All in the head – 1,000 tonnes on an 800 tonne crane

• LR 1800-1.0 tested with 1,000 tonne test load

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• 800 tonne head section available for extremely heavy duty jobs

• 800/1000 tonne hook block can be used flexibly and economically for LR 1800-1.0 and LR 11000

“Maximum performance is all in the head” – the fact that this saying does not just apply to sport was shown recently at the Liebherr test site in Ehingen when a 1,000 tonne test load was suspended from the hook of the LR 1800-1.0. This incredible performance was made possible by the new 800 tonne heavy duty head. A new hook block also played a major role in the test. It can hoist up to 1,000 tonnes and, in addition to the Liebherr 800 tonne crane can also be used for the 1,000 tonne LR 11000.

Liebherr has now delivered more than ten of its new 800 tonne crawler craned to customers in Europe, North America and Asia. All of them feature the standard 650 tonne S head section and are used for heavy hoisting work in industry and for wind turbine erection jobs.

“The standard head is absolutely adequate for the vast majority of jobs. However, the LR 1800-1.0 is designed to produce its maximum lifting capacity in real-world conditions as it can hoist 800 tonnes with a 9 metre radius on a 57 metre boom. That gives it plenty of scope for real applications. That is why we built the 800 tonne head, and now we have tested it as well”, explained Jens Könneker, Product Manager Crawler Cranes at Liebherr.

For the acceptance testing procedures on crane equipment, the test loads are around 25 percent above the values in the lifting capacity table to ensure a high level of safety when the crane is actually in action. The new 800 tonne head and the new hook block to match it passed the test with flying colours with a 1,000 tonne test load. Könneker said: “The new hook block can be used on both the LR 1800-1.0 and the LR 11000. That is very important for customers who have both crane models. It enables them to use this block for both cranes 2/4 flexibly and economically. As a result of the higher rope pull on the LR 11000, it can hoist up to 1,000 tonnes”.

For the test hoist, the LR 1800-1.0 had been set up with 70 tonnes of central ballast, 170 tonnes of slewing platform ballast and 228 tonnes of derrick ballast as well as a 33 metre derrick boom. A ballast trailer was used for the derrick ballast. However, the test could also have been carried out with suspended ballast. The ballast trailer is also new and will be available for delivery shortly.