission(s)	4-speed automatic 4-speed manual 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	King Cab: 116.1 in (2949 mm) Regular Cab: 104.3 in (2649 mm) Crew Cab: 131.1 in (3330 mm)
Length	1998-2002 King Cab: 196.1 in (4981 mm) Regular Cab: 184.3 in (4681 mm) 1998-2002 Crew Cab: 193.1 in (4905 mm) 2003-04 King Cab: 202.9 in (5154 mm) 2003-04 Crew Cab: 199.9 in (5077 mm) 2003-04 Crew Cab Long Bed: 217.8 in (5532 mm)
Width	2WD: 66.5 in (1689 mm) 4WD & 2001-02 Desert Runner, Crew Cab 2WD & King Cab 2WD: 71.9 in (1826 mm) 2003-04: 71.2 in (1808 mm) 2003-04 King Cab 2WD: 67.7 in (1720 mm)
Height	1998-2002 King Cab 2WD: 62.6 in (1590 mm) King Cab 4WD & 2001-02 Desert Runner, Crew Cab 2WD & King Cab 2WD: 65.9 in (1674 mm) 1998-2000 Regular Cab 2WD: 62.5 in (1588 mm) 1998-2002 XE Regular Cab 2WD: 62.8 in (1595 mm) 1998-2000 Regular Cab 4WD: 66.1 in (1679 mm) 2003-04 King Cab 4WD & XE 2WD: 66.7 in (1694 mm) 2003-04 Crew Cab 4WD: 67.1 in (1704 mm) 2003-04 SVE & SC Long Bed Crew Cab 4WD: 71.8 in (1824 mm) 2003-04 King Cab 2WD: 63.2 in (1605 mm) SC 2WD: 69.9 in (1775 mm)

The Frontier – which is the American name for the model known as the Navara in most parts of the world – was introduced in 1997 for the 1998 model year as a replacement for the aging 1986.5–1997 Nissan Hardbody Truck. Nissan first offered the Frontier with a 4-cylinder engine, the KA24DE, but added the 6-cylinder engine, the VG33E in 1999.

That changed, with the introduction of the 2000 Frontier Crew Cab. The Crew Cab was the first compact pickup to offer a 4-door body-style in North America. Until that point, crew cabs were heavy duty versions of full-size trucks and were mainly used as commercial vehicles, although four-door compact pickups existed in Asia and Europe for decades.

For 2001, Nissan facelifted the Frontier, introducing bolder styling in an effort to make it more appealing to younger buyers. The Frontier was completely redone after the 2004 model year, which later resulted in the suspension of the regular cab model, indefinitely.

Frontier Bravado

In the Philippines, the Bravado is still under production in Nissan's Santa Rosa, Laguna plant. It is powered by Nissan's TD27 l4 direct injection diesel engine that produces 84 horsepower and 176nm of torque and mated with a 5–speed manual transmission. It features sturdy cargo hooks to secure cargo in place, a double–walled tailgate that is strong enough to slide in heavy cargo to the trucks bed, a divider well to separate cargo, and a sturdy frame guard to tie down and secure cargo in place. For durability, this model is equipped with double–walled rear side panels for demanding work. The Bravado is offered as an utilitarian, workhorse vehicle and is not equipped with 4WD.

Second Generation

Second generation

Production	2005-present
Assembly	Smyrna, Tennessee Curitiba, Brazil
Platform	Nissan F-Alpha platform
Engine(s)	4.0L 265 hp V6 2.5L 154 hp I4
Transmission(s)	5-speed automatic 5-speed manual 6-speed manual
Wheelbase	125.9 in (3198 mm)
Length	205.5 in (5220 mm)
Width	72.8 in (1849 mm)
Height	XE King Cab: 68.7 in (1745 mm) SE King Cab: 69.7 in (1770 mm) Crew Cab: 70.1 in (1781 mm) :LE Crew Cab 2WD: 73.9 in (1877 mm)
Related	Infiniti QX56 Nissan Armada Nissan Pathfinder Nissan Titan Nissan Xterra Suzuki Equator

Initially, the Frontier was considered a compact, but beginning with the totally redesigned model year 2005 Frontier (introduced at the 2004 North American International Auto Show), it became more mid-sized. It uses the new Nissan F-Alpha platform and exterior body styling resembles that of the company's full-size Nissan Titan truck.

The new truck's wheelbase is 125.9 in (3.20 m) with a 205.5 in (5.22 m) overall length. Towing capacity is 6500 lb (2,950 kg). A 4.0 L VQ-family V6, the VQ40DE, is the standard engine, and it produces a respectable 265 hp (198 kW) with 284 ft·lbf (385 N·m) of torque. Also available is the QR25DE four-cylinder engine, which is also found in the Sentra SE-R Spec V sports sedan. A six-speed manual is standard with a five-speed automatic optional. Both rear and four-wheel drive are available. Traction control and hill-descent control are also available.

The Frontier is called Navara when sold in Europe. The engine is a 2.5 L diesel, with 144 hp or 174 hp. The stronger version has a massive 403 Nm of torque.

