Believed to be one of the most versatile cranes in the business, the new Palfinger Crawler Crane (PCC), which was only unveiled in September, will “transform” the industry.
When in working mode with stabilisers fully extended, it looks like a Transformer, and in actual fact it is a transformer.
Mark Gardner, Marketing & Business Development Manager, Palfinger Australia, said the new crane was literally able to morph from being a self-powered, truck-mounted, crane into a ground-based crane that can ‘crab’ into areas with low headroom using the outriggers, then slip into a set of crawler tracks with the ability to take it up or down an incline of up to 60 degrees.
“Not even a 4WD will take on slopes that steep,” he said.
“Another noteworthy feature is that it can self-unload from the truck onto the track chassis and then be manoeuvred on site. There is also an important safety aspect in that both the crane and crawler chassis are individually radio remote controlled which removes the operator from the line of fire.
“Importantly, the crane is able to be operated independently of the track chassis. When they are coupled, the crane’s hydraulic system is connected to power the hydraulic track drive motors,” he said.
The range includes three models – the 18.2-tonne PCC 57.002, the 22-tonne PCC 71.002 and the 30-tonne PCC 115.002. The largest version is the only one that will be initially available to Australasian customers.
The crane module of the PCC 115.002 with jib and winch weighs close to 25 tonnes, while the track chassis weighs about 10 tonnes.
“Another useful feature of the PCC unit, either with or without the track chassis attached, is the ability to ‘shift’ itself using the outrigger beams, allowing it to pass though openings when headroom is limited or to load itself into a container.
“This is accomplished by extending the outriggers on one side and retracting the others while the crane is on the ground. Then the outriggers are lowered, lifting the crane off the ground and the crane is shifted sideways using the extend/retract of the outriggers. The process is repeated until the crane reaches the desired position.”
The cranes have overall widths from 1.9 to 2.1m, overall heights between 2.8 and 3.66m or 2.1 to 2.36m when not on the track chassis. Overall lengths range from 5.9 to 7.45m.
Maximum lift height of the outriggers is just under two metres and the cranes have the ability to automatically self-level on slopes of up to eight degrees.
All models can handle their maximum capacity through a complete 360 degree slew angle and have the ability to pick and carry at a reduced capacity when attached to the track chassis.
A winch is available depending on the model. For example, the PCC 115.002 has a 3.5 tonne winch.
Ground clearance is between 200 and 275mm, and the crane has the ability to climb a 30 per cent gradient in standard format with the option of 60 per cent slope climbing ability. Both the approach and departure angles at the front and rear are 17 degrees.
The PCC 115.002 features a 110kW diesel engine which meets Euro IV and Tier4 Final emissions regulations. A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is optionally available.
Working indoors emissions-free is enabled by a separate battery power pack and there’s the option of nylon outrigger pads designed to eliminate floor surface damage. The same goes for the steel track grouser plates which can be fitted with nylon pads to protect floor surfaces.
The 30-tonne, 103.9 tonne/metre PCC 115.002 has a maximum reach without jib of 23.1m, and can reach 33 metres with the jib at which it can handle 820kg. Maximum outrigger footprint is 7.6 x 9.0m and overall weight is around 33 tonnes.
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