ConExpo 2020 sets the stage for more equipment debuts

With 2.7 million square feet of booths and exhibitors, tackling ConExpo 2020 was no easy feat – as any attendee can attest to. That’s why American Cranes & Transport has compiled a list of some of the biggest reveals you may have missed. From cranes, specialized trailers and below- the-hook technology, the world’s biggest tradeshow was the headquarters for all kinds of first looks.

Altec

At the bustling Altec stand, two new boom trucks were on display. The AC30-53T is a tractor-mounted telescopic boom truck crane designed with versatility and jobsite flexibility in mind, the company said. Features such as a lowest in-class fifth wheel height combined with a low auxiliary outrigger profile and integrated trailer supply hoses make this unit ready to serve a wide range of work applications.

The AC45-127 truck mounted crane comes equipped with Altec’s new Dual Entry Cab to provide increased visibility and reduced neck strain and associated fatigue. The 45-ton maximum capacity crane offers a “solid feel” at a 100-foot load radius and more outrigger ground penetration, which reduces the amount of cribbing required to level the unit on uneven terrain.

Manitex Valla

Manitex Valla, Manitex’s industrial compact crane line, displayed its new Valla 25 and Valla V90R.

Manitex released an updated version of the venerable Valla 25 with host of upgrades based around safety and usability of the crane. The new model features a new color LMI display that makes it easier to read and interpret the critical information to the operator. There were also a a number of changes made under the hood to the electronic components as well. The 25 Series still comes in two different versions, a Valla 25E with a capacity of 5,500 pounds and a Valla 25EL with a capacity of 4,950 pounds.

The Valla V90R was also unveiled to the North American market at ConExpo. With a capacity of 9 tons it represents a significant step forward in the pick and carry crane technology, the compnay said. Greatest improvement being we have what we refer to as “Capacity Boost Options” on this crane. This includes Front Stabilizer and Extending Wheelbase options which increases the capacity of crane up to 70 percent on the same radii compared to a crane that does not have them. Essentially the V90R can chart similar to a 12 or a 15 ton crane especially at longer reaches. With an overall height of 6 feet 2 inches, and a width of 4 feet 7 inches there aren’t many places this little powerhouse can’t go, Manitex said. Equipped with a 180 degree rear wheel steer it is extremely maneuverable with a tail swing of only 9 feet 2 inches.

Liebherr

The LTM 1650-8.1 mobile crane and the LR 1800-1.0 crawler crane, both new machines for the American market, made crowd-drawing debuts at ConExpo. The LTM 1650-8.1 is available with 177- and 263-foot telescopic booms and travels with an axle load of 26,400 pounds complete with its 177-foot telescopic boom and the front supports. Liebherr offers the LTM 1650-8.1 with a wide range of transport weights and axle load versions to ensure cost-effective global mobility for axle loads both above and below 26,400 pounds.

Outstanding lifting capacities and low-cost transport around the world are the main features of Liebherr’s new 880-ton crawler crane, the company said. The LR 1800-1.0 is designed as a particularly powerful industrial crane for jobs with a luffing jib and derrick system, such as power plant construction and the petrochemicals industry. For the first time, the boom system features lattice sections with three system dimensions which can be telescoped into each other for transport. The new LR 1800-1.0 also features the derrick ballast with VarioTray – after raising the lattice boom with the large derrick ballast, part of the ballast can be unbolted quickly and easily.

HBC-radiomatic

HBC-radiomatic introduced their latest spectrum transmitter generation with newly developed 5-inch color displays. The high-resolution screens ensure a configurable presentation of notifications and data from the machine – such as engine speed, oil pressure and load weight, in addition to important error messages and warnings.

The new 5-inch displays are equipped with integrated front panel lighting and automatic brightness adjustment. They are available with various housing formats of HBC’s spectrum transmitter series and can be used with the radio-matic photon live camera assistance, which delivers live video images to the radio control’s color display. At the show, HBC also unveiled the latest additions to the radiomatic photon portfolio, including a switchable two-camera option and a mobile solution for portable cameras. 

