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Use under Challenging Conditions: H & S Autokrane Relies on the Terex® Challenger 3160 All Terrain Crane for Hoisting Pipelines
ZWEIBRÜCKEN, October 2nd, 2014 – A decisive criterion when choosing a crane model is the intended area of operation, which, for the H & S Autokrane mobile crane company of Hesse, Germany, is particularly demanding. The enterprise is a contracting party for the German fertilizer and salt producer Kali- und Salzwerke. This means that the working equipment of H & S Autokrane needs to be reliable in challenging conditions marked by two extremes: a lack of space in the company’s factory buildings and a high salt content in the air that is extremely detrimental to the equipment. It is in this harsh environment that the cranes of H & S are at work, such as for installing and removing pipelines. For such jobs, the company mainly relies on its Terex® Challenger 3160 all terrain crane.
“A Crane like a Balloon”
H & S field crew member Herbert Schug describes the requirements for the ideal crane in this location: “To work here, a crane actually needs to be like a balloon: really small when it pulls in, and large with a long boom in the structures. Moreover, it needs to be able to lift heavy loads. The Challenger 3160 all terrain crane comes the closest to fulfilling this ideal.”
Thanks to its compact design with a short carrier and excellent maneuverability, the Challenger 3160 crane scores points in the cramped conditions on the Kali- und Salzwerke site of the mine operator. Its very generous, 50-meter-long (164 ft) boom system also proves to be perfect for the job: The loads – while not needing to be lifted particularly high – have to be hoisted with a very wide radius, such as for moving them underneath pipeline bridges. “Since the telescoping action of the Challenger 3160 crane also works horizontally, it is perfectly suited to our purposes,” states crane driver Jens Hartung. In addition, the H & S model used is also equipped with an runner, which makes it possible to utilize the available workspace almost right up to the ceiling of the building.
The Terex Challenger crane recently showed its capabilities on a job at one of the Kali- und Salzwerke sites: “We had to hoist pipelines and steel elements up to a height of 42 meters (137.8 ft) for assembly in an existing steel structure,” Jens Hartung explains. In doing so, the team had to overcome several particularly tricky challenges. For one thing, the approach was extremely narrow, with some passages allowing for a width of just 2.60 meters(8.5 ft) and a height of only 3.60 meters (11.8 ft). Thanks to the compact design of the Terex Challenger 3160 crane, Jens Hartung was able to safely maneuver the equipment through each “needle eye” without scraping the sides. Since there were also drains passing underneath the workspace, the maximum total crane weight for the job was limited to 40 tonnes (44.1 US tons). What made it even more difficult was the fact that the presence of the drains made it necessary for part of the work to use only half of its outrigger extension but the full counterweight. “But we were able to master even this task with our Challenger,” relates Herbert Schug, who is already convinced of the qualities of Terex cranes, which enjoy a permanent place in the company’s fleet. “Without exception, the Terex cranes are very well built and withstand the aggressive environmental conditions over the long haul. That is why they’re our first choice - and this job just confirmed that once again,” he stresses.
About the Terex® Challenger 3160 All Terrain Crane
The three-axle, 55-tonne (60 US ton) capacity class Terex® Challenger 3160 all terrain crane has a 50-m (164 ft) single-cylinder telescopic boom and a maximum lifting capacity of 35.6 tonnes (39.3 US tons) when working with a reach of four meters. The Terex Challenger 3160 all terrain crane can be operated independently by a single person while remaining under an axle load limit of 12 tonnes 13.2 US tons).
About Terex
Terex Corporation is a lifting and material handling solutions company reporting in five business segments: Aerial Work Platforms, Construction, Cranes, Material Handling & Port Solutions and Materials Processing. Terex manufactures a broad range of equipment serving customers in various industries, including the construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, shipping, transportation, refining, energy, utility, quarrying and mining industries. Terex offers financial products and services to assist in the acquisition of Terex equipment through Terex Financial Services. Terex uses its website (www.terex.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TerexCorporation) to make information available to its investors and the market.
