Capital Equipment News July 2021

From left: Erik Benz, GM Mobile & Crawler Cranes at Liebherr-Africa; Francois Pretorius, sales representative – Mobile Cranes at Liebherr-Africa; Dieter Schmid, MD of Liebherr-Africa; and André Engelbrecht, GM Allied Crane Hire, and at the handover ceremony.

conditions, which often challenge the skill and experience of the crane teams. Flexibility is therefore required from both man and machine. “VarioBallast is a key feature for us, especially given that this model will be deployed in the mining and petrochemical sectors where space is always at a premium,” says Engelbrecht. VarioBase to the fore The Liebherr LTM 1230-5.1 is said to be the first mobile crane specially designed on VarioBase. Liebherr placed the multi-award-winning VarioBase support technology at the centre of the structural steel construction when creating the concept for the new crane. The new LTM crane, says Erik Benz, GM Mobile & Crawler Cranes at Liebherr-Africa, is the first to have an asymmetrical support base – with the width being 7,4 m at the front and 8,1 m at the rear. VarioBase is a unique system developed by Liebherr that is particularly effective for lifting operations in locations where space is restricted. It enables every individual crane support to be extended to any length, with the crane operation made safe by the load moment limiter within the LICCON control. The Variable Supporting Base ensures higher lifting capacities and a larger working range, even with a maximum support base, with the largest increases made in the operating ranges directly above the supports. “VarioBase means that it is now possible to generate particularly high lifting capacities, mainly at the rear working area

the centre of the slewing ring to the pump distributor gear in the superstructure. “An add-on programme in the drive concept ensures that the machine is particularly fuel-efficient. This means that the complete pump drive can be disconnected automatically when the engine is idling and then reconnected by the intelligent controller in a matter of seconds when it is required,” explains Pretorius. The six-cylinder Liebherr diesel engine in the undercarriage develops 400 kW of power and torque of 2 516 Nm, providing the LTM 1230-5.1 with all the power it needs. The power is transferred to the crane axles via the 12-speed ZF TraXon gearbox. The innovative gearbox delivers new functionalities and benefits for the operator and driver. ECOmode makes the vehicle significantly more comfortable and quieter due to the low engine speed. Furthermore, faster gearshifts ensure greater scope for off-road use. The crane driver also has the Hill Holder feature to assist with hill starts. “Liebherr has also developed a special mode for mobile cranes in the load-sensing range to reduce the cost of crane operations while also reducing noise emissions. ECOmode minimises both fuel consumption and noise emissions when operating the crane superstructure. In these tough operating conditions, efficiency is a principal requirement for every machine that we run. The new crane features high performance, economy and flexibility, thanks to Liebherr’s

over the 8,1 m wide supports – calculated in real-time by the LICCON controller. This new digitalisation facility has a major influence on the structural steel technology and enhances the customer benefit in the form of lifting capacity increases,” says Benz. The support base overall is smaller than on the predecessor model LTM1200-5.1, explains Pretorius, despite the new crane’s significantly higher lifting capacity and longer boom. This brings the crane closer to the load. Liebherr designed the support base to have a trapezoidal shape. “At the rear the maximum support width to the side is 8,1 m and to the front 7,4 m. With a working range of 360 degrees, this means that we have almost no reductions in lifting capacity compared to a rectangular support base with a support width of 8,1 m to the front and rear,” says Pretorius. The single-stage outriggers at the front are lighter. This weight reduction can be used to extend the boom length. Furthermore, the single-stage outriggers feature greater rigidity. The extended rear supports, together with Liebherr’s VarioBase deliver particularly high lifting capacities. “We call the combination of the trapezoidal and variable support base VarioBase Plus,” explains Pretorius.

Single engine concept The LTM 1230-5.1 also features

Liebherr’s single-engine concept, which involves a mechanical shaft powering the superstructure. Gear shafts are routed from the distributor gear in the substructure via two mitre gears through

consistent advanced development of successful technologies,” concludes Engelbrecht. b

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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JULY 2021