Suzuki will market an as-of-yet unnamed Frontier-based mid-sized pickup that will be produced by Nissan North America at the Smyrna plant.^[1]

References

CanadianDriver Communications, Inc. (2004). 2005 Nissan Frontier is bigger and more capable than predecessor. Retrieved January 11, 2004 from http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/040106-2.htm

^ Suzuki Auto Announces Plans for Pickup Truck Built by Nissan North America, Business Wire, December 11, 2007

Iveco Truck

2008-01-22T05:59:00.000-08:00

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Iveco S.p.A.

Type	Subsidiary of Fiat Group
Founded	1975 in Turin
Headquarters	Turin, Italy
Key people	Paolo Monferino CEO
Industry	Manufacturing
Products	Commercial vehicles, Diesel engines
Revenue	€ 9,136 million (2006)^[1]
Employees	24,533 (2006)^[1]
Website	www.iveco.com

Iveco is a European truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin, Italy. It is a subsidiary of the Fiat Group, and produces around 200,000 commercial vehicles and 460,000 diesel engines annually, and for the year ended 2003 the company had €9,440 billion in sales (revenues).

The name is an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, an alliance among European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat (including OM and Lancia VI), Unic and Magirus.

Today the company is a significant player in the medium-duty commercial vehicle and engine markets, and is near the top for sales of passenger transport and 3.5 ton light vehicles.

Iveco became the All Blacks' global sponsor in January 2007

History

The company is dominated by FIAT Group, and was created on 1st January 1975 by FIAT manager and mechanical engineer Bruno Beccaria (1915-2001) through the merger of five companies operating in Italy, France and Germany; Fiat Veicoli Industriali (located in Turin), OM (Brescia), Lancia Veicoli Speciali (Bolzano), Unic (Trappes) and Magirus (Ulm).

In 1990, IVECO acquired 60% of ENASA, a leading truck manufacturer and makers of Pegaso brand of commercial vehicles in Spain. This marked a very important step in the history of IVECO since it became a local brand in all the leading European markets. With this acquisition, IVECO expanded its manufacturing locations to Barcelona, Valladolid and Madrid in Spain. Numerous important steps have marked its evolution since then.

In its early years, the company focused on rationalizing, integrating and optimizing the various manufacturing and commercial structures that had been independent until then, and the first centralized functional structure emerged. From a marketing viewpoint, these years saw the launch of the Daily (1978), the Turbo (1981) and the Turbostar (1984), three vehicles that symbolized Iveco's entrepreneurial success in Europe.

Iveco had to overcome a crisis in the early 1990s, a new period of change began, fuelled by increasingly fierce competition. In order to respond more effectively to the growing specialization of the market, Iveco broke its structure down into specialist corporate units that addressed specific customers divided by product type. In those years, the company continued to boost its strategic presence in the world. In 1992 Iveco purchased the Ital company, International Trucks Australia Limited, which still plays a very important role in the Pacific Rim. And Iveco Mercosul was created in Brazil in 1997, an essential base for manufacturing and distribution operations all over South America.

In 1995 the EuroClass luxury coach was voted International Coach of the Year, and in 1999 Iveco and Renault decided to combine their efforts in the public transport field by merging their respective bus operations. This merger included companies such as Heuliez and Karosa, and the result was Irisbus, one of the major manufacturers in the passenger transport sector, which was further strengthened by the acquisition of the Hungarian company Ikarusbus.

Constantly growing attention was paid in those years to the integration of products and services, both to respond comprehensively to customers' requirements and to combat the extremely cyclic nature of the automotive market. This strategy led to the creation of Transolver in 1997, which took Iveco into the world of financial services.

On the commercial front, in 1998 the EuroCargo, which was sold in over ninety countries and led the market in Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria and Slovenia, was voted the "Best Imported Truck" in Germany. In 2000 it was the light segment that won awards, when the Daily was voted "International Van of the Year", and the one-millionth vehicle left the assembly line. In 2006 it was produced the Ducato and the Scudo. In 2007 it produced the Fiorino. Today Iveco has 49 factories, 15 research and development facilities, 840 dealers, 31,000 employees, and is in 19 countries. 40% of the engines Iveco manufactures go to Iveco vehicles, 60% are sold as OEM units for automotive, industrial, agricultural, marine, and power generation applications. It is a major European producer of fire-fighting vehicles.

In 2007, Iveco announced plans to enter the United States truck market.^[2]

Iveco Powertrain and hybrid vehicles

Iveco produces engines in three plants: SOFIM Foggia, Italy (8140-series), IVECO SpA Turin, Italy (8000 and NEF-series) and Bourbon-Lancy, France (Cursor-series). Sofim company was bought by Iveco in 1981.

