RUTHMANN STEIGER® T 720 assists with rural LTE expansion

Mobile communication and DSL use continue to grow relentlessly. Service in rural areas, however, still lags far behind. Expanding wireless and DSL service nationwide is a top priority for the German government. In order to connect rural areas to the broadband network, LTE (long-term evolution) expansion work has been greatly expedited. An example of this can be seen in Hohenbünstorf (Germany) where a wind turbine was recently converted to LTE technology. A RUTHMANN STEIGER^® T 720, owned by Gerken GmbH – the prominent aerial work platform rental company – carried out this challenging task.

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It is widely known that high-speed Internet service in Germany is still not available everywhere. This inevitably impacts economic development in many regions of the country. The German government has therefore included the expansion of the broadband network in its coalition agreement. The legislation requires 75% of all households to have optimum internet connection by 2016. It is expected that by 2018, high-speed internet will be accessible to everyone in Germany.

In order to achieve these goals, the mobile communication and DSL sectors rely on LTE. There is no other technology that can reach remote, outlying regions of the country in a faster and more cost-effective manner.

DSL expansion in rural areas is being carried out with the help of LTE wireless communication technology. Only aerial work platforms with maximum agility and top performance capabilities can get the job done. The RUTHMANN STEIGER^® T 720, with its innovative boom technology, is the perfect work platform for this challenging assignment.

In Hohenbünstorf, a wind turbine, previously used as UMTS radio mast, was recently converted to LTE. The wind turbine has a hub height of 70 metres and the radio antennas were installed at about the 60-metre level. The turbine is located in a field approx. 30 km south of Lüneburg, Germany.

In order to replace the antennas, a STEIGER^® work platform is needed because the heavy LTE steel parts cannot be carried up by climbers. There is no ladder on the sides of the mast and the frequently used scaffolding of the wind turbine had become inefficient due to alterations.

"Maximum performance capabilities and a great deal of agility are required on these types of assignments”, says Andreas Schmitz.

Mr. Schmitz – an employee of Gerken GmbH – uses the STEIGER^® T 720 on a daily basis. “The RUTHMANNSTEIGER^® T 720 is the only work platform that is able to provide this kind of versatility. The highly-efficient three-section telescoping upper boom and 180° swivelling range of the jib (RÜSSEL^®) make it possible to reach all sides of the wind turbine without any degree of difficulty.”

Perfect even in cramped conditions: The three-section telescoping upper boom and 180° swiveling jib (RÜSSEL^®) guarantee high versatility in congested areas.) guarantee high versatility in congested areas.

Currently the top model in RUTHMANN’s popular HEIGHT performance series: the STEIGER^® T 720 with its 72 m working height and 38 m lateral reach.

"Here in Hohenbünstorf, we are doing conversion work for Telekom”, a technician responsible for the modifications explains. "We have allowed one week for the entire conversion. First, the old antennas must be removed and replaced with new ones. The design of the wind turbine does not allow us to install the LTE antenna cables inside the mast. We must therefore install guide rings on the exterior of the entire mast and then guide the cables through them from top to bottom.”

The large and heavy steel parts for the antenna mounts and guide rings are lifted up in the work cage. With a 600 kg cage load capacity, this is not a problem for the RUTHMANNSTEIGER^® T 720. The interior of the work cage is a spacious 3.7 m². That is room enough for the service technician, the work platform operator, and all of the necessary tools and equipment.

Safely working in a 3.7 m² work cage – the largest cage in the industry (3.82 m x 0.97 m) – creates a comfortable work environment high up. Even heavy loads can be lifted, thanks to the impressive 600 kg cage load capacity.

Andreas Schmitz confidently navigates the work cage to the 60 m level just below the hub of the wind turbine. "This calls for a great deal of sensitivity”, Mr. Schmitz explains. “The wind turbine is out of service during these modifications, but the technician must still be brought as close as possible to the desired location. For assignments such as these, it is important that the controls of the work platform are easy to use and very precise. The STEIGER^® T 720 is absolutely perfect for this job even on windy days such as this”.

Sensitivity and precision: The controls of the T 720 are designed for assignments in difficult conditions. In addition to the jib (RÜSSEL^®), the work cage is able to rotate 180°.

The lower guide rings were installed using scaffolding. The antennas and upper guide rings however, could only be installed with an aerial work platform.

“Large-scale machinery made by other manufacturers is not nearly as versatile”, says Mr. Gerken when talking about this 72 m truck-mounted aerial work platform.  “The jib (RÜSSEL^®) and the innovative boom system make the real difference here”. We have now been using the HEIGHT performance STEIGER^® T 720 since May, 2013. The amazing agility of this work platform can be seen time and again in a great variety of assignments including wind turbine maintenance, stage construction for special events, and building maintenance. The RUTHMANN STEIGER^® T 720 has even been deployed at the Reichstag in Berlin. Our customers are more than satisfied.”

Gerken GmbH is one of the leading rental companies for truck-mounted aerial work platforms in Germany. The company operates across Europe and celebrated its 50th anniversary in the autumn of 2013. The rental fleet consists of more than 4,200 machines and includes a broad range of special and large-scale 60 m work platforms – 16 of which are HEIGHT performance STEIGER^® models. To learn more about Gerken, visit www.gerken-arbeitsbuehnen.de

The STEIGER^® T 720, T 380, T 400, T 460, T 540, and T 630 are models in RUTHMANN's highly successful HEIGHT performance series.  RUTHMANN has now sold more than 100 HEIGHT performance models to its customers around the world even though the series has only been on the market since the spring of 2012.  RUTHMANN has just added the most recent model – the T 400 – to this highly acclaimed product line.