Liebherr-Werk Nenzing has extended its range of crawler cranes to include lifting capacities of up to 400 t. The first units of the new LR 1400 SX have already been delivered to customers.
“This is a big step for our location,” said Gerhard Frainer, managing director for sales at Liebherr-Werk Nenzing. “The request for a larger crane came from the market.”
With a compact transport weight of 46 t, the LR 1400 SX can be easily transported between jobsites. Platform and railings remain attached to the uppercarriage during transportation and only need to be folded down.
The self-assembly system enables quick set-up. “You can operate the whole crane with the remote control,” said Paul Belcher, owner and managing director of Mountain Crane Service, USA. This allows for a better overview and increases safety on site.
Despite its size, the LR 1400 SX has a wide range of applications. “For barge operation, the available barge load charts for any configuration and any possible counterweight combination are crucial. The modular counterweight system is very good. If a smaller counterweight is sufficient, the unit can also be used on a correspondingly smaller barge. This makes the use of the LR 1400 SX very flexible,” explained Andreas Handel, head of mechanical engineering hydro construction at Depenbrock, Germany.
Just how flexible and mobile the LR 1400 SX is, can be seen when space is restricted. The four crawler drives make it easier to manoeuvre the crane on jobsites where space is tight. Thanks to the track width adjustment, access on narrow roads is also simplified.
For excellent safety, the Gradient Travel Aid assistance system helps to negotiate slopes and inclines. It displays the crane’s centre of gravity and warns the operator before the machine leaves the safe area.
The Ground Pressure Visualization calculates the current ground pressure of the crane in real time and compares it with the specified safety limits of the relevant position. The system is displayed in the operator’s cab and the operator is permanently aware of whether the machine is situated in, or is approaching, a critical area. “This is a super feature. We have to constantly observe and monitor the ground conditions,” said Mr Belcher.
The ground pressure of the crane can also be decreased using the ground pressure reduction plates. “Specifically, the wide crawlers and the ground pressure reduction plates convinced us,” said Ludger Holtmann, technical director at Depenbrock. He added that “the free-fall winches, which are required for some applications, were also decisive for the purchase.”