Iveco is making hybrid electric vehicles. ^[3]

Brands

Iveco - light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles
- Daily (2.8 - 6.5 t GVW)
- EuroCargo (6.5 - 18 t GVW)
- Stralis (40 t GVW)
- Massif 4x4 off-road vehicle, a rebadged Santana PS-10 with facelift by Ital Design
- Acco (Australia only, medium [variable weight])
- PowerStar (Australia only, heavy prime mover)
- Trakker (over 72 t CNG, Gross Combination Weight)
Iveco Powertrain - engines: automotive, industrial, agricultural, marine, and power generation
Iveco Magirus - fire-fighting applications
- Iveco Ford Truck - Now Iveco Limited (Iveco's UK Division). Iveco Ford Truck produced the Cargo, the UK market leader for many years built in Langley, Slough on which the current EuroCargo was based
- Lohr Magirus
- Iveco Mezzi Speciali
- Camiva in France - Chambéry, Iveco EuroFire - fire-fighting applications
Iveco (Military)
- LMV - wheeled multi-role light vehicle developed by Iveco DVD of Bolzano
- 40.10WM 4X4 off-road military truck - light armored vehicle based on the Daily, includes semi-armored and fully-armored variants. Also produced in China by Naveco as the Nanjing NJ2046.
Astra S.p.A. - heavy-duty trucks, all-terrain rigid dump-truck, articulated dump-truck, quarry-construction site vehicles, in Italy
Pegaso-ENASA in Spain
Seddon Atkinson - special-purpose construction and waste collection vehicles - United Kingdom
Otoyol - medium commercial vehicles Eurocargo 1st version, in Turkey.
Naveco - China joint venture Iveco NAC, Iveco Daily.
Irisbus - minibuses, citybuses, GT and intercity coaches (previously under "Iveco" brand)
- Eurobus (discontinued)
- TurboCity (discontinued)
- See Irisbus for Irisbus's buses and "Iveco" buses rebranded as Irisbus product.

Iveco also produces many types of vehicle specific to certain countries. These include the PowerStar and Acco brands listed above, which are continued from original models produced by International Trucks Australia Limited. International is proudly manufactured and distributed by Iveco Trucks Australia Limited.

Iveco vehicles

Daily van (MY98) in Romania	Iveco Daily S2000 minibus	Iveco Daily S2000 Chassis-cab	Iveco Eurocargo (2003 Restyle)
Iveco Trakker	Iveco Stralis	Iveco Stralis racing truck	Iveco EuroStar
Iveco TurboCity-U 480 bus in Bucharest, Romania (operated by RATB)	Norwegian Iveco Light Multirole Vehicle

Types of Cranes

2008-01-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Types of cranes

Railroad cranes

Diesel-powered railroad crane for maintenance work – Tampa, Florida.

Brute 125 ton hirail crane – BNSF Springfield, Missouri Railyard.

Main article: Crane (railroad)

A railroad crane is a crane with flanged wheels, used by railroads. The simplest form is just a crane mounted on a railroad car or on a flatcar. More capable devices are purpose-built.

Different types of crane are used for maintenenace work, recovery operations and freight loading in goods yards.

Mobile crane

The most basic type of mobile crane consists of a steel truss or telescopic boom mounted on a mobile platform, which may be rail, wheeled (including "truck" carriers) or caterpillar tracks. The boom is hinged at the bottom, and can be raised and lowered by cables or by hydraulic cylinders. A hook is suspended from the top of the boom by wire rope and sheaves. The wire ropes are operated by whatever prime movers the designers have available, operating through a variety of transmissions. Steam engines, electric motors and internal combustion engines (IC) have all been used. Older cranes' transmissions tended to be clutches. This was later modified when using IC engines to match the steam engines "max torque at zero speed" characteristic by the addition of a hydrokinetic element culminating in controlled torque converters. The operational advantages of this arrangement can now be achieved by electronic control of hydrostatic drives, which for size and other considerations is becoming standard. Some examples of this type of crane can be converted to a demolition crane by adding a demolition ball, or to an earthmover by adding a clamshell bucket or a dragline and scoop, although design details can limit their effectiveness.

To increase the horizontal reach of the hoist, the boom may be extended by adding a jib to the top. The jib can be fixed or, in more complex cranes, luffing (that is, able to be raised and lowered).

A telescopic crane dismantling a 40 m tower crane in Cambridge, UK

Telescopic crane

A telescopic crane has a boom that consists of a number of tubes fitted one inside the other. A hydraulic or other powered mechanism extends or retracts the tubes to increase or decrease the total length of the boom. These types of booms are often used for short term construction projects, rescue jobs, lifting boats in and out of the water, etc. The relative compactness of telescopic booms make them adaptable for many mobile applications.

Tower crane

Six tower cranes constructing buildings at Canon's Marsh, Bristol, England.

Luffing tower crane,Singapore

Concrete counter-weights on a tower crane Cape Town, South Africa.

A "jack up" mast supporting a tower crane. The inner element is moved upward with jacks and a new outer section is assembled around the exposed portion.

