Basics of a 50 Ton Crane?Who and What?

[macfa1]

Hi all,

I am looking to purchase a 50 Ton truck-mounted crane with a maximum price of approx. €500K ($640K/350GBP).

My question is this: What are the basic things to look out for when purchasing such a crane, and which company would you recommend?

Thanks for your help in advance,

Aodh

 

[chicopee]

would this purchase be for a second hand truck mounted crane or a new one?

 

[macfa1]

For a new Crane!

 

[chicopee]

The 50T crane that you mentioned suggests that you are buying a European machinery and the first thing that strikes me is that the rating is in metric and not imperial units, therefore the 50 metric ton is equivalent to 55 short tons which is quiet a difference in capability. Realize that the rating normally applies to a boom fully retracted with the least load radius. As long as the crane is manufactured by whatever standard the manufacturer uses in Europe, I don’t see any problem with the machine. In the U.S. we looked for the PCSA standard as one of the criteria.

Since I don’t known where the crane is going to be used, my observations mentioned below applies to the US. The construction company I worked for had at least two dozen types of mobile cranes such as boom trucks, crawlers w/ lattice booms, rough terrain and mobile truck cranes w/ hydraulic extensible booms.

My observations are not all including as it would require an extensive article but here are a few:

Load charts must be very well understood by the operator and supervision, the latter of which may have misconceptions about the crane capabilities.

The selection of crane operator is paramount. A crane operator needs certification of training and be licensed eventhough for the general industry this may not be a requirement in the US, depending on state laws.

A crane operator should read and understand the manufacturer’s operating instructions which will be different between types of cranes.

Setting up cranes for lifts should be in accordance with load chart configurations and not improvised set ups for which load charts were not developed for.

Young crane operators may have better classroom training than their older counterparts but their cavalier attitude can be a detriment. Crane operators who have not operated a crane for quiet a while can also be a problem. I have witnessed both situations

Always have pads or full blocks under outrigger pads no matter how seemingly firm the pavement or soil appear. Thawing soil and icy surfaces can be troublesome.

Safe guard aluminum floats as they tend to be stolen for scrap.

Crane security on job sites speaks for itself.

Watch out for windy days during which you may have to lift. Manufacturers list in their manuals permissible wind speeds during lifts.
Watch ou for high tension electrical power lines. You boom may well be outside minimum radius for the line voltage but on hot and humid days anticipate the possibility of arcing.

Stay within 50% of load chart capacities for any lift eventhough load charts are developed at 85% of failure. Insurance companies and the Railroad in the US insist on that.

Your maintenance people should be able to properly reel in new wire rope and perform all field and shop maintenance. Only use authorized parts. I remember in the early 90’s that we had bough Japanese fittings and we almost had a disaster.

Make sure the crane operator performs monthly safety inspections and routine maintenance such as lubrication if the ladder is within the scope of their responsibilities. Accurate documentation of monthly inspections is a must.

Truck cranes in the US can be driven over the highways, therefore, the crane operator driving that unit must be in compliance w/ DOT regulations.

The list can go on and on but I think this should be sufficient.

 

[arto]

Maybe look at ASME B30.5 "Mobile and Locomotive Cranes" [or EU/ISO Equivalents]

 

[ccw]

Hi macfa1,

I agree with arto and chicopee above. You should digest a copy of ANSI/ASME B30.5 and the subsequent cross-references such as ANS/AWS D14.3, ANSI/SAE J987, J1063, etc. -a small price to pay considering the investment. European suppliers should have equivalent or more stringent specifications.

 

[elsnipo]

i would recommend a krupp, considering how highly advanced they are , coupled with the many built in safety devices they have
they have the ability to be driven in some really difficuly spots, considering the size and sheer bulk of a 50ton crane, they also can be driven at respectable, even fast speeds on the highway

but be willing to do extra maintenance on these units, as compared to other cranes, .....changing of hyd hoses at 6yr periods, rather inacessable parts to get at from the underneath, a rats nest of wires and sensors to fidle with if the electric/computer gets screwed

the krupps are especially sensitive to high tension wires, and if contact is made accidentally, prepare to have elsctrical headaches for quite a while

another tip, if the crane u choose has a lot of computer controlled functions, consider installing lightening supresors in the electrics......on a 200t krupp, with the boom fully extended, n alighteneing storm, the boom acted as an antenna and 2 boards were fried, it took us a few days to trace and figure it out

 

[malaycobra]

Krupp no longer exist. They were bought out by Grove. We run 2 GMK5175 and 2 GMK4100's. They are excellent lifters, and the only notable problem is their tendancy to develop leaks in the fuel tank due to chassis flexing (the tank is welded up under the deck between the longditudinal beams, or spine of the chassis)

Also $650k is far in excess of what you should pay for a 50 tonne crane. By far the best mobile cranes available today are made by Liebherr in Germany..

"the krupps are especially sensitive to high tension wires, and if contact is made accidentally, prepare to have elsctrical headaches for quite a while"

If your boom touches HT wires, electrical headaches are the least of your problems. There is NO excuse for a crane boom coming into contact with overhead electrical cables. This type of accident is the leading cause of Operator death. Check out

http://www.craneaccidents.com

for the statistics.