Tadano Demag

For the first time in North America, the Demag CC 3800-1 lattice crawler was on display at the Tadano Demag booth.

The crawler features a lifting capacity of 716 tons at a radius of 39 feet and a maximum load moment of 9,152 meter-tonnes. In addition, it is powerful enough to erect wind turbines with a hub height of up to 384 feet without a Superlift system.

The Demag CC 3800-1 comes with a 472-foot main boom. However, the crane’s maximum system length can be extended all the way up to 561 feet with the optional Boom Booster. The welded steel structure consists of up to seven sections with a length of 39.37 feet and is designed to be directly mounted on the crane. Moreover, it boosts the main boom’s stiffness, further increasing its lifting capacity. When equipped with the Boom Booster and a lightweight rigid lattice jib, the CC 3800-1 can reach a maximum hook height of 607 feet and lift loads of up to 78.82 tons. With these specifications, the crane can tackle lifts that would normally be handled by cranes in the 826-ton class when it is equipped with the aforementioned configuration.

Trail King

Trail King unveiled a new front steer LPSD-HS low profile hydraulic steerable dolly. The new front steer dolly can be used with a Schnabel setup, replace standard wheel area for a steerable 13-axle configuration or can be used in combination with a jeep/dolly for bunk work. This new design allows for better maneuverability for a greater steering angle, tighter corners and less manual steering. The dolly offers wireless manual steer and auto alignment after manual steer for an automatic self-centering function.

Trail King unveiled a new front steer LPSD-HS low profile hydraulic steerable dolly.

Palfinger

The PK 200002 L SH was a popular machine on the Palfinger stand, combining the range of a long boom crane with the versatility of a knuckle boom crane. The model boasts high mobility due to being mounting on a standard truck chassis. The crane is also equipped with the Paltronic 50, radio remote control and Power Link Plus system. The PK 200002 L SH has a hydraulic lifting height of roughly 161 feet due to the long boom design, and high working speed thanks to double circuit control.

Cometto

With the hydrostatic drive system, the Eco1000 modules can be moved slowly and progressively in all directions.

Self-propelled trailer manufacturer Cometto has launched the Eco1000, a 1,000-ton capacity transporter system with integrated power packs. It is available in modular units and is intended for in-plant transport projects.

The connect and drive principle allows quick and easy connections of several vehicles up to a payload capacity of 1,000 metric tons. It is available as a 2-axle type with two driven suspension units, as a 4-axle type with two or four driven units, as a 4-axle type with two or four driven units as a long frame, and as a 6-axle type with four driven suspension units. By applying its unique remote control, high-performance steering and synchronization are still ensured even if different Eco1000 families are mixed in the same convoy.

The Eco1000 has a hydrostatic drive system for precise and progressive movement in all directions, Cometto said. Steering is through +135 / -135 degrees.

XCMG

Chinese manufacturer XCMG launched a new rough terrain crane at the show. The new 60-ton capacity crane is called the XCR60L5_U and it has a five-section 143-foot telescoping boom. With a jib erected, the maximum boom length increases to 196 feet. According to XCMG, although it has only been producing rough terrains for the last ten years, the development of the XCR60L5_U marks a maturing of its product offering as it looks to now penetrate what it calls, “the high end markets of Europe and North America.”

The XCR60L5_U has large variable displacement piston pumps and XCMG’s patented control valve, which the company claims increases the efficiency of lifting operations. The RT can also reach a maximum speed of 22 miles per hour and a maximum gradeability of 86 percent. The XCR60L5_U’s minimum turning radius is 20 feet.

The Sany SCA1000A boasts a lifting capacity of 110 tons at 12.5 feet.

Sany America

Sany America unveiled two new crawler cranes. The two models, SCA1000A and SCA2600A, are the first in the next generation of Sany cranes that have been “specifically refined for the North American market,” according to the company.

The Sany SCA1000A boasts a lifting capacity of 110 tons at 12.5 feet. The SCA2600A model features a 286-ton capacity at 16.4 feet and 302 feet of main boom. Sany said larger tonnage crawler cranes will be available later this year. The company is also set to release a new line of rough terrain cranes in 2021.