The tower crane is a modern form of balance crane. Fixed to the ground (or "jacked up" and supported by the structure as the structure is being built), tower cranes often give the best combination of height and lifting capacity and are used in the construction of tall buildings. To save space and to provide stability the vertical part of the crane is often braced onto the completed structure which is normally the concrete lift shaft in the center of the building. A horizontal boom is balanced asymmetrically across the top of the tower. Its short arm carries a counterweight of concrete blocks, and its long arm carries the lifting gear. The crane operator either sits in a cabin at the top of the tower or controls the crane by radio remote control from the ground, usually standing near the load. In the first case the operator's cabin is located at the top of the tower just below the horizontal boom. The boom is mounted on a slewing bearing and is rotated by means of a slewing motor. The lifting hook is operated by a system of sheaves.

A tower crane is usually assembled by a telescopic crane of smaller lifting capacity but greater height and in the case of tower cranes that have risen while constructing very tall skyscrapers, a smaller crane (or derrick) will sometimes be lifted to the roof of the completed tower to dismantle the tower crane afterwards. A self-assembling tower crane lifts itself off the ground using jacks, allowing the next section of the tower to be inserted at ground level. It is often claimed that a large fraction of the tower cranes in the world are in use in Dubai. The exact percentage remains an open question. [1]

Hammerhead crane

The hammerhead, or giant cantilever, crane is a fixed-jib crane consisting of a steel-braced tower on which revolves a large, horizontal, double cantilever; the forward part of this cantilever or jib carries the lifting trolley, the jib is extended backwards in order to form a support for the machinery and counter-balancing weight. In addition to the motions of lifting and revolving, there is provided a so-called "racking " motion, by which the lifting trolley, with the load suspended, can be moved in and out along the jib without altering the level of the load. Such horizontal movement of the load is a marked feature of later crane design. Hammerhead cranes are generally constructed in large sizes, up to 350 tons.

The design evolved first in Germany around the turn of the 19th century and was adopted for use in British shipyards to support the battleship construction program from 1904-1914. The ability of the hammerhead crane to lift heavy weights was useful for installing large pieces of battleships such as armour plate and gun barrels. Hammerhead cranes were also installed in naval shipyards in Japan and in the USA. The British Government also installed a hammerhead crane at the Singapore Naval Base (1938) and later a copy of the crane was installed at Garden Island Naval Dockyard in Sydney (1951). These cranes provided repair support for the battle fleet operating far from Great Britain.

The principal engineering firm for hammerhead cranes in the British empire was Sir William Arrol & Co Ltd.

Truck-mounted crane

A typical truck-mounted crane

A crane mounted on a truck carrier provides the mobility for this type of crane.

Generally, these cranes are designed to be able to travel on streets and highways, eliminating the need for special equipment to transport a crane to the jobsite. When working on the jobsite, outriggers are extended horizontally from the chassis then down vertically to level and stabilize the crane while stationary and hoisting. Many truck cranes possess limited slow-travelling capability (just a few miles per hour) while suspending a load. Great care must be taken not to swing the load sideways from the direction of travel, as most of the anti-tipping stability then lies in the strength and stiffness of the chassis suspension. Most cranes of this type also have moving counterweights for stabilization beyond that of the outriggers. Loads suspended directly over the rear remain more stable, as most of the weight of the truck crane itself then acts as a counterweight to the load. Factory-calculated charts (or electronic safeguards) are used by the crane operator to determine the maximum safe loads for stationary (outriggered) work as well as (on-rubber) loads and travelling speeds.

Truck cranes range in size from about 14.5 US Tons to about 600 US tons.

Rough terrain crane

Omega 18 ton rough terrain crane manufactured by P & H.

A crane mounted on an undercarriage with four rubber tires that is designed for pick-and-carry operations and for off-road and "rough terrain" applications. Outriggers that extend horizontally and vertically are used to level and stabilize the crane for hoisting.

These telescopic cranes are single-engine machines where the same engine is used for powering the undercarriage as is used for powering the crane, similar to a crawler crane. However, in a rough terrain crane, the engine is usually mounted in the undercarriage rather than in the upper, like the crawler crane.

Crawler crane

A crawler is a crane mounted on an undercarriage with a set of tracks that provide for the stability and mobility of the crane. Crawler cranes have both advantages and disadvantages depending on their intended use. The main advantage of a crawler is that they can move on site and perform lifts with very little set-up, as the crane is stable on its tracks with no outriggers. In addition, a crawler crane is capable of traveling with a load. The main disadvantage of a crawler crane is that they are very heavy, and cannot easily be moved from one job site to the next without significant expense. Typically, a large crawler must be disassembled and moved by trucks, rail cars or ships to be transported to its next location.

Gantry crane

Portainer gantry cranes at the Hamburg Harbour

A gantry crane has a hoist in a trolley which runs horizontally along gantry rails, usually fitted underneath a beam spanning between uprights which themselves have wheels so that the whole crane can move at right angles to the direction of the gantry rails. These cranes come in all sizes, and some can move very heavy loads, particularly the extremely large examples used in shipyards or industrial installations . A special version is the container crane (or "Portainer" crane, named after the first manufacturer), designed for loading and unloading ship-borne containers at a port.

