LIEBHERR celebrated the world premiere of its MK 140 mobile construction crane and other heavyweight models at bauma, the largest exhibition in the world for construction machinery, held in Munich, Germany, early this year.

The newly developed and designed MK 140 is a compact five-axle model which offers a whole new dimension of performance in this crane class – one which was previously the exclusive domain of machines in higher axle classes, says a spokesman for the company.

“With a standard radius of 57.0 m and a lifting capacity of 1,800 kg at the tip, the MK 140 provides by far the best values available in this crane class,” the spokesman says. “The maximum lifting capacity of the machine is 8,000 kg. The radius can be extended as an option to 62.4 m or 65 m with two different jib head sections.”

“The real highlight of the product, however, is its special ‘luffing jib mode’. This mode allows the jib to be raised to an angle of up to 70 degrees and thus provides a great deal of flexibility during use with hook heights of up to approximately 95 m,” he adds.

The launch date for the new MK 140 mobile construction crane, which was well received at bauma, is planned next year.

Other cranes unveiled at the show included the LR 1250 crawler crane, the LTM 1060-3.1 – described as the world’s strongest three-axle mobile crane – and the 1000 EC-H tower crane in the 40-tonne version.

LR 1250 crawler crane

The new LR 1250 was developed on the basis of market experience gathered during the past years and feedback from customers. It is based on the proven previous model LR 1200 and convinces with revised and optimised lifting capacities within the 250-tonne class. The improved lifting capacities are achieved through the reinforced main boom and especially become apparent in combination with luffing jibs. Moreover, the crane’s high flexibility is due to the various boom/jib combinations and the large range of possible applications.

The LR 1250 is driven by a powerful 270 kW/362 hp six-cylinder diesel engine. The crane is fitted with two crane winches each featuring 12-tonne line pull and offering high rope speeds for this line pull. As an option, the LR 1250 can be equipped with 12-tonne free-fall winches.

The crane is quickly mobilised through transportation of the completely mounted crane, including boom and counterweight, through retraction of the track width to 5.8 m.

The LR 1250 is equipped with the Litronic control system of the latest generation, which is based on CanBus technology. The load moment limitation automatically calculates the lifting capacities during operation and guarantees optimum use of the machine.

As an option, the LR 1250 can be equipped with LiDAT, Liebherr’s own data transmission and positioning system.

LTM 1060-3.1

The LR 1250 ... optimised lifting.

The new LTM 1060-3.1, which boosts Liebherr’s range of mobile cranes, is a 60-tonne machine with a 48-m-long telescopic boom – the largest in the three-axle range from Liebherr. In addition, the new LTM 1060-3.1 offers enormous load capacities and is the strongest thee-axle mobile crane on the market, the spokesman claims.

At a total weight of 36 tonnes and with a 12-tonne axle load, it includes a 5.5-tonne ballast, 16 tyres, eddy current brake, six by six drive and a hook block. To meet the widest range of driving conditions, in particular at an axle load of 12 tonnes, a special ballast plate configuration has been implemented in the design. Depending on the crane equipment and the required vehicle payload, the ballast carried may be 3.7, 4.3, 4.9 or 5.5 tonnes.

To increase the load capacity, 7.3 tonnes of additional ballast is available so that the machine can be used with a maximum ballast of 12.8 tonnes. Appealing to countries without the 12-tonne axle load restriction, the LTM 1060-3.1 drives at approximately 15 tonnes per axle with maximum ballast.

Thanks to its compact dimensions, the three-axle machine can be manoeuvred easily, even if on-site space is tight. The 9.44-m-long chassis is just 2.55 m wide, even with the 445/95 R 25 (16.00 R 25) tyres. The turning radius measured over the driver's cab is just 7.58 m and the ballast radius remains within 3.54 m. A support width of 6.3 m is achieved with single telescoping sliding beams. Where space is tight, however, a reduced support width of 4.5 m or 2.3 m can also be used. At the touch of a button, the crane is levelled automatically during the support process.

The six-cylinder Liebherr in-line engine in the chassis achieves 270 kW (367 hp) and reaches a maximum torque of 1,700 Nm. The force is transferred to the crane axles via the 12-speed ZF-AS-Tronic gear box.

The active, speed-dependent rear axle steering system from Liebherr, tried and tested many times over, is used in the new LTM 1060-3.1. This reduces tyre wear considerably.

1000 EC-H

Liebherr also launched its largest standard crane in the EC-H crane series. The newly designed 1000 EC-H in the 40-tonne version has a maximum lifting capacity of 11,500 kg at the tip coupled with a radius of 80 m. It will be available in four different versions.

The 1000 EC-H is ideal for demanding jobs at dam construction, power station and industrial construction sites, for bridge construction and in shipyards.

The new LTM 1060-3.1 ... strongest in the three-axle range.

“During the design of the 1000 EC-H, the focus was placed on the newly developed top section of the crane and its perfect tailoring to the 1000 HC tower system. The monoblock construction of the 1000 HC tower system means that it can be erected quickly and easily,” says the spokesman.

Another focal point of the development and design work for this new crane was to improve the transport sizes and weights so as to reduce transport costs and eliminate the need for special transport equipment.

“The jib sections can be transported inside the 1000 HC tower system and the counter-jib can be split into four parts for transport. The top section of the crane can be transported in full in standard containers, which means that it can also be loaded at low cost for overseas transport,” says the spokesman.

This apart, Liebherr's practical erection technology ensures that the tower crane can be erected efficiently and safely.

The 1000 EC-H has a wide range of high performance drive units from the Liebherr competence centre for drive technology. The company supplies standard hoist gear versions with capacities of 65 kW or 110 kW for the crane as well as a newly developed thee-speed FC hoist gear which develops 110 kW. All these drive versions ensure high hoist speeds.

The new 1000 EC-H is only available in a Litronic version and includes all the familiar benefits of the Litronic crane control system.