29.10.2004

Cranes&Access Bolognese

This years SAIE exhibition in Bologna, the 40th, presented an even more mind boggling selection of lifting equipment than usual, thanks to this being a year that the Tower crane fraternity exhibited. No matter what show you go to, you will be hard pressed to see a more diverse selection of Mobile cranes, Tower cranes, Truck loader cranes, mini cranes and access equipment.
Please register to see all images

Cranes dominated the skyline

To see the cranes and Access section properly really does need two or three days and you are sure to see at least one thing that you have never seen before.

C&A wore down the shoe leather in search of the best exhibits, but we would need the whole web site to do it justice. The following review hits the highlights and we will be covering some of the products in more depth over the next few issues of Cranes&Access.
Please register to see all images

Heavy duty Raymondi Tower crane

Overall the mood was cautiously upbeat, attendance during the first two days was perhaps a little down on previous years, but as usual picked up strongly on Friday and Saturday.

The JLG stand was a hive of activity in a new location, JLG senior management were out in force, with CEO Bill Lasky, VP International Israel Celli and European Boss Wayne Lawson helping man the stand. Following on from a sparkling set of results announced last month, news on the stand included the appointment of Laurent Guillaux to head up JLG France and. some upcoming distribution changes including the appointment of Delta Rentals as the regional dealer for the UK East Midlands and JLG taking over the UK distribution of the Toucan range.
Please register to see all images

Laurent Guillaux of JLG (left) and Ian James of Delta Rentals

As to the time table for the re introduction of Liftlux, the first pre production unit is due for completion shortly, with production of the first units is not expected before March or April, with other units coming on line during 2005. The line will be known as JLG-Liftlux and will be built at the company’s Belgian plant. Only models that do not have a JLG counterpart will be re introduced. At the front of the stand was an impressive line up of new European telehandlers, including two Agricultural models. JLG is bound and determined to raise its market share from the current one .percent to 10 percent by 2009.
Please register to see all images

Telehandlers fronted the JLG exhibit

Staying with Telehandlers, Merlo surely qualified for the most innovative range of exhibits including a road rail "Roto" unit, among other new products on its stand, the 360 degree telehandler was equipped with a High ride rail unit that powers the rail wheels rather than the low ride versions which rely on the vehicles road tyres for propulsion. The display unit was also equipped with one of Merlos "smart platforms" Please register to see all images

A Merlo Roto in road rail format with platform attachment

However the most unusual Merlo exhibit of all was a new concept machine that combines a Fork truck and Work platform into one unit for tunnelling work. The platforms boom, “piggy backs” on the main telehandler boom, allowing the basket located operator to both lift tunnel reinforcement profiles into place and fix them all at the same time. The unit was developed with a tunnelling customer in order to improve productivity.
Please register to see all images

Merlos tunnel machine with forks and platform

One of the best stands for truly New Products was Iteco, who seem to have got religion when it comes to innovative engineering. The Company presented two models from two new scissor lift ranges at opposite ends of the spectrum.
At one extreme the IT15230 D/E is a 17 metre working height rough terrain bi energy scissor lift with seven metre dual extension deck..
Please register to see all images

The New Iteco 15230D/E Bi-Energy RT scissor lift

This unit will be the top end of a new line and offers 700 kg lift capacity, 45 percent gradeability, diesel and battery power sources and a total weight of just over nine tonnes. Other models in the range will offer work heights of around 11 and 14 metres.

The other new product was the IT 7380 a micro scissor with 1.6 metre length, 780mm overall width and yet a platform height of 7.2 metres, almost two metres higher than most units offering 'elevator unit' base dimensions. see Bellissimo a taller micro scissor for full details.
Please register to see all images

The New Iteco 7390 breaks new ground

On both the crane and access side one of the most notable trend visible at the show is the rapid emergence of Mini Crawler mounted self propelled booms and cranes. The crawler mounted aerial lifts offer single door widths, light weight, low ground bearing pressure, and the ability to set up on slopes and steps etc..Almost every Italian access producer now appears to be building them, with Italmec, Basket, Lion lift, Hinowa, Oil &Steel, Cela, Ram and others adding them to their ranges.
Please register to see all images

Galaxy also jumped on the Mini crawler bandwagon with a 10 and 12 m units

While the number of companies producing mini cranes has not yet ballooned in the way the crawler mounted aerials have, there were a number of small Italian produced articulated cranes mounted on the chassis from mini excavators while Valla now has a range of at least five crawler mounted mini cranes with lift capacities from two to eight tonnes.

Specialist producer IMAI has done well with custom built mini cranes, it claims to be able to design a mini crane solution to a lifting problem in a matter of weeks. Non Italian mini crane producers at SAIE included Unic and Maeda who both reported strong interest.
. Please register to see all images

Imai produce custom built mini cranes

Tower cranes were very evident looming over the show grounds, like a forest of steel, Potain introduced the new topless MDT 98 offering up to 55 metres of outreach and up to 6 tonnes lift capacity. A working demonstration rig showing off the latest full view Potain Cab as fitted to the MDT98 was also a popular exhibit. Please register to see all images

The New Potain MDT 98 tower crane cab

On the Terex stand, the rapidly growing Comedil range of towers and self erectors was well represented, with sales now growing rapidly, it is clear that Terex are keen to increase its market share in this sector.