Overhead crane

Also known as a "suspended crane", this type of crane works in the same way as a gantry crane but without uprights. The hoist is on a trolley which moves in one direction along one or two beams, which move at right angles to that direction along elevated tracks, often mounted along the side walls of an assembly area in a factory. Some of them can lift very heavy loads.

Floating crane

SSCV Thialf

Floating cranes are used mainly in bridge building and port construction, but they are also used for occasional loading and unloading of especially heavy or awkward loads on and off ships. Some floating cranes are mounted on a pontoon, others are specialized crane barges with a lifting capacity exceeding 10,000 tons and have been used to transport entire bridge sections. Floating cranes have also been used to salvage sunken ships.

Crane vessels are often used in offshore construction. The largest revolving cranes can be found on SSCV Thialf, which has two cranes with a capacity of 7,100 metric tons each.

Uglen is another, smaller crane vessel.

Uglen

Vessel (Deck) crane

Located on the ships and used for cargo operations which allows to reduce costs by avoiding usage of the shore cranes. Also vital in small seaports where no shore cranes available. Mostly are electric, hydraulic, electro-hydraulic driven.

Aerial crane

Aerial cranes usually extend from helicopters to lift large loads. Helicopters are able to travel to and lift in areas that are more difficult to reach by a conventional crane. Aerial helicopter cranes are most commonly used to lift units/loads onto shopping centers, multi-story buildings, highrises, etc. However, they can lift basically anything within their lifting capacity, (i.e. cars, boats, swimming pools, etc.). They also work as disaster relief after natural disasters for clean-up, and during wild-fires they are able to carry huge buckets of water over fires to put them out.

Examples include:

Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane/Erickson Air Crane - civilian version
CH-54 Tarhe - military version
Mi-26 - Russian flying crane helicopter

Jib crane

Pedestal Crane, a type of jib crane.

A Jib crane is a type of crane where a horizontal member (jib or boom), supporting a moveable hoist, is fixed to a wall or to a floor-mounted pillar. Jib cranes are used in industrial premises and on military vehicles. The jib may swing through an arc, to give additional lateral movement, or be fixed. Similar cranes, often known simply as hoists, were fitted on the top floor of warehouse buildings to enable goods to be lifted to all floors.

Crane-like machines

The generally-accepted definition of a crane is a machine for lifting and moving heavy objects by means of ropes or cables suspended from a movable arm. As such, a lifting machine that does not use cables, or else provides only vertical and not horizontal movement, cannot strictly be called a 'crane'.

Types of crane-like lifting machine include:

More technically-advanced types of such lifting machines are often known as 'cranes', regardless of the official definition of the term. Some notable examples follow:

Loader crane

A loader crane offloading aerated concrete bricks at a building site

A loader crane (also called a knuckle-boom crane) is a hydraulically-powered articulated arm fitted to a truck or trailer, and is used for loading/unloading the vehicle. The numerous jointed sections can be folded into a small space when the crane is not in use. One or more of the sections may be telescopic. Often the crane will have a degree of automation and be able to unload or stow itself without an operator's instruction.

Unlike most cranes, the operator must move around the vehicle to be able to view his load; hence modern cranes may be fitted with a portable cabled or radio-linked control system to supplement the crane-mounted hydraulic control levers.

In the UK, this type of crane is almost invariably known colloquially as a "Hiab", partly because this manufacturer invented the loader crane and was first into the UK market, and partly because the distinctive name was displayed prominently on the boom arm.

Rolloader crane

This is a loader crane mounted on a chassis with wheels. This chassis can ride on the trailer. Because the crane can move on the trailer, it can be a light crane, so the trailer is allowed to transport more goods.

Manufacturer of rolloader cranes include the Dutch Kennis [2] and the Finnish company Hiab (Hydrauliska Industri AB)....

Stacker crane

A crane with a forklift type mechanism used in automated (computer controlled) warehouses (known as an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS)). The crane moves on a track in an aisle of the warehouse. The fork can be raised or lowered to any of the levels of a storage rack and can be extended into the rack to store and retrieve product. The product can in some cases be as large as an automobile. Stacker cranes are often used in the large freezer warehouses of frozen food manufacturers. This automation avoids requiring forklift drivers to work in below freezing temperatures every day.

Sidelift

A sidelift is a road going truck or semi-trailer that is used to hoist and transport ISO standard containers. Lifitng of containers is achieved through the use of parallel crane like hoists, which can be used to lift a container from the ground, or from a railway vehicle.

What is Crane?

2008-01-16T06:36:00.000-08:00

A crane is a mechanical lifting device equipped with a winder, wire ropes and sheaves that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of a human. Cranes are commonly employed in the transport industry for the loading and unloading of freight; in the construction industry for the movement of materials; and in the manufacturing industry for the assembling of heavy equipment.

