23.10.2006

Custom Build not Wind Special

Kobelco is widening the appeal of its 250 tonne CKE2500-2 crawler crane by ditching its Wind-turbine Special tag and promoting a range of custom options instead.

The crane is now aimed at customers in the offshore, barge/port operations and petrochemical sectors as well as the wind-farm sector.

The range of ‘custom-build’ options includes:
• 4.85m track width with 1,070mm shoes, for travelling on jetty’s, quays, and narrow access roads
• Extendable/retractable crawlers which can be set in three positions (from 4.85m to 7.47m wide)
• Four travel motors (rather than two as standard) for additional tractive power when travelling fully equipped with 61.0m boom and 36.6m special fixed jib on gradients up to 22 percent (12.4 degrees) and for changing travel direction more easily
•9.32m long crawlers - 350mm longer than standard CKE2500-2 crawlersfor improved lift capacity and stability
• Special Fixed Jib (with lifting capacities similar to luffing jib), capable of lifting 42t at 86.4m hook height and 14 to 15m radius, using 61.0m boom and 27.4m Special Fixed Jib and a 70t-capacity hook block.
• 24 tonne capacity auxiliary sheave mounted on top of the Special Fixed Jib, which can be used to pick up a complete wind-turbine nose cone with 3 propellor blades from the horizontal position at ground level and slowly turning into the vertical mounting position in mid-air
• Self-assembly system with a mast-mounted hydraulic lift cylinder for assembly of crawlers, carbody and rear counterweights.

Jos Verhulst, sales and marketing manager of Kobelco Cranes Europe said: "By consulting Kobelco customers around the world Kobelco Engineering is offering these options which enables cranes to be tailor-made for special applications and without incurring the penalty costs and delays of unique ‘one-off' specials. It adds greatly to the flexibility of the world’s best-selling 250t crawler crane.”

Spanish-based international heavy-lifting and transport specialist Transbiaga will take delivery of first two ‘custom build’ CKE2500-2 units in 2007 for use in general contracting and rental duties across Europe.