Among the mobile cranes, the new 5130-1 from Grove was noticeable by its absence, deliveries for this new five axle all terrain have slipped significantly enough for the company to withdraw plans to exhibit on the Bologna stand.
Please register to see all images

The Terex-Demag AC120-1 boom soars towards the Terex Comedil tower crane

Terex had its new AC120-1 on show along with a selctions form the City crane line up. While Tadano Faun showed its ATF 80-4 with 48.5 metre main boom
Please register to see all images

The Tadano Faun ATF 80-4 all terrain with 48.5 m main boom

Locatelli showed its 20 ton city crane fitted with an unusual fork lift head, which pins onto the swing away extension lugs. Many other telehandler attachments can be fitted to the head including a work platform. The company said that the crane can be fitted with a standard Merlo work platform in under ten minutes giving the operator full control of all crane functions form the basket with the exception of travel.
Please register to see all images

The Locatelli ATC 20 city crane with forks and accessory head

The Liebherr stand bristled with tower cranes including the MK100 truck mounted self erector crane sold to Italian company Camperchioli.
Please register to see all images

The Liebherr crane stand

On the Basket stand was a full team from Promax, the company’s UK distributor, Basket build a whole range of lifts, but have done particular well in the UK with specials including a recent contract for 20 road rail units featuring the company’s tilting superstructure to provide levelling on inclined bends with high ride rail propulsion rather than the more typical low ride method used in the UK.
Please register to see all images

Basket had one of the many Crawler mounted booms

Haulotte had most of its range on display including the new HA15IP compact boom lift now fitted with jib. Yves Boucly spoke to Vertikal about his plans to retire from the business at the end of this year after 23 years with Haulotte; Please register to see all images

Yves Boucly and the Haulotte HA150IP

Boucly has played a major role in Pinguely Haulottes move from crane producer to the world’s third largest self propelled powered access producer. The company's six metre self propelled mast boom, the Star 6, was also prominently placed in the centre of the stand
Please register to see all images

Haulotte showed its Star 6 lift

The Instant Italia stand, which normally features UpRight and Leguan products was dedicated this year to new rental partner Lift Up. With no machines on show, the company was promoting its rental concept which is based on a type of franchise arrangement with the group holding a majority share holding in each franchise. The key to the concept is a clever software programme that combines a rental programme with a business system and as from next year also links in to each individual machine in the groups fleet via GPRS technology, more of this along with an interview with Paulo Troni one of the groups owners, in a future edition.
Please register to see all images

Rent Up founders and owners Paolo Troni and Fulvio Borgogno

UpRight products displayed on the Leader stand, where owner Sandrino Ferrarini claimed to be the new UpRight dealer for Italy, and therefore exhibited UpRight in place of Skyjack that the company also represents in Italy.
Please register to see all images

Sandrino Ferrarrini of Leader

The mast climber industry was well represented with all of the Italian producers out in force along with Intervect of Sweden and Holland and Camac of Spain.
Please register to see all images

Maber heavy duty Mast clibing work platform

It seemed that most of the new development this year was focussed around hoists rather than mast climbing work platforms. Camac, had an elevator shaft lift come work platform which they claim is unique, the breakthrough, they say is a new design that mounts the drive motors vertically, driving the pinion through a 90 degree gearbox, rather than horizontally thus saving enough space to place the unit into a small, 1.5m square shaft..
Please register to see all images

Camacs 1.5m x 1.5m lift shat mast climber-hoist

Rovers had a very neat device to assist the placement of mast sections during erection and dismantling of its models. The mast section is lifted into a cradle at waist height, a pneumatic cylinder then assists in tilting the section into place on top of the previous section, ready to bolt or pin into place. The company say that they have patented this idea.
Please register to see all images

Stefan Salvia demonstrates Rovers mast section instalation aid

The truck loader crane industry always makes a big deal of SAIE and all of the producers were represented, Please register to see all images

Can you count the sections? SAIE is a great place for lorry loaders

Effer launched two new products and were sufficiently phased by rumours about their financial condition to state that in spite of a couple of dealer failures in 2004, (including the UK and Germany) the company was in good shape and optimistic about the future.
Please register to see all images

One of Effers new products the 370

Ameco Veba displayed the nw 950 which bristled with new ideas nd new technology, a reveiw of this model will be included in the November .December issue of Cranes&Acces which has a feature on Truck loaders.
Please register to see all images

The New High Tech Amco Veba 950 range

Oil and Steel had a major display with new sister company PM, mixing the groups truck loading cranes with aerial work platforms. Please register to see all images

PM joined Oli and Steel with the truck loader range

The growing range of Octopussy crawler has been extended with the launch of the new 1765 which features a dual stage riser, telescopic boom and jib, making for a very compact closed machine for its height.
Please register to see all images

The New oil and Steel Octopussy 1765

Teupen caught the attention of passers by with the 50 metre Leo 50 mounted on its non marking rubber tracked chassis.
Please register to see all images

Teupen demonstrated the 50 metre Leo 50

Pagliero Multitel made the most of its larger truck mounted platforms with a variety of jibs and extensions demonstrating exceptional up and over reach or under and up capability.
Please register to see all images

Pagliero demonstrates its amazing jibs

Other truck mounted aerail lifts, included a new 14 metre units from GSR, the new 60 metre Isoli and on the Cela stand, they claim to have the only insulated truck mounted built in Europe, the company say that they can take the insulated design up to 60 metres if there is demand. A 35 metre lift designed for washing work complete with high pressure fittings etc has also been produced.

CTE had two stands, one with Genie products which they represent in Italy and the other with its own products, including the growing range of truck mounted lifts which are currently selling well in the UK and furniture moving equipment such as ladder hoists and tracked stair climbing transporters.

Please register to see all images

Dieci at home with the range

Please register to see all images

Ormig showed off its big industrial cranes

We have had to leave out more than we have covered here, we suggest that you block out the third week of Ocotober 2005 so that you can visit SAIE for yourself and see just how much there is to see for yourself.