Overview

The first cranes were invented by the Ancient Greeks and were powered by men or beasts-of-burden, such as donkeys. These cranes were used for the construction of tall buildings. Larger cranes were later developed, employing the use of human treadwheels, permitting the lifting of heavier weights. In the High Middle Ages, harbour cranes were introduced to load and unload ships and assist with their construction – some were built into stone towers for extra strength and stability. The earliest cranes were constructed from wood, but cast iron and steel took over with the coming of the Industrial Revolution.go away

For many centuries, power was supplied by the physical exertion of men or animals, although hoists in watermills and windmills could be driven by the harnessed natural power. The first 'mechanical' power was provided by steam engines, the earliest steam crane being introduced in the 18th or 19th century, with many remaining in use well into the late 20th century. Modern cranes usually use internal combustion engines or electric motors and hydraulic systems to provide a much greater lifting capability than was previously possible, although manual cranes are still utilised where the provision of power would be uneconomic.

Cranes exist in an enormous variety of forms – each tailored to a specific use. Sizes range from the smallest jib cranes, used inside workshops, to the tallest tower cranes, used for constructing high buildings, and the largest floating cranes, used to build oil rigs and salvage sunken ships.

This article also covers lifting machines that do not strictly fit the above definition of a crane, but are generally known as cranes, such as stacker cranes and loader cranes.

History of cranes

Ancient Greek cranes

The crane for lifting heavy loads was invented by the ancient Greeks in the late 6th century BC.^[1] The archaeological record shows that no later than c.515 BC distinctive cuttings for both lifting tongs and lewis irons begin to appear on stone blocks of Greek temples. Since these holes point at the use of a lifting device, and since they are to be found either above the centre of gravity of the block, or in pairs equidistant from a point over the centre of gravity, they are regarded by archaeologists as the positive evidence required for the existence of the crane.^[1]

The introduction of the winch and pulley hoist soon lead to a widespread replacement of ramps as the main means of vertical motion. For the next two hundred years, Greek building sites witnessed a sharp drop in the weights handled, as the new lifting technique made the use of several smaller stones more practical than of fewer larger ones. In contrast to the archaic period with its tendency to ever-increasing block sizes, Greek temples of the classical age like the Parthenon invariably featured stone blocks weighing less than 15-20 tons. Also, the practice of erecting large monolithic columns was practically abandoned in favour of using several column drums.^[2]

Although the exact circumstances of the shift from the ramp to the crane technology remain unclear, it has been argued that the volatile social and political conditions of Greece were more suitable to the employment of small, professional construction teams than of large bodies of unskilled labour, making the crane more preferable to the Greek polis than the more labour-intensive ramp which had been the norm in the autocratic societies of Egypt or Assyria.^[2]

The first unequivocal literary evidence for the existence of the compound pulley system appears in the Mechanical Problems (Mech. 18, 853a32-853b13) attributed to Aristotle (384-322 BC), but perhaps composed at a slightly later date. Around the same time, block sizes at Greek temples began to match their archaic predecessors again, indicating that the more sophisticated compound pulley must have found its way to Greek construction sites by then.^[3]

Ancient Roman cranes

Reconstruction of a 10.4m high Roman Polyspastos at Bonn, Germany (I)

Reconstruction of a 10.4m high Roman Polyspastos at Bonn, Germany (II)

The heyday of crane in ancient times came under the Roman Empire, when construction activity soared and buildings reached enormous dimensions. The Romans adopted the Greek crane and developed it further. We are relatively well informed about their lifting techniques thanks to rather lengthy accounts by the engineers Vitruvius (De Architectura 10.2, 1-10) and Heron of Alexandria (Mechanica 3.2-5). There are also two surviving reliefs of Roman treadwheel cranes offering pictorial evidence, with the Haterii tombstone from the late first century AD being particularly detailed.

The simplest Roman crane, the Trispastos, consisted of a single-beam jib, a winch, a rope, and a block containing three pulleys. Having thus a mechanical advantage of 3:1, it has been calculated that a single man working the winch could raise 150 kg (3 pulleys x 50 kg = 150), assuming that 50 kg represent the maximum effort a man can exert over a longer time period. Heavier crane types featured five pulleys (Pentaspastos) or, in case of the largest one, a set of three by five pulleys (Polyspastos) and came with two, three or four masts, depending on the maximum load. The Polyspastos, when worked by four men at both sides of the winch, could already lift 3000 kg (3 ropes x 5 pulleys x 4 men x 50 kg = 3000 kg). In case the winch was replaced by a treadwheel, the maximum load even doubled to 6000 kg at only half the crew, since the treadwheel possesses a much bigger mechanical advantage due to its larger diameter. This meant that, in comparison to the construction of the Egyptian Pyramids, where about 50 men were needed to move a 2.5 ton stone block up the ramp (50 kg per person), the lifting capability of the Roman Polyspastos proved to be 60 times higher (3000 kg per person).^[4]

