New from Hydrospex

Hydraulic telescopic gantries may appear to be straightforward and fully developed but advances continue to be made in terms of technical performance, operational and other features.

Earlier this year Dutch manufacturer of heavy lift equipment, Hydrospex, launched a new range of telescopic hydraulic lifting gantries called Super Boom Lift (SBL). First in the series are the SBL1100 and SBL1000. Maximum lifting capacities are 1,000 tonnes and 900 tonnes, respectively.

Safety, stability and precise control are major features of the SBL Super Boom Lift series, Hydrospex says. It was developed in cooperation with US-based Bigge Crane & Rigging, which is Hydrospex distributor for the Americas.

Instead of going the traditional route and starting the SBL series with smaller models and working up the scale, Hydrospex says it recognised the demand for high capacity gantries with a lifting height of more than 12 m.

The SBL design uses double acting hydraulic cylinders in a three stage fully powered boom that self erects in 60 seconds, Hydrospex says. A unique feature, according to the manufacturer, is the variable speed lifting and lowering. The octagonal section booms are made from high tensile steel to give maximum strength for minimum weight. The maintenance-free bearing slide surfaces require no additional lubrication, Hydrospex says.

Another primary feature is the tracked travel mechanism, designed to eliminate wheel spin and give smooth travel over runway track joints. The high number of contact points reduces track load and the ground bearing pressure by up to 60% compared to conventional designs, the manufacturer claims.

For easier shipping the boom of the SBL1100 can be folded down, using a pair of hydraulic cylinders, to a horizontal position, allowing it to be transported in containers or on standard height trucks.