However, numerous extant Roman buildings which feature much heavier stone blocks than those handled by the Polyspastos indicate that the overall lifting capability of the Romans went far beyond that of any single crane. At the temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, for incidence, the architraves blocks weigh up to 60 tons each, and the corner cornices blocks even over 100 tons, all of them raised to a height of ca. 19 m above the ground.^[3] In Rome, the capital block of Trajan's Column weighs 53.3 tons which had to be lifted at a height of ca. 34 m.^[5]

It is assumed that Roman engineers accomplished lifting these extraordinary weights by two measures: First, as suggested by Heron, a lifting tower was set up, whose four masts were arranged in the shape of a quadrangle with parallel sides, not unlike a siege tower, but with the column in the middle of the structure (Mechanica 3.5).^[6] Second, a multitude of capstans were placed on the ground around the tower, for, although having a lower leverage ratio than treadwheels, capstans could be set up in higher numbers and run by more men (and, moreover, by draught animals).^[7] This use of multiple capstans is also described by Ammianus Marcellinus (17.4.15) in connection with the lifting of the Lateranense obelisk in the Circus Maximus (ca. 357 AD). The maximum lifting capability of a single capstan can be established by the number of lewis iron holes bored into the monolith. In case of the Baalbek architrave blocks, which weigh between 55 and 60 tons, eight extant holes suggest an allowance of 7.5 ton per lewis iron, that is per capstan.^[8] Lifting such heavy weights in a concerted action required a great amount of coordination between the work groups applying the force to the capstans.

Medieval cranes

Small-scale reconstruction of the medieval gantry crane at Brugge harbor

The Kraanplein ("Crane Square") at Brugge is glimpsed in this portrait of 1551 by Pieter Pourbus

Medieval port crane with building overhanging in the former Hanse town of Danzig.

During the High Middle Ages the treadwheel crane was reintroduced on a large scale after the technology had fallen into disuse in western Europe with the demise of the Western Roman Empire.^[9] The earliest reference to a treadwheel (magna rota) reappears in archival literature in France about 1225,^[10] followed by an illuminated depiction in a manuscript of probably also French origin dating to 1240.^[9] In navigation, the earliest uses of harbor cranes are documented for Utrecht in 1244, Antwerp in 1263, Brugge in 1288 and Hamburg in 1291,^[11] while in England the treadwheel is not recorded before 1331.^[12]

Generally, vertical transport was done safer and cheaper by cranes than by customary methods. Typical areas of application were harbors, mines, and, in particular, building sites where the treadwheel crane played a pivotal role in the construction of the lofty Gothic cathedrals. Nevertheless, both archival and pictorial sources of the time suggest that newly introduced machines like treadwheels or wheelbarrows did not completely replace more labor-intensive methods like ladders, hods and handbarrows. Rather, old and new machinery continued to coexist on medieval construction sites^[13] and harbors.^[11]

Apart from treadwheels, medieval depictions also show cranes to be powered manually by windlasses with radiating spokes, cranks and by the 15th century also by windlasses shaped like a ship's wheel. To smooth out irregularities of impulse and get over 'dead-spots' in the lifting process flywheels are known to be in use as early as 1123.^[14]

Origins

The exact process by which the treadwheel crane was reintroduced is not recorded,^[10] although its return to construction sites has undoubtedly to be viewed in close connection with the simultaneous rise of Gothic architecture. The reappearance of the treadwheel crane may have resulted from a technological development of the windlass from which the treadwheel structurally and mechanically evolved. Alternatively, the medieval treadwheel may represent a deliberate reinvention of its Roman counterpart drawn from Vitruvius' De architectura which was available in many monastic libraries. Its reintroduction may have been inspired, as well, by the observation of the labor-saving qualities of the waterwheel with which early treadwheels shared many structural similarities.^[12]

Structure and placement

The medieval treadwheel was a large wooden wheel turning around a central shaft with a treadway wide enough for two workers walking side by side. While the earlier 'compass-arm' wheel had spokes directly driven into the central shaft, the more advanced 'clasp-arm' type featured arms arranged as chords to the wheel rim,^[15] giving the possibility of using a thinner shaft and providing thus a greater mechanical advantage.^[16]

Contrary to a popularly held belief, cranes on medieval building sites were neither placed on the extremely lightweight scaffolding used at the time nor on the thin walls of the Gothic churches which were incapable of supporting the weight of both hoisting machine and load. Rather, cranes were placed in the initial stages of construction on the ground, often within the building. When a new floor was completed, and massive tie beams of the roof connected the walls, the crane was dismantled and reassembled on the roof beams from where it was moved from bay to bay during construction of the vaults.^[17] Thus, the crane ‘grew’ and ‘wandered’ with the building with the result that today all extant construction cranes in England are found in church towers above the vaulting and below the roof, where they remained after building construction for bringing material for repairs aloft.^[18]

Less frequently, medieval illuminations also show cranes mounted on the outside of walls with the stand of the machine secured to putlogs.^[19]

Mechanics and operation

Tower crane at the inland harbour of Trier from 1413.

In contrast to modern cranes, medieval cranes and hoists - much like their counterparts in Greece and Rome^[20] - were primarily capable of a vertical lift, and not used to move loads for a considerable distance horizontally as well.^[17] Accordingly, lifting work was organized at the workplace in a different way than today. In building construction, for example, it is assumed that the crane lifted the stone blocks either from the bottom directly into place,^[17] or from a place opposite the centre of the wall from where it could deliver the blocks for two teams working at each end of the wall.^[20] Additionally, the crane master who usually gave orders at the treadwheel workers from outside the crane was able to manipulate the movement laterally by a small rope attached to the load.^[21] Slewing cranes which allowed a rotation of the load and were thus particularly suited for dockside work appeared as early as 1340.^[22] While ashlar blocks were directly lifted by sling, lewis or devil's clamp (German Teufelskralle), other objects were placed before in containers like pallets, baskets, wooden boxes or barrels.^[23]

It is noteworthy that medieval cranes rarely featured ratchets or brakes to forestall the load from running backward.^[24] This curious absence is explained by the high friction force exercised by medieval treadwheels which normally prevented the wheel from accelerating beyond control.^[21]

Harbor cranes

Beyond the modern warship stands a crane constructed in 1742, used for mounting masts to large sailing vessels. Copenhagen, Denmark

According to the “present state of knowledge” unknown in antiquity, stationary harbor cranes are considered a new development of the Middle Ages.^[11] The typical harbor crane was a pivoting structure equipped with double treadwheels. These cranes were placed docksides for the loading and unloading of cargo where they replaced or complemented older lifting methods like see-saws, winches and yards.^[11]

Two different types of harbor cranes can be identified with a varying geographical distribution: While gantry cranes which pivoted on a central vertical axle were commonly found at the Flemish and Dutch coastside, German sea and inland harbors typically featured tower cranes where the windlass and treadwheels were situated in a solid tower with only jib arm and roof rotating.^[25] Interestingly, dockside cranes were not adopted in the Mediterranean region and the highly developed Italian ports where authorities continued to rely on the more labor-intensive method of unloading goods by ramps beyond the Middle Ages.^[26]

Unlike construction cranes where the work speed was determined by the relatively slow progress of the masons, harbor cranes usually featured double treadwheels to speed up loading. The two treadwheels whose diameter is estimated to be 4 m or larger were attached to each side of the axle and rotated together.^[11] Today, according to one survey, fifteen treadwheel harbor cranes from pre-industrial times are still extant throughout Europe.^[27] Beside these stationary cranes, floating cranes which could be flexibly deployed in the whole port basin came into use by the 14th century.^[25]

Mechanical principles

Cranes helping to construct a tower block in Melbourne, Australia

There are two major considerations that are taken into account in the design of cranes. The first is that the crane must be able to lift a load of a specified weight and the second is that the crane must remain stable and not topple over when the load is lifted and moved to another location.

Lifting capacity

Cranes illustrate the use of one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage.

The lever. A balance crane contains a horizontal beam (the lever) pivoted about a point called the fulcrum. The principle of the lever allows a heavy load attached to the shorter end of the beam to be lifted by a smaller force applied in the opposite direction to the longer end of the beam. The ratio of the load's weight to the applied force is equal to the ratio of the lengths of the longer arm and the shorter arm, and is called the mechanical advantage.
The pulley. A jib crane contains a tilted strut (the jib) that supports a fixed pulley block. Cables are wrapped multiple times round the fixed block and round another block attached to the load. When the free end of the cable is pulled by hand or by a winding machine, the pulley system delivers a force to the load that is equal to the applied force multiplied by the number of lengths of cable passing between the two blocks. This number is the mechanical advantage.
The hydraulic cylinder. This can be used directly to lift the load (as with a HIAB), or indirectly to move the jib or beam that carries another lifting device.

Tower Crane constructing a building in Kansas City

Cranes, like all machines, obey the principle of conservation of energy. This means that the energy delivered to the load cannot exceed the energy put into the machine. For example, if a pulley system multiplies the applied force by ten, then the load moves only one tenth as far as the applied force. Since energy is proportional to force multiplied by distance, the output energy is kept roughly equal to the input energy (in practice slightly less, because some energy is lost to friction and other inefficiencies).

Stability of crane

In order for a crane to be stable, the sum of all moments about any point such as the base of the crane must equate to zero. In practice, the magnitude of load that is permitted to be lifted (called the "rated load" in the US) is some value less than the load that will cause the crane to tip.

Under US standards for mobile cranes, the stability-limited rated load for a crawler crane is 75% of the tipping load. The stability-limited rated load for a mobile crane supported on outriggers is 85% of the tipping load.

For stationary pedistal or kingpost mounted cranes, the moment created by the boom, jib, and load is resisted by the pedistal base or kingpost. Stress within the base must be less than the yield stress of the material or the crane will fail.

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Sidelift

What is Crane?

Overview

History of cranes

Ancient Greek cranes

Ancient Roman cranes

Medieval cranes

Origins

Structure and placement

Mechanics and operation

Harbor cranes

Mechanical principles

Lifting capacity

Stability of crane